With rising gas prices, more and more people are riding motorcycles these days. So I am compelled to get on my soap box again and tell you are story. Unfortunately it is very true.
A few weeks ago, there were two different motorcycle accidents in my town. I live in a small town, so two motorcycle accidents in a month would be a rare thing, but two in one week. That is practically unheard of.
In many ways the accidents were similar. Both riders were incredibly experienced, both were avid motorcycle riders who had been riding for decades. No drugs or alcohol were involved in either accident. Both riders were going around a corner when they hit a slick spot on the road, oil or gravel, no one is really sure. Both lost control of their motorcycles, and when the motorcycles hit the shoulder and slowed dramatically, both riders went through the windscreen of their respective motorcycles, and both landed head first on the shoulder of the highway.
One rider was declared dead at the scene.
The other rider is my husband. He suffered a broken collar bone and a bunch of road rash. Relatively minor injuries. He’ll be fine. The other rider is not fine, and that makes me sick.
There is a reason why these two very similar accidents had very different outcomes. Helmets.
Before the accident, my husbands helmet looked something like this.
This isn’t the exact helmet, but you can get an idea. Full face protection, plus it is long enough to protect the neck. In fact, my husband’s collar bone was probably broken by the helmet. This kept him from breaking his neck. The only head injury my husband sustained was some minor bruising on his forehead and one small cut.
Here is a helmet similar to what the other rider was wearing.
This is the minimum helmet required by law. Commonly called a beanie helmet, some motorcycle riders wear them as a type of “protest” against the mandatory helmet law.
Please, if you are going to ride a motorcycle, think about why you wear a helmet. It is not just to comply with the law. You wear a helmet for protection of your head and neck if you crash. If you wear a “beanie” type helmet as a protest against the mandatory helmet law, please reconsider. Even the most experienced rider can have an accident.
My husband has over 40 years experience riding and racing motorcycles. He knows what to do in a skid. But sometimes there are things beyond your control. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you are going to crash. And if you hit the pavement at 50 mph, you need more protection than a beanie helmet can provide.
So please, if you ride a motorcycle, or a scooter, spend the money and go buy a decent, full face helmet. It may cost you a few hundred dollars, and your friends might not think it is cool, but it may save your life.
If you are interested in health issues, but more than in just a “surface” type of way, I think you would enjoy Art and Science of Disease Prevention: Lite Version It is not your typical health and nutrition book. It is a combination of scientific information presented in an intelligent manner, and the art of healing and health. The book is divided into 5 sections.
Section One starts at the beginning and deals with fertility and conception. Included in Section One is an in depth look at chromosomal abnormalities which is fascinating.
Section Two deals with the Nutritional Value of Fats and Oils. I think many of us are still wary of fats and it is important to understand that fats play an important role in overall nutrition.
Section Three was very interesting with its discussion of plant medicine. Especially of interest to me was the chapter on how plant medicine can be used to help with hyperinsulinemia, or insulin sensitivity.
Section Four is the prevention of degenerative diseases. It includes chapters on dealing with menopause and cancer.
The best was saved for last and Section Five deals with Quality of Life and Life Expectancy. Chapters include stress management, exercise and massage. The massage chapter was my favorite because Dr. Roy goes into the importance of human touch. He points out that society often confuses sensuality with sexuality and because of this people are reluctant to touch each other.
Today while I was blog surfing it seemed like every blog I stopped at had pictures of food. It seemed like today was a good day to go along with the crowd.
What you are looking at are two great presents that I got last week while my parents were visiting. My Dad brought fresh peas from his garden, and my Mom bought me the bamboo steamer that I have been wanting forever!
The steamer is fun because it cooks the peas quickly while retaining their good flavor and nutrition. It came with two baskets so I can cook two different things at once. Previously I steamed chicken and cabbage potstickers in one basket and some leftover pork roast in the other. A full meal was ready in no time , and the steaming helped keep the pork moist.
Tonight I steamed some red snapper and that also worked well. If you are thinking of steaming fish, here is a tip I learned from the Cook’s Magazine that my Mom bought to go with the steamer. Take slices of lemon or lime and put them on the bottom of the steamer. Then set your fish on top of the slices. The lemon/lime slices keep the fish from sticking to the steamer, and the steam carries the flavor of the fruit into the fish. I used lime slices tonight and it was very good!
Do you have a steamer? Any good steamer recipes you would like to share?
Lately I have been feeling the need for more sleep. I have been getting up at my normal time, but instead of being able to stay awake until midnight, or even 1am, I have been getting tired around 9 or 10pm. I have been going to bed earlier, but I am still feeling sleep deprived, so I thought I would do a little research on sleep before I turn in for the night.
I found that being sleep-deprived can cause all sorts of trouble. From the obvious impaired concentration and poor judgment, to the not so obvious increase in diabetes, depression, and heart disease.
It is not true that all adults need 8 hours of sleep per night. Some can get by with as little as 5 while others may need 9 hours of sleep to fully refresh. You know you are getting enough sleep if you can wake up in the morning without an alarm clock.
So while getting lots of sleep can feel like an indulgent luxury, actually it is important for both your physical and mental health. Thank goodness tomorrow is Saturday, I am going to do something healthy and sleep in!
Have you ever seen anything that just turned your world around? Just yesterday I enjoyed a small order of McDonald’s french fries. Now I don’t think I’ll be able to eat another one again. Please watch the following video before you feed your child another Happy Meal.
Now I know you can’t believe everything you see on the internet, so I checked out Snopes.com and I ran a Google search and it appears that this video is legitimate. Real food rots, so I am not sure what McDonald’s is serving. Anyone else giving up McDonalds?
It is not your typical health and nutrition book. It is a combination of scientific information presented in an intelligent manner, and the art of healing and health. The book is divided into 5 sections.
