Why I Wear a Mask

ALAN KATZ wrote . . . . . . . . .

AS OF Oct. 18, Shared Health brought in a new policy that requires health-care providers to wear medical masks during patient encounters. This is in response to increasing numbers of COVID-19 outbreaks in hospitals and personal care homes over the last few weeks.

This change in Shared Health policy suggests that we should all consider our behaviours regarding the prevention of infection with the ever-changing virus that causes COVID-19.

What can and should we be doing to avoid a potentially life-altering infection and exposing our loved ones to infection?

While almost everyone has some level of immunity from previous infection or vaccination, this is clearly not enough. Despite this immunity, there are outbreaks in hospitals and people are developing life-altering symptoms from long COVID syndrome months after their acute illness. Why is this the case and what can we do about it?

Firstly, there is a simple protective measure we can all take: wear a properly fitted N95 or KN95 mask.

I have been wearing a KN95 mask when in public indoor spaces for over three years now. I did not stop wearing a mask when we were told the pandemic was over. Wearing a mask is not a guarantee against infection, but it does reduce the risk. Wearing a highly effective mask (N95 or KN95) is better protection than a regular medical mask or a cloth mask.

We have learned a great deal about the spread of this virus since we first heard about it more than three years ago. It is not spread by contact with surfaces. It is not spread via droplets, as we initially thought.

Just as with COVID 19, wearing a mask will limit our exposure to the influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) providing a layer of protection against illness that can be serious, especially for babies, young children and the elderly.

It is an airborne virus, and this means that it hangs around in the air we breathe for hours and spreads across longer distances indoors than we first believed.

The virus continues to change, which means that our immunity is less effective against newer variants. Being exposed to enough virus now can lead to an acute illness even in those who are vaccinated. The vaccine will however reduce the severity of that illness and, in many cases, prevent an illness developing altogether.

There are two mechanisms which work together to prevent an acute COVID-19 infection. Firstly, a well-fitting N95 or KN95 mask limits the likelihood of the virus getting access to our respiratory tract.

Secondly, if we are exposed (such as when maskless and eating in a restaurant), being up to date with our vaccinations will prime our immune systems to be able to fight off the virus more effectively.

The combination of these two approaches is known to be highly effective in preventing illness.

There is an added bonus to wearing a mask. We are entering flu season.

Just as with COVID 19, wearing a mask will limit our exposure to the influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) providing a layer of protection against illness that can be serious, especially for babies, young children and the elderly.

We also know that our immune system becomes less efficient as we age. This is why people over 65 years old are offered a “super dose” of the flu vaccine.

Wearing a mask is even more important for anyone with a compromised immune system such as those being treated for cancer.

It seems to me that we know enough about how to protect ourselves and our loved ones from respiratory viruses this winter. We can protect ourselves from infection and protect others around us by wearing masks and getting vaccinated.

We can each help our overwhelmed emergency rooms by protecting ourselves by getting vaccinated and wearing a mask.

Dr. Alan Katz is a professor in the departments of Family Medicine and Community Health Sciences in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. He is a practicing family physician and health services researcher.

Source: The Winnipeg Free Press

Pokémon Charater Wagashi of Shichijo Kanshundo in Kyoto, Japan

 

 

 

 

Why Sugar Matters – and How to Cut Back If You’re Eating Too Much of It

Michael Merschel wrote . . . . . . . . .

A summary of sugar’s health effects can sound like the tagline for a Hollywood thriller: “It’s sweet and alluring. It’s a master of disguise. And tonight – it’s hiding in your refrigerator.”

OK, maybe not a successful thriller. But like a double agent, sugar can be both beneficial and dangerous. In its guise as added sugar, the emphasis is on danger.

“The research just keeps flowing about how bad it is, truly,” said Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton, the Evan Pugh University Professor of Nutritional Sciences, Emeritus at Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania.

Being aware of how sugar works and where added sugar lurks can help you manage it, she said.

Natural sugars come in several varieties. Some, such as glucose and fructose, are just a single molecule.

Others consist of linked molecules. Sucrose (table sugar, usually derived from sugar cane or sugar beets) is made up of one glucose and one fructose molecule. Lactose, which can be found in milk, consists of one glucose and one galactose molecule.

None is inherently bad. Our bodies turn sugars and other carbohydrates into glucose that fuels red blood cells, the central nervous system and the brain.

Because sugars provide a quick way to get this vital energy, humans evolved to seek it out, and our brains feel rewarded when we find it.

Here is where the trouble begins.

Our ancestors had limited access to sugar, and that would have been natural sugar, such as the fructose found in fruits. Today, sugar is as abundant as suspects in a game of Clue. High-fructose corn syrup, molasses, cane sugar and honey all are types of added sugar.

The average adult in the U.S. eats about 60 pounds of added sugar a year, according to the American Heart Association.

When you eat sugar, it sets off a chain reaction in the body, Kris-Etherton said. As sugar is digested, your blood glucose level increases. To regulate it, the pancreas pumps out insulin, which lowers glucose in the blood. If you constantly eat sugar, the pancreas has to “keep pumping and pumping and pumping.”

Over time, that puts a strain on the pancreas, she said. When the pancreas can’t produce enough insulin to manage blood sugar, or the body becomes resistant to insulin, the result is Type 2 diabetes. Plus, excess calories get stored as fat, which can lead to obesity, a condition linked to both diabetes and heart disease.

The AHA recommends limiting added sugar to no more than 6% of calories each day. For most women, that’s no more than 100 calories a day, or about 6 teaspoons. For men, it’s 150 calories a day, or about 9 teaspoons.

You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to track down added sugar in your food. “It’s everywhere,” Kris-Etherton said.

Yes, you’d expect added sugar in a can of cola (41 grams, or about 10 teaspoons, in a 12-ounce can of one popular brand) or a cupcake (18 grams, or 4 1/2 teaspoons, per individually wrapped national brand cupcake). But you’ll also find it in ketchup (roughly a teaspoon of added sugar per tablespoon) and bread (a quarter teaspoon per white slice, and more than a teaspoon in one brioche bun). Added sugar can hide in fruit drinks as well.

In their attempts to cut back, some people turn to artificial sweeteners. Kris-Etherton is wary. The science on sweeteners is mixed, she said. “So, I think caution is warranted.”

People who are worried about sugar in their diet should be aware of the difference between added sugars and naturally occurring sugars that you’d get in a fruit or vegetable.

Although natural fructose is, at the molecular level, just another sugar, who it hangs out with matters. The company that fructose keeps in, say, a cup of strawberries (which has 8 grams, or 2 teaspoons, of total sugar), is completely different from the company it keeps with something like a sugar-sweetened beverage, Kris-Etherton said.

For starters, that serving of strawberries (or bananas or even corn) comes with vitamins and nutrients. It also comes with fiber, which slows the processing of sugar in the digestive tract and limits spikes in blood glucose.

Kris-Etherton pointed to a sugar study released in September in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It found that while the fructose from added sugar and juice was associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease, the fructose from fruits and vegetables was not.

Her advice for people who want to cut back on added sugar is to start by keeping an eye out for it.

Nutrition labels list added sugars alongside total sugars. You can also scan ingredient lists for items such as syrup, cane juice, corn sweetener or any of those “-ose” molecules.

Once you learn to spot added sugar, look for alternatives. “It might be hard for some people to go cold turkey,” Kris-Etherton said. “But maybe start weaning yourself.”

If you’re used to drinking the largest size of a pumpkin spice coffee drink, switching to the smallest size takes you from 63 grams (nearly 16 teaspoons) of sugar to 25 grams (a little more than 6 teaspoons). Or try black coffee or unsweetened tea for a sugar-free caffeine hit.

If you drink a lot of sugary sodas, switch to unsweetened sparkling water flavored with lemons or limes. If you hydrate with sports drinks, switching to water might help you avoid 35 grams of added sugar (nearly 9 teaspoons) per 20-ounce bottle.

With breakfast cereals, Kris-Etherton gets creative. Her husband is a fan of raisin bran, which she said “does have a fair amount of sugar” at 9 grams, or more than 2 teaspoons, per cup for one popular brand. She mixes it with a sugarless high-fiber cereal to dilute it.

Such cereal subterfuge also works with frosted flakes and corn flakes, she said. Or you can switch to an entirely sugarless cereal and sweeten it with fruit.

For salad dressings, be wary of brands labeled “low-fat” or “fat-free” because they can still be loaded with sugar, she said. As an alternative, she suggests balsamic vinegar, lemon or lime juice, or herbs and spices.

Small steps can add up, Kris-Etherton said. Cutting back “doesn’t mean that you can never have any sugar whatsoever. So, keep that in mind. And then choose wisely.”

Source: American Heart Association

 

 

 

 

In Pictures: Food of Potong in Bangkok, Thailand

Fine Dining Novel Thai-Chinese Cuisine

No.35 of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023

 

 

 

 

Salmon in Rice Paper Wraps with Coconut Ginger Sauce

Ingredients

8 salmon fillets, about 1 inch thick, 4 inches long, 2 inches wide
8 tsp soy sauce
8 round rice paper wrappers, 8 inches in diameter
16 basil leaves
8 tsp chopped fresh ginger
2 Tbsp oil

Coconut Ginger Sauce

1 Tbsp oil
2 tsp chopped shallots
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp palm or brown sugar
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
2 Tbsp chopped basil

Method

1. Make the sauce. Heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the shallot and ginger and fry until they are soft and translucent. Add the coconut milk. Bring it almost to a boil and add the soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, zest and basil.
2. Season each piece of salmon with 1 tsp of soy sauce. Set aside.
3. Fill a wide shallow pan with warm water and spread a dish towel on a counter. Dip a wrapper in the water for about 10 seconds to soften it, then place on the towel.
4. Place 2 basil leaves in the center of the rice paper. Place a piece of salmon on top of the basil. Place 1 tsp of ginger on top of the salmon. Fold the wrap around the salmon to enclose it securely. Place the salmon packages seam-side down on a plate in a single layer. Cover and refrigerate until cooking time.
5. At cooking time heat the oil in a well-seasoned or non-stick skillet over high heat and place the salmon packages seam-side down in the skillet. Cook uncovered for 2 minutes. Turn over and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, cover and set aside for 3 or 4 minutes.
6. Place 1/4 of the sauce on each plate. Place the wraps seam-side down so the basil leaves show through the rice paper. Serve right away.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: New Thai Cuisine

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