Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Adult Daycare for Alzheimer's Patients



Adult daycare is a rapidly growing service thatprovides valuable respite to caregivers as well as important mental and socialstimulation to people with early and mid-stage Alzheimer's. Programs varywidely in terms of their offerings and fees.

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What is adult daycare?

The primary purposeof the adult daycare centers are to: prevent premature or inappropriateinstitutional placement of persons with moderate to severe levels of impairmentdue to dementia; provide support and respite for caregivers; serve as models ofthe optimum type and level of day care services that are needed by persons withdementia; make training opportunities available to professionals and otherpersons providing care and treatment for this population; and increase publicawareness and knowledge about Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

The centers provideservices that support the physical and psychosocial needs of persons withAlzheimer's disease or related dementia. Individual care plans are developedfor each program participant with activities scheduled in accordance with theseplans. The overall objective is to keep the participants as healthy and activeas possible by helping them maintain their highest level of functioning and toimprove the quality of their lives while providing respite to caregivers.

Thus, adult daycare centers provide structuredactivities and therapy in a safe, supportive environment to adults who needmental and social stimulation. Typical daycare clients have lost a degree ofindependence due to normal aging, a medical crisis, or a chronic condition suchas Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, but they live alone or with acaregiver. Half of all users have cognitive impairment. As the name suggests,it's a day service, not a housing option.

This increasingly available type of eldercare may beaffiliated with (or run by) medical centers, nursing homes, assistive-livingfacilities, or other organizations either on site or at another facility (suchas a community center or church). Some are established as"stand-alone" private businesses. There are more than 3,500 adult daycenters in the United States.

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Why should I consider adult daycare formy parent?

Adult daycare is a form of respite care that'sprovided outside the home by professionals (as opposed to in-home respitecare). It's designed to benefit both the person using the services and,especially in the case of Alzheimer's disease, that person's caregiver.

For the elder with Alzheimer's, adult daycareoffers:
  • A chance to get out of the house
  • A break from being with the caregiver
  • Interactions with other people
  • Stimulating activities
  • Other therapies as needed (such as physical therapy or speech therapy)
  • Possibly a delay in cognitive decline, in the early stages
  • Prolonged independent living

For the Alzheimer's caregiver, adult daycareprovides:
  • Stress relief, lessened depression
  • Predictable hours of relief in order to attend to personal needs, run errands, and release stress
  • The ability to continue caring for a parent at home
  • Cost savings over more expensive in-home care
  • Reduced guilt because the parent's independence is supported
  • An improved mood in the patient, making care giving easier
  • Possible family counseling or training through the center, to help cope

Programs run from several hours to a full day.Participants may attend daily, a few times a week, weekly, or just for specialactivities. Weekend and evening care are less common, although this is changingas demand for adult daycare rises. (All options vary by center.)

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How is it different from a seniorcenter?

Senior centers tend to cater to a healthier, moremobile, and more independent clientele. Adult daycare programs generally offerservices that are more intensive. Some specialize in Alzheimer's disease, andstaff members have special education and/or training in working with geriatricclients and in managing behaviors characteristic of a disease like Alzheimer's.

What happens at adult daycare?

Programs typically include organized and supervisedhands-on activities that may involve:
  • Stimulating recreation (such as crafts, group conversation)
  • Music therapy
  • Art therapy
  • Sensory stimulation
  • Physical therapy
  • Occupational therapy
  • Speech therapy
  • Access to a library
  • Entertainment (such as music, movies)
  • Outings to museums, parks, or other local attractions
  • Support groups and counseling
  • Socialization activities
  • Personal and nursing care (including help in keeping up with medications)
  • Meals (usually lunch) and snacks

Activities are usually customized to individualneeds and abilities, but at the same time, there's an emphasis on groupparticipation. The setting is often homelike and comforting.

Additionally, some programs offer medically orientedcare for patients who need it (administering medication; caring for basicmedical or personal needs, such as podiatry services). Some offer counselingand educational services to caregivers and families.

Some adult day programs are connected withchildren's daycare centers. An advantage to this arrangement is thatintergenerational connections that are made. A potential disadvantage that someresearchers have found is that the adults can feel that they're being treatedlike children themselves, if the activities are largely child-centered.

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Does a parent with Alzheimer's need aspecial kind of program?

Any daycare provides caregiver respite. But theideal type features services tailored to people with Alzheimer's. Some adultdaycare programs specialize in people with dementias of all kinds and stages,while others specialize more narrowly in early-stage Alzheimer's. In thesedementia-specific programs, you're most likely to find tailored activities andstaff who are specially trained in the disease. A 1991 study found thatAlzheimer's-specific daycare tended to provide more support for families and agreater emphasis on therapeutic recreation (rather than on clinical or rehabservices) than general adult daycare. Be aware, however, that there's nospecial licensing required for a facility to call itself an"Alzheimer's/dementia daycare."

Adult daycare is especially useful in the earlystage of Alzheimer's, when the afflicted person retains some good cognitive andsocial skills and might find it easier to become acclimated to the center andpeople there. There's also evidence that early stimulation of the type providedby adult day centers can slow cognitive decline.

Daycare is also useful in the middle stages ofAlzheimer's disease, when the burden of care becomes greater and caregiverburnout is a strong risk. People in the final stage of the disease tend to beunable to manage daily care tasks without help and are often nonverbal; whenthe burden of 24/7 care completely overwhelms, it may be a nursing home ratherthan respite care that the caregiver really needs.

Can both of my parents attend?

Many day programs accommodate both the adult withdementia and a partner without, or a couple whose members each have some kindof disability. If it's a dementia-specific program, though, your healthy parentmay feel out of place. In such cases, look into whether she might be able tovolunteer there. What's possible depends on the individual program.

Bear in mind that a key purpose of adult dayprograms is to provide relief for the caregiver. (And many nonprofit programsdescribed as "respite" obtain funding because of this.) If your wellparent is the main caregiver, she's supposed to be taking a break while herpartner attends. Even if your parents prefer being together, limited separationthrough a day program can benefit both of them.

What does adult daycare for a parentwith Alzheimer's cost? Who pays?

Daily fees range from $60 to $150 dollars per daybut can vary widely depending on the services provided, where you live and theneeds of the individual, according to the National Adult Day ServicesAssociation (NADSA). Most programs are nonprofits, which may cost less thanfor-profit programs. Ask if a center offers a sliding scale of fees based onincome.

Some places charge a fee per session; others chargemonthly "tuition." Many centers charge an added fee fortransportation, while some offer it free.

Social model day care services are usually paid forprivately. Some private insurance plans may cover some of the cost; check withyour plan's administrator or the facility to find out.

Medical day care services, which are usuallyaffiliated with a nursing home or health care provider, may be covered byprivate insurance or by Medicaid, provided your state's Medicaid plan includesit, the person needing care is eligible, and the facility participates. Contactyour local Medicaid office to find out. A few programs also accept Medicare ifthe person requires rehabilitative surgery, such as from hospitalization, butMedicare does not generally cover adult day care services. Otherwise, medicalday care must be paid for privately.

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Are there any reasons not to like adultdaycare?

Some people hear the phrase "daycare" and,associating it with children's daycare, imagine being talked down to andbabied. Getting past suspicions and resentment can be a challenge. Run throughthe many benefits. Suggest a no-strings trial run: "Let's just go once andsee what it's like, Mom." You could also avoid describing it as"adult daycare" and find terms more palatable to your parent, such as"a senior club" or "therapy for people with early Alzheimer'sdisease."

Most participants quickly come to enjoy the newfaces and varied activity. Some, however, refuse to participate and may evenbecome belligerent or disruptive; in such cases, they're usually not allowed toreturn.



Sources and AdditionalInformation:


Recover Passwords Stored by Web Browsers



WebBrowserPassView is a password recovery tool that reveals the passwords stored by the following Web browsers: Internet Explorer (Version 4.0 - 9.0), Mozilla Firefox (All Versions), Google Chrome, Safari, and Opera. This tool can be used to recover your lost/forgotten password of any Website, including popular Web sites, like Facebook, Yahoo, Google, and GMail, as long as the password is stored by your Web Browser.

After retrieving your lost passwords, you can save them into text/html/csv/xml file, by using the 'Save Selected Items' option (Ctrl+S).

The utility is portable and does not required installation on your hard drive. To work with Chrome and Opera portable versions, go to 'options' and set the location of the portable browser folder. Select the user data folder in Chrome, and wand.dat for Opera.

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System Requirements and Limitations

  • This utility works on any version of Windows, starting from Windows 2000, and up to Windows 7, including 64-bit systems. Older versions of Windows (Windows 98/ME) are not supported, because this utility is a Unicode application.
  • Currently, WebBrowserPassView cannot retrieve the passwords if they are encrypted with a master password. Support for master password will probably be added in future versions.
  • Currently, WebBrowserPassView cannot retrieve passwords from external hard-drive. Support for that might be added in future versions.
  • On Internet Explorer 7.0-9.0, the passwords are encrypted with the URL of the Web site, so WebBrowserPassView uses the history file of Internet Explorer to decrypt the passwords. If you clear the history of Internet Explorer, WebBrowserPassView won't be able to decrypt the passwords.
  • On Google Chrome - passwords originally imported from Internet Explorer 7.0-9.0, cannot be decrypted.

Using WebBrowserPassView

WebBrowserPassView doesn't require any installation process or additional DLL files. In order to start using it, simply run the executable file - WebBrowserPassView.exe

After running it, the main window of WebBrowserPassView displays the list of all Web browser passwords found in your system. You can select one or more passwords and then copy the list to the clipboard (Ctrl+C) or export them into text/xml/html/csv file (Ctrl+S).

False Virus/Trojan Warning

WebBrowserPassView is a tool that retrieves secret passwords stored in your system, and thus your Antivirus may falsely detect this tool is infected with Trojan/Virus.





Thursday, November 24, 2011

Health Benefits of Cold Showers


We all look for miracles. We all want to live and die healthy. We know that alternative medicine exists, but we do not trust it. When we are sick we go to the doctor.

But, there are sometimes amazing findings that can change your life with simple, easy to do, and powerful tricks. All people are different, and there are no solutions, which fit all. But if you are open to new discoveries, and you try, eventually you will find your keys to the happy and healthy life.

Gwendolyn Witherspoon, 54, of Baltimore, came across her stay-healthy secret�an icy shower�during a power outage. "I felt great afterward," she says. A year later, she says her chilly regimen keeps her cold-free, her skin glowing, and her energy level higher than ever.

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Surprise-Surprise

I am not sure how about you, but cold showers for me were associated with lack of the proper industrial infrastructure in one of the socialist countries I was born, when frequently during the winter, the hot water supply has been interrupted, and taking a shower became a problem.

While we are considering the older people well-being, cold is considered as enemy with no significant relation in what country they live.

British professor Keatinge has for many years been studying the increase in deaths in UK during the winter. He has shown that some 30,000 people in Britain die each winter as a result of exposure to cold. These are mostly older people who go outdoors wearing insufficient clothing during cold weather when they may, for example, have to wait in the cold at a bus stop.

So, what we are talking about? Voluntary taking unpleasant and dangerous for health cold showers for the elderly people? Yes, to my surprise, there is significant amount of the data, suggesting that the cold showers can be considered as one of the best anti-aging solutions, which came to the modern people through the ages. As you understand, the history of the heated water in the humankind scale is quite short.

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Recent History

In the 1820s, a German farmer named Vincenz Priessnitz started touting a new medical treatment called "hydrotherapy," which used cold water to cure everything from broken bones to erectile dysfunction. He turned his family's homestead into a sanitarium, and patients flocked to it in the hope that his cold water cure could help them. Among his clientele were dukes, duchesses, counts, countesses, and a few princesses to boot.

Priessnitz's hydrotherapy soon spread to the rest of Europe and eventually to the United States. Celebrities and other famous folks took to it, like, well, a duck to water and helped popularize the cold water cure with the masses. For example, Charles Darwin was a huge proponent of hydrotherapy. The first hydrotherapy facility opened up in the U.S in 1843, right when the sanitarium craze hit America. By the end of the 19th century, over 200 hydrotherapy/sanitarium resorts existed in the U.S., the most famous being the Battle Creek Sanitarium founded by John Harvey Kellogg.

The popularity of hydrotherapy began to decline in the 20th century as many in the medical field moved to drugs to treat illnesses. As doctors concentrated on conventional medicine, more holistic methods began to be seen as quackery. While hydrotherapy was prescribed less and less to cure illnesses, doctors continued to use it to treat injuries such as strained muscles and broken bones. You'll find athletes today taking ice baths to speed their recovery from injuries and intense workouts.

How it works?

As the temperature of a human body drops below the level required for health, various reactions occur to protect the core--that is, the abdominal organs and brain--from damage, even at the expense of the extremities. The brain is literally insulated against extreme cold, and it will begin to suffer symptoms of damage only at the point of advanced hypothermia, long after muscular symptoms such as shivering first appear. This assumes that the core temperature is not dropping very rapidly, as when a person is submerged in cold water.

The average healthy temperature of a human body is 36.1 to 37.5� C, or 96.9 to 99.5� F. Hypothermia is defined as any temperature below 35� C or 96� F. This is the beginning of stage 1 hypothermia. Brain function becomes noticeably impaired only during stage 2, which begins at around 33�C or 93�F. The person may exhibit confusion. Many of the symptoms, which may appear as potentially neurological (including lack of coordination, stumbling and labored speech) are in fact muscular in nature. As part of the body's effort to protect the internal organs, the vasomotor response constricts blood vessels in and near the skin. Consequently, the individual's hands, face, and legs lose function, although the brain is largely unaffected.

Temperature jolts to brain may have a similar effect as the phenomenon of homeopathy, whereby small doses of something harmful may actually promote healing by stimulating the body's repair and recovery systems.

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Therapeutic benefits of Cold Showers

Based on the multiple studies results, cold showers tout an impressive list of benefits, including:
  • Enhanced Immune Function. According to a study done in 1993 by the Thrombosis Research Institute in England, individuals who took daily cold showers saw an increase in the number of virus fighting white blood cells compared to individuals who took hot showers. Researchers believe that the increased metabolic rate, which results from the body's attempt to warm itself up, activates the immune system and releases more white blood cells in response. Cold water therapy has been shown to increase levels not only white blood cells but also cytokines in the body - two key players for fighting disease, infection, and inflammation.
  • Improved Mood. Your skin has far more cold receptors than it does heat receptors. So when doused with cold water, your brain receives a surge of impulses so strong, that many scientists liken it to old-school electroshock therapy. This, in turn, triggers a release of mood-lifting endorphins, including noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter considered crucial for battling depression. Aside from boosting your mood and energy, cold showers are said to clear the aura, revitalize one's chakras, and were used by samurai warriors to cleanse the spirit.
  • Rejuvenated Skin. Unlike hot water, cold water preserves your body's natural oils, preventing dryness, protecting your skin, and helping your body regulate oil production. Cool water also closes and tightens your pores, constricts capillaries to reduce under-eye bags, and reduces inflammation.  Finally, a free anti-aging technique!
  • Benefits Hair. Cold water seals your hair's cuticles, making it stronger and shinier.
  • Increased Fertility in Men. We know that keeping the testes cool is crucial for fertility � that's why testicles are located outside of the body. Not surprisingly, research shows that switching from hot showers to cool dramatically increases sperm count and mobility. Cold showers are also said to increase testosterone production in men.
  • Better Circulation. By increasing blood flow throughout the body, cold showers boost oxygenation of vital organs, work to strengthen the vascular system, and encourage detoxification.
  • Detoxification. Contracts the muscles to eliminate toxins and poisonous wastes.
  • Strengthening membranes. Strengthens the mucous membranes, which help resist hay fever, allergies, colds, coughs.

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Precautions and Guidelines

As for all therapies, the precondition is "first, do no harm". Following these guidelines will help you receive maximal benefit from cold water therapy and avoid adverse effects. If you have specific health conditions, please consult with your primary physician to ensure safe application of the new procedure. 

  • When you exercise, you probably notice a point where you feel satisfied with your workout. Up to a point, exercising leaves us feeling energized throughout the day. But if overdone, it can cause persistent feelings of exhaustion and lethargy. Cold showers are the same way; a quick, cold shower should leave you feeling invigorated. But, too long and cold of a shower can leave one feeling chilled and sluggish. Always calibrate your application to invigorate, but not freeze yourself. Never force yourself to continue the procedure, if your body does not feel like it. In this case, longer does not mean more health benefits.
  • You do not want to overstress your system with excessively cold water. Sebastion Kneipp, one of the founders of naturopathic medicine, utilized water anywhere from 50 �F to 68 �F. However, note that a shower can feel colder than its actual temperature.
  • The proposed treatment procedure would last several weeks to several months. It would consist of one or two cold showers a day at 20 � C (68 � F) for 2 to 3 minutes, proceeded by a 5 minute gradual adaptation to lessen the shock.
  • Many practitioners recommend 2 or more cold showers a day. This is particularly essential if you are working on shifting a physical or emotional problem. The majority recommend at least 3 a day. First thing in the morning, when you get home from work and before you go to bed. Other therapists suggest that for some people cold shower and other water procedures y not be suitable immediately before bedtime and just after awakening. For these people, they are commended during the day, when the body is active. The reason is that cold water quickly affects the central nervous system, eliminating fatigue so these people will have difficulties to fall asleep.
  • Shower in cold water until your body temperature rises and no longer feels cold, but toasty and warm. Make sure the bathroom is heated. Never get out of a cold shower into a cold room.
  • If you find it difficult to start with the recommended procedure, start small and gradually work up to the recommended procedure duration of 2 minutes. Start with 15 � 30 seconds, and begin with your feet then move to your knees and legs. Gradually introduce the cold water to all parts of your body.  Some practitioners say it's not absolutely necessary to get your head wet, just your face and back of neck (an important energy location).
  • Little and often is far more effective than eight minutes at once. Be mindful if you are feeling weak, listen to your body and start with small steps.
  • If you are not healthy, try progressively splashing water onto the body, or just applying cold water to one body part. Those susceptible to heart attacks should know that cold water can exacerbate stress on the heart, much like heavy exercise, and could potentially trigger heart attack or stroke. Only a doctor can say whether cold showers are compatible with your particular physiology.
  • Cold showers are not recommended for men immediately after ejaculation. At the moment, the male body is focused on making new sperm cells and semen, so cold showers can be a bit too stressful.
  • One more potential restriction is related to the people with eating disorders and substantially underweight. This usually goes along with having a low body temperature and a general metabolic weakness which might prevent your body from generating enough heat to withstand the cold temperatures.
  • Cold showers may be dangerous immediately after a vigorous workout. It is better to start with hot and finish with cold to avoid muscle cramping.
  • If you use contrast shower (cold-warm-cold-warm…), always finish with cold water. In general, take shorter applications of colder water, and longer applications of warmer water. Again, use your body's response as your gauge. You may need to work your way up to longer applications if just starting out. You can also adjust the duration to compensate for seasonal fluctuations in water temperature.

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Sources and Additional Information:


http://tinyurl.com/c7o9eq4

How to make professional movies with your pictures and music?


What is better: video or photo? Quite a challenging question, where there is no one definite answer. Everything depends: depends on the occasion, purpose, and the way of sharing. For example, if you have digital images, and you want to share with them one entertainment kit, creating sled-show with musical track attached would be the most appropriate.

While there are multiple software utilities available to serve the purpose, you may not have them handy, or you do not up to spending time for the creative movie generation process. If that is a case, get onsite web service, which might help you to complete the task.

So, today we are presenting great services, offered by TrackingShot.com. You can create simple professionally looking slide shows from your online photos and share them online with your friends. 

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The site interface is easy to understand and is attractive for the visitors, who may not even have any slight experience with the slide shows or video clips creation. After the files are uploaded, Tracking shot will be able to create a clip instantly, with minimum human interaction, by grouping photos into scenes and shots, creating transitions, synchronizing with the music, and more. However, you are still in power, and you can highlight, what is important for you and for your movie by selecting the pace, indicating important photos, interesting regions, putting photos into groups, and ordering photos. Then you can remix your movie and see the results.

Sounds interesting? Give it a try: http://ping.fm/cnQO2


Virtual Desktops Manager from Windows Sysinternals


Computers development is moving fast in different directions. Your monitors become bigger and the screen resolution � better. At the same time, the amount of applications, shortcuts, widgets, and other useful elements you would like to keep handy, may grow faster, than the ability to place on your desktop. The common solution available is offered by multiple virtual desktops. You can define them by users, if multiple users utilize the same computer, or by functions, for example � one desktop for business, another � for leisure, or keeping in mind some other objectives.

There are multiple software programs, both freeware and commercial versions, addressing these needs, and we are going to present today the tiny 60-KB utility from Windows Sysinternals (owned by Microsoft) is a simple way to set up four virtual desktops on your system.

Desktops utility allows you to organize your applications on up to four virtual desktops. Read email on one, browse the web on the second, and do work in your productivity software on the third, without the clutter of the windows you're not using. After you configure hotkeys for switching desktops, you can create and switch desktops either by clicking on the tray icon to open a desktop preview and switching window, or by using the hotkeys.

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Unlike other virtual desktop utilities that implement their desktops by showing the windows that are active on a desktop and hiding the rest, Sysinternals Desktops uses a Windows desktop object for each desktop. Application windows are bound to a desktop object when they are created, so Windows maintains the connection between windows and desktops and knows which ones to show when you switch a desktop. That making Sysinternals Desktops very lightweight and free from bugs that the other approach is prone to where their view of active windows becomes inconsistent with the visible windows.

Desktops reliance on Windows desktop objects means that it cannot provide some of the functionality of other virtual desktop utilities, however. For example, Windows doesn't provide a way to move a window from one desktop object to another, and because a separate Explorer process must run on each desktop to provide a taskbar and start menu, most tray applications are only visible on the first desktop. Further, there is no way to delete a desktop object, so Desktops does not provide a way to close a desktop, because that would result in orphaned windows and processes. The recommended way to exit Desktops is therefore to logoff.

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Alternative program we observed earlier - Dexpot. Feel free to check it, if you like the idea, but need to explore more features-rich utility.



Monday, November 21, 2011

Cold Showers as efficient therapy for depression


Depression can be a really devastating psychological disease, and treatments  may range from antidepressants with substantial side effects to electric shock therapy for critical patients conditions, resent researches suggest that a simple cold shower might sometimes cure, and even prevent, debilitating mood disorders.

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Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine Research

As the name implies, cold showers therapy is done by subjecting the patient body to cold temperatures of the running water, creating a physiological response in the body and subsequently the brain. A recent study at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine established that depressed patients who were treated with cold showers showed a significant improvement in mood.

The treatments consisted of cold showers that were 20�C for 2 to 3 minutes, performed once or twice daily over several months. The evidence suggested that exposure to cold activates the sympathetic nervous system, increases the blood level of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline, and increases synaptic release of noradrenaline in the brain. Additionally, due to the high density of cold receptors in the skin, the cold shower sent electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which resulted in the anti-depressive effect.

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How it works?

Cold therapy helps with depression by creating the same type of physiological stressors that have been experienced by primates through millions of years of evolution, such as brief changes in body temperature produced by a cold swim. It's theorized that lack of this type of thermal exercise may impede adequate functioning of the brain.

As the temperature of a human body drops below the level required for health, various reactions occur to protect the core--that is, the abdominal organs and brain--from damage, even at the expense of the extremities. The brain is literally insulated against extreme cold, and it will begin to suffer symptoms of damage only at the point of advanced hypothermia, long after muscular symptoms such as shivering first appear. This assumes that the core temperature is not dropping very rapidly, as when a person is submerged in cold water.

The average healthy temperature of a human body is 36.1 to 37.5� C, or 96.9 to 99.5� F. Hypothermia is defined as any temperature below 35� C or 96� F. This is the beginning of stage 1 hypothermia. Brain function becomes noticeably impaired only during stage 2, which begins at around 33�C or 93�F. The person may exhibit confusion. Many of the symptoms, which may appear as potentially neurological (including lack of coordination, stumbling and labored speech) are in fact muscular in nature. As part of the body's effort to protect the internal organs, the vasomotor response constricts blood vessels in and near the skin. Consequently, the individual's hands, face, and legs lose function, although the brain is largely unaffected.

Temperature jolts to brain may have a similar effect as the phenomenon of homeopathy, whereby small doses of something harmful may actually promote healing by stimulating the body's repair and recovery systems. Electric shock and deep brain stimulation treatments operate on a somewhat similar principal, only with frightening potential side effects, such as memory loss and cognitive impairment.

The study's author, Nikolai Shevchuk, believes the biological explanation revolves around a part of the brainstem known, appropriately enough, as the locus ceruleus, or "blue spot."

"The possible antidepressant effect may also have to do with the mild electroshock delivered to the brain by a cold shower, because of the unusually high density of cold receptors in the skin," he added, explaining that these nerve endings are 3-10 times higher in density than those registering warmth.

Shevchuk proposes that depression may be caused by two factors. The first is a genetic makeup that predisposes an individual to the disorder. Prior research has documented that depression can run in families, but since some sufferers report no prior family history and many people develop depression later in life, genes don't appear to explain all cases. He suspects a lifestyle lacking sufficient physiological stress, such as brief changes in body temperature, may also be a contributing factor.

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Kundalini Yoga Viewpoint

Interesting enough, that the new findings of the Western researchers support the recommendations, which have been practiced for long by Eastern practitioners. Gurudev Khar Khalsa, a Sat Nam Rasayan healer and Kundalini Yoga teacher confirms that cold showers can be very efficient tool to combat, and even prevent depression.

Cold showers have the following positive effects:
* Brings blood to the capillaries, therefore increasing circulation throughout the body.
* Cleans the circulatory system.
* Reduces blood pressure on internal organs.
* Provides flushing for the organs and provides a new supply of blood.
* Strengthens the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.
* Contracts the muscles to eliminate toxins and poisonous wastes.
* Strengthens the mucous membranes, which help resist hay fever, allergies, colds, coughs.

Many health problems are reduced or even eliminated over time by providing proper circulation of the blood to the affected area using the cold shower massage.

"Ishnan" is the term used in the old days when people in India referred to cold showers (very cold showers). "Ishnan" is the point at which the body, by its own virtue, creates the temperature that it can beat off the coldness of the water. This happens when the capillaries open with the onset of the cold water. They close again during the course of the cold shower and it is at that point that all the blood rushes back to flush the organs and the glands. This process allows the glands to renew their secretions and "youth" (i.e. young glands) again returns to the body."

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Cold shower guidelines and restrictions

  • The proposed treatment procedure would last several weeks to several months. It would consist of one or two cold showers a day at 20 � C (68 � F) for 2 to 3 minutes, proceeded by a 5 minute gradual adaptation to lessen the shock.
  • Many practitioners recommend 2 or more cold showers a day.  This is particularly essential if you are working on shifting a physical or emotional problem.  The majority recommend at least 3 a day. First thing in the morning, when you get home from work and before you go to bed. Other therapists suggest that for some people cold shower and other water procedures y not be suitable immediately before bedtime and just after awakening. For these people, they are commended during the day, when the body is active. The reason is that cold water quickly affects the central nervous system, eliminating fatigue so these people will have difficulties to fall asleep.
  • Shower in cold water until your body temperature rises and no longer feels cold, but toasty and warm. Make sure the bathroom is heated. Never get out of a cold shower into a cold room.
  • If you find it difficult to start with the recommended procedure, start small and gradually work up to the recommended procedure duration of 2 minutes. Start with 15 � 30 seconds, and begin with your feet then move to your knees and legs.  Gradually introduce the cold water to all parts of your body.  Some practitioners say it's not absolutely necessary to get your head wet, just your face and back of neck (an important energy location).
  • Little and often is far more effective than eight minutes at once.  Be mindful if you are feeling weak, listen to your body and start with small steps.
  • Cold showers should not be taken during a women's time of menstruation. A woman needs extra rest and gentleness during her menses. Taking a cold shower is too much for the reproductive system during menstruation. Also, cold showers are not recommended for women after the 7-th month of pregnancy.
  • Cold showers are not recommended for men immediately after ejaculation. At the moment, the male body is focused on making new sperm cells and semen, so cold showers can be a bit too stressful.
  • One more potential restriction is related to the people with eating disorders and substantially underweight. This usually goes along with having a low body temperature and a general metabolic weakness which might prevent your body from generating enough heat to withstand the cold temperatures.
  • Cold showers may be dangerous immediately after a vigorous workout. It is better to start with hot and finish with cold to avoid muscle cramping.
  • If you use contrast shower (cold-warm-cold-warm…), always finish with cold water.

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Some history

In the 1820s, a German farmer named Vincenz Priessnitz started touting a new medical treatment called "hydrotherapy," which used cold water to cure everything from broken bones to erectile dysfunction. He turned his family's homestead into a sanitarium, and patients flocked to it in the hope that his cold water cure could help them. Among his clientele were dukes, duchesses, counts, countesses, and a few princesses to boot.

Priessnitz's hydrotherapy soon spread to the rest of Europe and eventually to the United States. Celebrities and other famous folks took to it, like, well, a duck to water and helped popularize the cold water cure with the masses. For example, Charles Darwin was a huge proponent of hydrotherapy. The first hydrotherapy facility opened up in the U.S in 1843, right when the sanitarium craze hit America. By the end of the 19th century, over 200 hydrotherapy/sanitarium resorts existed in the U.S., the most famous being the Battle Creek Sanitarium founded by John Harvey Kellogg.

The popularity of hydrotherapy began to decline in the 20th century as many in the medical field moved to drugs to treat illnesses. As doctors concentrated on conventional medicine, more holistic methods began to be seen as quackery. While hydrotherapy was prescribed less and less to cure illnesses, doctors continued to use it to treat injuries such as strained muscles and broken bones. You'll find athletes today taking ice baths to speed their recovery from injuries and intense workouts.



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Sunday, November 20, 2011

4 Free Services to Unfollow Inactive Followers: Twitter Tips and Tricks



  1. ManageFlitter

Formerly known asManageTwitter, ManageFlitter is considered by many as one of the bestapplication for unfollowing Twitter users. It is a very simple, bur features-richand powerful, tool to unfollow on Twitter. This app may take a couple ofminutes to load if you have multiple followers, but it allows you to quicklyunfollow lots of people in few steps.  It loads all the people who you arefollowing, and points out on the people who are not following you back, givingyou an easy opportunity to select uses you would like to stop following. Clickthe "Unfollow" button, and the request will be instantly filled. Thisis also the only application that gives you the option to unfollow people whoare inactive, haven't tweeted in a while, or have not posted aprofile picture.

At the top of eachpage is a nifty ordering tool. This tool allows you to rearrange the people inthe list below. It's a fast way to find out which accounts you follow have themost followers. Maybe you'd like to find the people who haven't tweeted for thelongest time. You can do this by ordering based on their last tweet time.

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  1. JustUnfollow

JustUnfollow makes it easy to unfollow those who are not following youback on Twitter. It displays 50 of your non-followers at a time and lets youdecide whom you would like to un-follow and whom you would prefer keepfollowing. It uses Twitter oath for authentication so your password won't getleaked in the process; signing in process requires using your Twitter account.

Note that free accounts can unfollow up to 50 users in a day. If youare searching for a bulk unfollow twitter app then you should know bulkunfollows aren't allowed by twitter. You get to check and unfollow only thoseusers that you want to.

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  1. The Unfollow App

As the service name suggests, The Unfollow App offers you to clean upyour Twitter directory by un-following those who are inactive and do not followyou back. The application recommends you these profiles and even gives you thedetailed information of all the connected users in your social network. Therefore,the Unfollow App makes it easy for you to make informative decision on whom tofollow and unfollow on Twitter.

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  1. Twit Cleaner

Twit Cleaner is helpful because it analyzes the Twitter users youfollow and presents you with a (free) report highlighting those who you maywant to unfollow for one reason or another. The application isespecially useful if you like to keep the Tweeter account as clean as possible,removing not just inactive uses, but may be active as well, whose activity doesnot meet your desired requirements to your Twitter profile page.

This application allows you to analyse the people you follow indetails, locating time wasters, spammers, the boring posters, bots etc.,providing you with smart recommendations on how to improve your own Twitterpresence.

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Bacopa Preventing Alzheimer's and Dementia


What is Bacopa?

An extract of a little-known herb called Bacopa can dramaticallyincrease your brain function and memory � and may even help prevent dementiaand Alzheimer's disease. Its therapeutic use has its origins from traditionalAyurvedic medicine in India, where it has been used for its adaptogenic,tranquilizing and antioxidant properties.

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Bacopa is a creeping perennial herb that can be found in Nepal, China,India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Vietnam and some parts of the United States,including Hawaii, Florida and other Southern states. Bacopa (also called Bacopamonnieri or brahmi) thrives in wetlands, on muddy shores and around pondsor bog gardens. Be careful not to confuse brahmi (Bacopamonnieri) with gotu kola and other natural medicines that are also sometimescalled brahmi.

Used in India for thousands of years for both traditional and medicinalpurposes, Bacopa had a central role in religious consecration ceremonies forinfants: The botanical was believed to open a gateway to intelligence forchildren.

Bacopa herb contains many compounds including bacopasaponins such asbacoside A, bacopaside II, bacopaside I, bacopaside X, bacopasaponin,bacopaside N2 and minor components bacopasaponin F, bacopasaponin E, bacopasideN1 bacopaside III, bacopaside IV and bacopaside V. The total saponin content insamples, plant materials and extracts vary from 5 to 22%. Dammarane-typetriterpenoid saponins classified as pseudojujubogenin and jujubogeninglycosides are reported as some of active components in this plant.

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Shamanic Memory

Researchers may first have been intrigued by Bacopa monnieribecause of the effect they believed it had on ancient shamans, who reportedlyused the herb to help them memorize epic poems. Researchers theorized thatperhaps the Bacopa plant enhanced the shamans' brain function and improvedtheir memory, concentration and recall. It's no wonder researchers suspected alink, since some of these epic poems � when they were finally written down �exceeded 900 pages, and the shamans could recite them word for word!

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Mind Booster

Today, modern science is confirming traditional wisdom about Bacopa. Inresearch conducted in Australia and the United States, Bacopa improved studysubjects' ability to retain new information � and it also helped them increasetheir visual processing speed in as little as three weeks.

Research into the benefits of Bacopa includes:
  • A study by the psychology department at the University of Wollongong in Australia that demonstrated Bacopa could increase memory and recall ability.
  • Research in 1996 presented at the International Brain Research Conference that showed that Bacopa reduced the time needed to learn new tasks by almost half. Participants taking Bacopa mastered mental exercises in as little as six days compared to 10 days for the control group.
  • An extensive 2001 rigorous, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment in Victoria, Australia confirmed the herb's benefits for learning. After 12 weeks, those taking Bacopa scored significantly better on all higher order cognitive processing tests.

Bacopa monnieri has beenextensively tested and proven as a memory and concentration enhancer, but thebenefits of Bacopa extend to other mental and emotional functions, as well.
In many areas of the world, Bacopa is also used to treat:
  • Depression
  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Attention Deficit Disorder
  • Epilepsy
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Mental deficiency

Bacopa MayCombat Cognitive Decline

In addition to its short-term cognitive benefits, Bacopa may also preventlong-term cognitive decline. A study in the Journal of Alternative andComplementary Medicine showed that elderly participants who used 300 mg perday of Bacopa demonstrated improved mental functions in comparison to a placebogroup. Improvement was most profound in the areas of attention andverbal-information processing � and researchers concluded that Bacopa could beeffective in preventing cognitive decay.

Since research has shown a link between mild cognitive decline andeventual dementia and Alzheimer's disease, preventing even mild memorydifficulties may play an important role in warding off those memory-relateddiseases that are so prevalent among baby boomers and elderly people.

News of the many health benefits of Bacopa recently seeped intomainstream news. In his TV show on May 30, 2011, Dr. Mehmet Oz (also known as"America's Doctor") recommended Bacopa for brain health. Dr. Oz said, "BacopaMonnieri will make you smarter, enhance your memory and help you focus better."

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Mechanism ofaction

Bacopa contains bacosides A and B, which enhance neuron repair and speed upinformation transfer between brain cells. This herb also has powerful antioxidantproperties which protect the brain cells from damage.

The mode of action of brain cell protective effects is due to theantioxidants that suppress neuronal oxidative stress and theacetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities. Treating patients with bacopaextract may be a way to treat neurodegenerative disorders associated withoxidative stress as well as perhaps Alzheimer's disease.

There is some evidence to suggest that itmight relax muscles in the blood vessels, airways, and the small intestine. Itmight also act as a tranquilizer to promote relaxation as well as a painreliever.

How to UseBacopa

Adults can use a dosage of Bacopa herb between 200 mg to 500 mg a fewtimes a week. Many preparations are in the form of extracts with variouspotencies. If you buy a bacopa extract product, your dosage would be less thanthat of the regular bacopa powder. How much less depends on how potent andconcentrated the extract.

A 225 mg tablet of Bacopa taken up to three times daily is recommendedby many health practitioners, although consultation with a qualified herbalistis advised to determine your ideal dosage.

To be most effective, Bacopa extract is usually taken in the recommendeddosage daily for 12 weeks. In low doses, Bacopa is mild and non-addictive.Although overdose is uncommon, Bacopa has been known to be toxic in very highdoses, so caution is advised. However, it is reported that any symptoms oftoxicity will immediately subside once Bacopa supplementation is discontinued.

Bacopa is relatively inexpensive and can be found at health food storesand through a variety of online retailers.

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Precautions and SideEffects

Women who are pregnant or nursing should first talk to their doctorbefore taking. Bacopa also may cause sleepiness if taken in high doses.


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Thanksgiving Menu � Historical Perspectives


The firstThanksgiving

About 390 years ago, in 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoagtribe members shared a three-day autumn harvest feast, which is considered asbeing the first Thanksgiving celebration. After the rain that marked the end ofthe draught and revived the crop of corn and other fruits, colonists decided tocelebrate the day with their neighbors or Massasoit, the chief of the NativeIndians or Wampanoags, and his family. He came with all his extended familythat constituted ninety people and stayed for three days.

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FirstThanksgiving Menu

Colonists were, of course, in bad shape and there were only four grownup married ladies left to do all the cooking. Thus, General Bradford sent fourof his soldiers to hunt for fowls, who brought such a large number with themthat it could feed the whole village for a week. Wampanoags also helped insupplementing the food supplies by contributing five deer they had killed andprobably other supplies out of courtesy. The food listed in Winslow's accountconsists of corn meal, fish such as bass and cod and wild fowls or turkeys.Other things that were not listed, but were available to residents of Plymouthin those days and were probably a part of the feast were lobster, rabbit,chicken, squashes, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits,maple syrup and honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, eggs, and may be goatcheese.

Potatoes were unavailable in those days and butter and oil were scarce. Therewere no ovens, so though pumpkin stew and pudding may have been served, therewas no scope to prepare pumpkin pies. Women who did the cooking were born andraised in England and probably experimented with their cooking by adapting theircooking methods to the native foods available to them. Roasting was thepreferred method of preparing meats and poultry. But roasting on a spit over afire took hours and required constant monitoring by someone who also turned thespite every now and then, so perhaps roasted venison was served with boiledfish and fowl or turkey. It is not unlikely that few of these birds may stillhave an overlooked birdshot embedded inside them.

Indian corns do not pop well, so there were no popcorns on Thanksgiving table,though corn may have been ground into meal for bread and thickener. Thoughcranberries were available to the colonists, cranberry sauce could not possiblyhave been served, because they had no access to sugar. Though honey or syrupcould have been used to sweeten the cranberries, it required a lot of labor.Since there were four ladies cooking all day, to feed the crowd of about 150people, they could not have find time to do all that work. In short, theThanksgiving meal for the pilgrims would have consisted of roasted venison,stewed or boiled fowl, lobster and fish, corn and wheat breads, stew of driedfruits and perhaps pumpkin, one or two boiled vegetables and only water todrink.

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ThanksgivingMenu 1779

The following menu for a New England Thanksgiving dinner as found in aletter written in 1779 by Juliana Smith to her 'Dear Cousing Betsey.'
Haunch of VenisonRoast Chine of Pork
Roast Turkey Pigeon Pasties Roast Goose
Onions in Cream Cauliflower Squash
Potatoes Raw Celery
Mincemeat Pie Pumpkin Pie Apple Pie
Indian Pudding Plum Pudding
Cider

While it would be difficult to set forth a single 'traditional' Thanksgivingmenu, the preparations related by Juliana Smith that went into this dinner werecertainly typical of early New England Thanksgivings. 'This year it was UncleSimeon's turn to have the dinner at his house, but of course we all helped themas they help us when it is their turn, & there is always enough for us allto do. All the baking of pies & cakes was done at our house & we hadthe big oven heated & filled twice each day for three days before it wasall done & everything was GOOD, though we did have to do withoutsome things that ought to be used. Neither Love nor (paper) Money could buyRaisins, but our good red cherries dried without the pits, did almost as well& happily Uncle Simeon still had some spices in store. The tables were setin the Dining Hall and even that big room had no space to spare when we wereall seated.' Apparently roast beef was part of the tradition menu for thisfamily, but 'of course we could have no Roast Beef. None of us have tasted Beefthis three years back as it must all go to the Army, & too little they get,poor fellows. But, Nayquittymaw's Hunters were able to get us a fine red Deer,so that we had a good haunch of Venisson on each Table.' There was an abundanceof vegetables on the table...Cider was served instead of wine, wiht theexplanation that Uncle Simeon was saving his cask 'for the sick.' Juliana addedthat 'The Pumpkin Pies, Apple Tarts & big Indian Puddings lacked fornothing save Appetite by the time we had got round to them...We did notrise from the Table until it was quite dark, & then when the dishes hadbeen cleared away we all got round the fire as close as we could, & crackednuts, & sang songs & told stories."

ThanksgivingMenu 1845

The New England Economical Housekeeper, and FamilyReceipt Book, published in 1845,offers the following menu for Thanksgiving Dinner:

Roast Turkey, stuffed.
A Pair of Chickens stuffed, and boiled, with cabbage-and a piece of lean pork.
A Chicken Pie.
Potatoes; turnip sauce, squash; onions; gravy and gravy sauce; apple andcranberry sauce; oyster sauce; brown and white bread.
Plum and Plain Pudding, with Sweet sauce.
Mince, Pumpkin and Apple Pies.
Cheese."

ThanksgivingMenu 1877

Buckeye Cookery, published in1877 and in 1880 listed the typical menu for the Thanksgiving Dinner at thetime:

Oyster soup;
boiled fresh codwith egg sauce;
roast turkey,cranberry sauce;
roast goose,bread sauce or currant jelly;
stuffed ham,apple sauce or jelly; pork and beans;
mashed potatoesand boiled onions, salsify, macaroni and cheese;
brown bread andsuperior biscuit;
lobster salad;pressed beef, cold corned beef, tongue;
celery, creamslaw;
watermelon,peach, pear, or apple sweet-pickles;
mangoes,cucumbers, chow-chow, and tomato catsup; stewed peaches or prunes;
doughnuts andginger cakes; mince, pumpkin, and peach pies;
plum and boiledIndian puddings;
apple, cocoa-nutor almond tarts;
vanillaice-cream; old- fashioned loaf cake, pound cake, black cake, white perfectioncake, ribbon cake, almond layer cake;
citron, peach,plum, or cherry preserves; apples, oranges, figs, grapes, raisins, and nuts;tea and coffee.

ThanksgivingMenu 1927

GoodHousekeeping's Book of Good Meals: How to Prepare and Serve Them recommends thefollowing Thanksgiving Dinner menu:

Cream of TomatoSoup, Roast Turkey, Southern Giblet Gravy, Potato Croquettes, Brussels Sprouts,Cauliflower with Hollandaise Sauce, Cranberry Jelly, Romaine Salad, FrenchDressing, Individual Pumpkin Pies, Whipped Cream, Cider Ice, Nuts, Raisins.
Halves ofGrapefruit, Roast Duck, Apple Stuffing, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Creamed Turnips,Cole-Slaw, Baked Squash, Cider, Indian Pudding, Foamy Sauce, Nuts, Coffee.
Fruit Cocktail,Chicken Fricassee, Riced Potatoes, Celery, Buttered Onions, Squash Pie.

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Thanksgiving asofficial Holiday

Thanksgiving became an official holiday in the United States on October3, 1863 via proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln. This was largelydue to the lobbying efforts of Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Lady'sMagazine who had lobbied for 17 years for the holiday. The proclamationdeclared the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.


By 1916, Thanksgiving was referred to in writings as Turkey Day due tothe popularity of the bird at the traditional feast.

Interestingly enough, in 1941, President Franklin D. Rooseveltattempted to move the official Thanksgiving date to earlier in November inorder encourage a longer Christmas shopping season as a Depression recoverystrategy. His idea was shut down by Congress, and the official date wasdeclared permanently as the fourth Thursday in November via Public Law 379.

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Selected Recipes

There is tons of information and online resources nowadays letting youfind out the best recipes for your Thanksgiving Dinner, so I will just postsome, which look the yummiest to me, and easy to follow (even for myself).

Appetizer - Smoky SalmonChive Spread

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans (7.5 oz. each) salmon (preferably Alaskan king or sockeye), well drained
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  • 1 container (7 oz.) nonfat Greek yogurt
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  • 2 ounces hot-smoked salmon, finely chopped
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  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, plus slivers for garnish
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  • 3 tablespoons chopped chives
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
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  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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  • Kosher salt
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  • Seeded crisp lavash or other crackers

Preparation:
  • Remove bones and skin from salmon; break into chunks. In a medium bowl, mix yogurt, hot-smoked salmon, chopped onion, chives, mustard, and pepper with a fork until well combined. Gently stir in salmon, season to taste with salt, and top with slivered onion. Serve with lavash.
  • Make ahead: Chill, covered, up to 3 days (you may need to moisten with a bit more yogurt).

45-minutes RoastTurkey

It's almost a given that time and oven space are at a premium onThanksgiving Day, and this method of roasting turkey, unorthodox as it is,address both. Split, flattened, and roasted at 450 degrees F (lowering the heatif the bird browns too fast), a 10-pound bird will be done in about 40 minutes.It will also be more evenly browned (all of the skin is exposed to the heat),more evenly cooked (the legs are more exposed; the wings shield the breasts),and moister than birds cooked conventionally. But it works only for relativelysmall turkeys.

Ingredients:
  • One 8- to 12-pound turkey
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
  • 10 or more garlic cloves, lightly crushed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
  1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the turkey on a stable cutting board, breast side down, and cut out the backbone. Turn the bird over and press on it to flatten. Put it breast side up in a roasting pan that will accommodate it (a slightly snug fit is okay). The wings should partially cover the breasts, and the legs should protrude a bit.
  2. Tuck the garlic and the herb under the bird and in the nooks of the wings and legs. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
  3. Roast for 20 minutes, undisturbed. By this time the bird should be browning; remove it from the oven, baste with the pan juices, and return it to the oven. Reduce the heat to 400 degrees F (or 350 degrees F if it seems to be browning very quickly).
  4. Begin to check the bird's temperature about 15 minutes later (10 minutes if the bird is ont he small side). It is done when the thigh meat measures 155-165 degrees F on an instant-read meat thermometer; check it in a couple of places.
  5. Let the bird rest for a few minutes before carving, then serve with the garlic cloves and pan juices. Or serve at room temperature.


Pumpkin Tarts

Ingredients:
  • 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 pound butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups solid pack pumpkin
  • 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar
  • 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans, divided

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Make the pastry dough by creaming together 12 ounces of cream cheese with 1 pound of butter and the sugar in a large bowl until thoroughly blended. Mix in the flour, a little at a time, until the dough is workable. Cut the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces, roll the pieces into balls, and refrigerate until needed.
  3. To make the filling, mash 12 ounces of cream cheese with brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl until smooth and well combined; beat in eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg before adding the next one. Mix in the pumpkin, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract until the filling is smooth.
  4. Cut each dough ball in half, and cut each half into 12 pieces (96 total pieces). Working in batches, press each small piece of dough into the bottom and up the sides of mini muffin cups. Fill the little crusts almost to the top with the pumpkin filling. Refrigerate unused dough until you need it to make the next batch.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven until the filling is set and the crusts are lightly golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
  6. Mash 1/2 cup of butter, the shortening, and 8 ounces of cream cheese together in a bowl until thoroughly combined, and mix in the confectioners' sugar and marshmallow creme until smooth and creamy. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled tarts. Sprinkle each tart with a few chopped pecans. Refrigerate until serving.

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