Friday, November 27, 2015

UK Cooking conversions from US to UK measurements

UK is known as Imperial
1 US teaspoon = .83 UK teaspoon
1 US tablespon = .83 UK tablespoon
1 US fluid ounce = 1.04 UK fluid ounce
1 US cup = .845 UK cup

Google has AWESOME converters. UK is shown as imperial typically in the drop down list. To access it just do a search for something like: "1 us tsp in uk tsp"

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Green Bean Casserole


I found the recipe at: http://www.campbellskitchen.com/recipes/classic-green-bean-casserole-24099, but I'm pretty sure it is very similar to what we use. I don't think we use the soy sauce, but it would probably be a good addition. Kim recommends using fresh cooked or canned green beans with a preference towards canned. She likes to jazz it up with fresh sauteed mushrooms.

Ingredients

  • 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup 
    or (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
    or (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Healthy Request® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
     
  • 1/2 cup milk  
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce  
  • 1 dash black pepper  
  • 4 cups cooked cut green beans 
    or
    use 1 bag (16 to 20 ounces) frozen green beans, thawed
    or 2 packages (9 ounces each) frozen green beans, thawed,
    or 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) green beans, drained 
    or
    about 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans for this recipe.
  • 1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions 

Directions

  1. Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.
  2. Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir the bean mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining onions.
  3. Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

Corn Casserole Recipe

 

Old-time Hartwell Farm Corn Pudding

aka Corn Casserole Recipe
-Boasts a checkerboard top of crisp bacon, melty cheese squares

As New England-y as red-flannel hash. Good old-fasioned cooking!

Ingredients

1 1-pound can (2 cups) cream-style corn
1 cup medium-fine dry bread crumbs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces sliced Cheddar cheese, cut in 1 1/2-inch squares
3 slices bacon, cut in 1 1/2-inch lengths

Directions

  1. Combine corn, bread crumbs, milk, green pepper, salt, and pepper.
  2. Pour into a 10 x 6 x 2 baking disk. 
  3. Arrange alternate pieces of cheese and bacon across top in checkerboard fashion. 
  4. Bake in slow oven (325 degrees) 1 to 1 3/4 hours. 

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Friday, October 02, 2015

Rates of Decomposition for various forms of litter

Paper 2-5 months
Orange Peels 6 months
Milk Cartons - 5 years
Filter Tip Cigarettes 10-12 years
Plastic Bags 10-20 years
Leather Shoes 25-40 years
Plastic Containers 50-80 years
Tin Cans 100 years
Aluminum Cans 200-500 years
Styrofoam NEVER

Monday, August 10, 2015

US citizen living in the UK (on a spouse visa) for a US company

Below are some links and information on how a US citizen can live in the UK on a spouse visa AND work for a US company.

US Tax Guide for Americans Living in the UK
Foreign Earned Income and Housing: Exclusion – Deduction (IRS Document)
US citizen living in UK, working for US company - forum discussion on the issue that seems to conclude that a US citizen can live in the UK on a spousal visa and work for a US company. It appears the best choice is to have a US company to UK company (customer/vendor) relationship, but it is not clear if this is required. The setting up of a UK company is roughly the same process (and similar structures) as setting up a company in the US. The US / UK tax treaty says that you would need to opt out of US Social Security in the US, even if you are already paying NI – this is not automatic. To opt out you would need to visit the Social Security website at www.ssa.gov. It is not clear if it is acceptable to be in a relationship (1099) that is between you (in the UK) and US company though. This would be easier. It doesn't appear that a W2 relationship is allowed, but it may be.
Tax Advisor for Information Technology Consultants
Immigration Rules

Saturday, July 04, 2015

How to find a Safe Sunscreen

Like anything that is considered unsafe, there is someone that will say that it is safe.

Issues to consider:
  • Will the chemical penetrate skin and reach living tissues?
  • Will it disrupt the hormone system?
  • Can it affect the reproductive and thyroid systems and, in the case of fetal or childhood exposure, permanently alter reproductive development or behavior?
  • Can it cause a skin allergy?
  • What if it is inhaled?
  • Other toxicity concerns?


If you want to error on the side of it is safe until considered safe by all, then try to avoid the ingredients below when buying sunscreen.


  • Retinyl Palmitate - not required; it just is thought to reduce signs of aging and has been linked to skin cancer.
  • Oxybenzone - a common UV filter that has been shown to interact with hormones when fed to animals in large amounts (much greater than sun screen contains). Avoid this because it readily pentrates the skin.
  • Octinoxate (Octylmethoxycinnamate) - Hormone-like activity; reproductive system, thyroid and behavioral alterations in animal studies.
  • Nano-particles - Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are mineral based sunscreens that provide broad-spectrum protection. If the particles have been shrunk to micro or nano-particles so that they no longer leave a white color then they may not be safe anymore. They are thought to possibly enter the body an cause cancer, but more information is needed. To keep it safe, it is best to buy sunscreen that says "non-nano-particles". If it stays on as white then it should be safer as it is not likely using nano-particles. Labelling is not required.
  • Titanium Dioxide - concerns if inhaled, so buy choose topical application, not a spray.
  • Zinc Oxide - concerns if inhaled, so buy choose topical application, not a spray. Skin penetration, but in very small number amount (.01%).
  • SPF 15 - It doesn't provide protection against skin cancer, but does from sunburn. It is recommended to use SPF 30. SPF 50 may be used as well, but some believe it is not necessary. Also, beware the higher the SPF may also mean higher concentration of harmful chemicals.
  • Homosalate - Disrupts estrogen, androgen and progesterone
  • 4-methylbenzidyl camphor - used in Europe and under petition for use in the U.S. is a hormone disruptor.
  • methylisothiazolinone, or MI - a preservative and inactive ingredient. It is a major allergen.
More ingredients to understand
  • Avobenzone -best chemical filter for UVA. Relatively high rates of allergies
  • Mexoryl SX - skin penetration. Currently not fda approved
  • Octisalate - skin penetration
  • Octocrylene - skin penetration
Summary
"Zinc oxide is EWG’s first choice for sun protection. It is stable in sunlight and can provide greater protection from UVA rays than titanium oxide or any other sunscreen chemical approved in the U.S."

To find the product you want use the advance search on http://www.ewg.org. They have rated by ingredients tons of sunscreens. I found this site so valuable when deciding on sunscreens.

I found Badger products such as Badger Sunscreen Cream, Unscented, SPF 30 to be a good product that can be found on Amazon for the US and UK. There is also a sport version called Badger Sport Sunscreen Cream, Unscented, SPF 35. It can be found on Amazon for UK and US.

References:
Sunscreen Safety: What to Know
The Trouble With Sunscreen Chemicals

Friday, July 03, 2015

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Eating Organically in Cornwall

If you are looking for organic fruits, vegetables, and meats in Cornwall, UK there are options for eating organically.

More information on why you should choose UK Organics

Local

One option is Tesco. They do have some organic food, but much more on Tesco online. If you already shop at Tesco or need something around the corner this may be a good option.

List of Health food stores in Cornwall - here you'll find a list fo health food stores in Cornwall that have at least some organic food.

Trevaskis Farm - a very small part of their farm is organic, but their restaurant is supposed to be organic as well.

Delivered Boxes

There are so many options for online. I think the delivered boxes are a great way to save some money and it is very convenient. Some even let you decide what you want or don't want for each box.





Abel and Cole - selection of organic and non-organic foods (meat, veggies, fruits). Order the specific food or schedule boxes of food you can customize. You can also pause a scheduled box anytime. Each box can be customized with what you like more of or don't want. I really like how flexible this site is. They also focus on sustainable farming.

Riverford Organic farms - Appears you can't cusomize much and appears to offer lots of types of boxes. Food is local and regional farmers.

Real Foods  - organic foods as well, but not delivery boxes. They do however offer bulk discounts. They are more of an online grocery store. They also have baby care, beauty, supplements, etc.

Planet Organic - much like Real Foods, but they also add household products such as cleaners, etc.






Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Water Contamination and filters

If you are considering buying a water filtration system you may want to consider all the different types of contaminants that can be in the water you use so that you can decide if you want to get rid of them using a filter.

The first step for me is to see what type of water my has. The city of Tempe has its own web site and report posted there.

Here is what I learned from the report. "the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations that limit the
amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.
The Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants
in bottled water.

The EPA has a webpage that lists a ton of contaminants and their allowable limits and how they get into our water supply. They can be broken categorized into the following types:
  • Microorganisms
  • Disinfectants
  • Disinfection Byproducts
  • Inorganic Chemicals
  • Organic Chemicals
  • Radionuclides
I looked through the list. I wanted to compose a list of the most serious ones, but as I looked through the list I concluded that nearly all of them have harmful effects that are serious. Take note that several of them are part of the water disinfection process so this will be in nearly everyone's water unless filtered at the faucet level.

The best way to decide on filters is see enumerate what each type of filter can remove and buy the filters that remove the largest number of contaminants.

The University of Nebraska wrote a good paper (short) on Reverse Osmosis systems.



Measles Unexplained

I thought this article was interesting and made some good points.

Interesting article. I think keeping plenty (not too much as it can be toxic) of Vitamin A by Coutsoudis in a healthy child will reduce her risk of severe infection from measles. It could be as much as 50%.

Most cases have the following symptoms: fever, cough, red eyes, runny nose, and a rash. 
In the worst-case scenario, a patient could develop encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. This is, factually, devastating for anyone. It can have life long effects including brain damage, deafness, and/or other neurological impairment. Chances of this are approximately 1 out of 1,000. 
The cause of death is about 1 in 1000 also and usually occurs from pneumonia. Only about 5% of the cases develop pneumonia though.

In Africa there were lots of death compared to developed countries. The cause was either malnutrition (low Vitamin A in particular) or lack of access to the vaccine. Interestingly by the time the vaccine was invented the number of cases of measles had decreased significantly.

According to the CDC here are your chances of complications:

Measles Complications Conditions
  • Diarrhea - 8% reported
  • Otitis media - 7% reported
  • Pneumonia - 6% reported
  • Encephalitis - 0.1% reported
  • Seizures - 0.6-0.7% reported
  • Death - 0.2% reported


The CDC says malnourished children under 12 months of age and a vitamin A deficiency are most at risk:
"Measles in developing countries has resulted in high attack rates among children younger than 12 months of age. Measles is more severe in malnourished children, particularly those with vitamin A deficiency. Complications include diarrhea, dehydration, stomatitis, inability to feed, and bacterial infections (skin and elsewhere). The case-fatality rate may be as high as 25%. Measles is also a leading cause of blindness in African children."


It is interesting to see how cases of measles affects the different age groups.
Notice that about 9% develop Pneumonia, but 25% are hospitalized for one reason or another.



I wonder, how effective is the vaccine if you only have the first dose of the vaccine. It is recommended the vaccine is to be given at 1yr and 5 yrs of age. If you have a 2 year old this is something to consider, especially if you have not vaccinated yet. Here is what the CDC says:

"From 1985 through 1988, 42% of cases occurred in persons who were vaccinated on or after their first birthday. During these years, 68% of cases in school-aged children (5–19 years) occurred among those who had been appropriately vaccinated. The occurrence of measles among previously vaccinated children (i.e., vaccine failure) led to the recommend at ion for a second dose in this age group."

and 

"The size and makeup of measles outbreaks has changed since the 1980s. Prior to 1989, the majority of outbreaks occurred among middle, high school and college student populations. As many as 95% of persons infected during these outbreaks had received one prior dose of measles vaccine. A second dose of measles vaccine was recommended for school-aged children in 1989, and all states now require two doses of measles vaccine for school-aged children. As a result, measles outbreaks in school settings are now uncommon."


This makes me think about giving a vaccination to my unvaccinated 2 year old. It seems the vaccines will not be that effective with just the one dose. Also, I wonder how immediate would she gain any benefit. 

Then I read the following from the CDC:
"
Measles vaccine produces an inapparent or mild, noncommunicable infection. Measles antibodies develop in approximately 95% of children vaccinated at 12 months of age and 98% of children vaccinated at 15 months of age. Seroconversion rates are similar for single-antigen measles vaccine, MMR, and MMRV. Approximately 2%–5% of children who receive only one dose of MMR vaccine fail to respond to it (i.e., primary vaccine failure). MMR vaccine failure may occur because of passive antibody in the vaccine recipient, damaged vaccine, incorrect records, or possibly other reasons. Most persons who fail to respond to the first dose will respond to a second dose. Studies indicate that more than 99% of persons who receive two doses of measles vaccine (with the first dose administered no earlier than the first birthday) develop serologic evidence of measles immunity.
...
Two doses of measles vaccine, as combination MMR, separated by at least 4 weeks, are routinely recommended for all children. All persons born during or after 1957 should have documentation of at least one dose of MMR or other evidence of measles immunity (see below). Certain adolescents and adults should receive two doses of MMR.
...

A second dose of MMR is recommended to produce immunity in those who failed to respond to the first dose. The second dose of MMR vaccine should routinely be given at age 4–6 years, before a child enters kindergarten or first grade. The recommended visit at age 11 or 12 years can serve as a catch-up opportunity to verify vaccination status and administer MMR vaccine to those children who have not yet received two doses of MMR.
"

I read this to mean that for my 2 year old she has 98% chance of getting immunity from measles after just the first vaccination. However, if she gets a second vaccination after 4 weeks then should gain 1 more percent for the chances of being developing the measles antibodies. In my opinion, if you don't want to vaccinate in the first place, the risk of side effects of the second vaccination may be greater than the benefit of getting that 1% closer to 100% chance of immunity. It seems getting  only the first vaccination is a good balance if you child is over the 15 month mark.


I wonder how many health kids that get exercise, get proper sun exposure (Vitamin D), proper nutrition get this measles and how serious the cases are versus kids that don't fit this criteria.

The CDC does say: "Overall incidence rates were highest for Hispanics and blacks and lowest for non-Hispanic whites. Among children younger than 5 years of age, the incidence of measles among blacks and Hispanics was four to seven times higher than among non-Hispanic whites."

I would be willing to bet the above group does not meet this criteria in most cases.

The CDC also says: "Ninety percent of fatal cases occurred among persons with no history of vaccination."

This is of little surprise given that a large percentage of cases are from unvaccinated people.

What is in the Vaccine?
The CDC says: "The only measles virus vaccine now available in the United States is a live, more attenuated Edmonston-Enders strain (formerly called “Moraten”). The vaccine is available combined with mumps and rubella vaccines as MMR, or combined with mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine as MMRV (ProQuad). The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that MMR be used when any of the individual components is indicated. Single-antigen measles vaccine is not currently available in the United States.

Measles vaccine is prepared in chick embryo fibroblast tissue culture. MMR and MMRV are supplied as a lyophylized (freeze-dried) powder and are reconstituted with sterile, preservative-free water. The vaccines contain a small amount of human albumin, neomycin, sorbitol, and gelatin."

What is an attenuated virus
Wikipedia says: "An attenuated vaccine is a vaccine created by reducing the virulence of a pathogen, but still keeping it viable (or "live"). Attenuation takes an infectious agent and alters it so that it becomes harmless or less virulent."

What is chick embryo fibroblast
Wikipedia says: "fibroblast is a type of cell that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen,[1] the structural framework (stroma) for animal tissues, and plays a critical role in wound healing. Fibroblasts are the most common cells of connective tissue in animals."

I say, if you are concerned about GMOs, you may not want to get the MMR vaccine. It has genetically engineered albumin (human protein) in it. 

What is Neomycin (preservative)
Wikipedia says: "Neomycin is typically used as a topical preparation, such as Neosporin. It can also be given orally, where it is usually combined with other antibiotics. Neomycin is not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and has been used as a preventive measure for hepatic encephalopathy and hypercholesterolemia. By killing bacteria in the intestinal tract, it keeps ammonia levels low and prevents hepatic encephalopathy, especially prior to GI surgery. It has also been used to treat small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. It is not given intravenously, as neomycin is extremely nephrotoxic (causes kidney damage), especially compared to other aminoglycosides. The exception is when neomycin is included, in very small quantities, as a preservative in some vaccines – typically 0.025 mg per dose.[1]"

Does this mean that the measles vaccine can damage the kidney of small babies or children that are say in the 1 percentile?

What is Sorbitol (Sugar)
WiseGeek says: "Sorbitol, or glucitol as it is sometimes called, is a slow-metabolizing sugar alcohol derived from fruits, corn and seaweed. It's a sugar substitute found in foods such as frozen desserts, sugar-free chewing gum and diabetic candies. Sorbitol is only about 60% as sweet as sugar, however. It is also used as a thickener and moisturizer in beauty products."

Wikipedia says: "Gelatin or gelatine (from Latingelatus meaning "stiff", "frozen") is a translucent, colourless, brittle (when dry), flavourless foodstuff, derived from collagen obtained from various animal by-products. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in foodpharmaceuticalsphotography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar way are called gelatinous. Gelatin is an irreversibly hydrolyzed form of collagen. It is found in most gummy candy as well as other products such as marshmallowsgelatin dessert, and some ice creamdip and yogurt. Household gelatin comes in the form of sheets, granules, or powder. Instant types can be added to the food as they are; others need to be soaked in water beforehand."

To Summarize
It is a difficult choice to make. There are world health and individual health to consider. No one wants to spread disease and we all want to be healthy. There is definitely uncertainty as to the best to meet that goal. I see it as weighing the risks and benefits because nothing is 100% or without cost. Here are the major risks and benefits. 

What we are trying to avoid: Measles
Most cases have the following symptoms: fever, cough, red eyes, runny nose, and a rash. 
In the worst-case scenario, a patient could develop encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. 

Choice #1 - Don't vaccinate
Choice #2 - Vaccinate

Why you may want to wait until after your child is age 1 to vaccinate

Here is a quote from the VAERS site regarding the data:

"More than 10 million vaccines per year are given to children less than 1 year old, usually between 2 and 6 months of age. At this age, infants are at greatest risk for certain medical adverse events, including high fevers, seizures, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Some infants will experience these medical events shortly after a vaccination by coincidence."

Why don't doctors tell us this. Why don't they tell us that breast feeding will help reduce the risk of infectious diseases. The good news is that if you didn't vaccinate you baby and have not had caught any diseases, the risk of side effects is less after 6 months of age or is that really the case. This is something to consider for those that may want to vaccinate after 6 months of age.

This is a very interesting statistical analysis of the VAERS data. Here are some of the finds based on VAERS data:

The more doses the greater chance of hospitalization

For each dose you give an infant (under 1 year of age) there is an increase in the likelihood of hospitalization by approximately 1.9%. Just two doses is about a 10% risk of being hospitalized. The CDC recommends easily 25 vaccinations (even more if you count doses) by age 1 according to the official recommendations.If we assume the trend continues in a linear fashion as suggested below, then with 25 vaccinations the chance of hospitalization would be 53%. Why doesn't a doctor say that before giving or recommending a vaccination. To be fair, this does NOT mean that there is a 53% chance that your infant will be hospitalized if you follow the CDC recommendation. All this means is that of the cases that are reported for infants under age 1 that of the cases reported by age one 53% of the reports would include hospitalizations. In actuality there is not enough data over for over 8 vaccinations by age 1 to support this analysis, but it is very interesting and verifiable for up to eight vaccinations.



Waiting until your child is older than age 1 could reduce the risk of hospitalization


Notice after 6 months of age it is not really as linear as before. This may imply that the CDC is correct saying that the infants are most at risk of hospitalization from side effects of a vaccine up to 6 months.

Death

Similar findings were found for death potentially caused by vaccines:

"...an increased mortality rate associated with 5–8 vaccines relative to 1–4 vaccines; (d) a decreased mortality rate associated with children aged 0.5 to <1 1.4="" a="" aged="" and="" e="" infant="" male-to-female="" mortality="" ratio.="" relative="" span="" those="" to="" year=""> "

This means the more vaccines the higher risk of death and waiting until after 6 months of age to vaccinate may also reduce the risk of death from the side effects of a vaccine.

Underreporting of issue

The report says: 
"Since VAERS is a passive system, it is inherently subject to underreporting. For example, a confidential study conducted by Connaught Laboratories, a vaccine manufacturer, indicated that “a fifty-fold underreporting of adverse events” is likely. According to David Kessler, former commissioner of the FDA, “only about one percent of serious events [adverse drug reactions] are reported.” Less serious vaccine adverse events (e.g., swelling, fever, or redness at the vaccination site) are more underreported than more serious vaccine adverse events (e.g., hospitalizations and death). The current analysis made no attempt to quantify underreporting due to age, type of adverse event, or other factor since only relative trends were utilized."


Legal Notice:

I am not a doctor or a statistician. I simply am interpreting the report to the best of my ability and trying to put it in a more consumable form for the average person. This should not be used as medical advice. Please read the study and CDC sites if you have any questions.