The Millstone Times January 2019

HEALTH 

 WELLNESS

&

After Your Blood Donation One of the questions people ask about donation is where their blood ends up. The lifecycle of your blood is fairly straightforward, only following a few simple steps from when you donate to when it is eventually labeled and stored. Donors can rest assured that professionals from the American Red Cross are fully qualified to handle and process blood within all safety, health and confidentiality standards. If you’re still a bit hesitant about the process, reach out to your local Red Cross office for more information regarding your concerns. They will be able to walk you through any concerns you have about the donation process. Processing: To begin the process phase of blood donation, your blood is scanned into a computer database and then spun in centrifuges to separate the transfusable components, such as red blood cells, platelets and plasma. The primary components, such as plasma, canbe furthermanufactured into components such as cryoprecipitate, while red cells go through leuko-reduction. Single donor platelets are leuko-reduced and bacterially assessed before being sent away for intensive testing. Testing : The next step involves your test tubes being shipped to one of three Red Cross National Testing Laboratories, where a dozen tests are performed on each unit of donated blood. This helps establish the blood type and test for infectious diseases. If a test result is positive for disease, the unit is discarded and the donor is notified. Test results are confidential and are only shared with the donor, except as may be required by law. Check in with your local Red Cross professionals to learn more about their policies regarding disclosing blood testing results. Storage & Distribution : Once test results are received, units suitable for transfusion are labeled and stored in refrigerators at 6 degrees Celsius for up to 42 days. Storage requirements for other materials are as follows, according to the Red Cross: • Platelets are stored at room temperature in agitators for up to five days; and • Plasma is frozen and stored in freezers for up to one year. When it comes to distribution, your Red Cross representative will orchestrate the delivery of your blood in a safe, compliant manner. Your blood could be used for transfusions and other medical emergencies at any time. In fact, blood is available to be shipped to hospitals 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Oats- The Original Super Food By Erin Mumby

Oats are a popular super food! They are some of the healthiest grains. This makes oatmeal is one of the healthiest breakfast foods. It’s chock full of vitamins and minerals. Oats are packed with important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Oats have unique components like beta-glucan. When you digest oatmeal, your glycemic levels slowly rises. This is the perfect meal to eat before we exercise. It makes sure we burn the most fat. It’s high in protein, which will get you energized first thing in the morning. Oatmeal also contains the hunger-fighting hormone called Cholecystokinin. This keeps you full and curbs cravings throughout the day. Eating filling foods like oatmeal help you to eat fewer calories and lose weight. Consuming oats lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Heart disease is a leading cause of death. High cholesterol leads to heart disease. One way to fight this is eating oatmeal. The beta-glucan found in oatmeal circulates the cholesterol in the blood. The antioxidants in oats work with vitamin C to lower the risk of heart disease. Oats also protect against skin irritation. Oats have been proven to treat dry, itchy skin. Oats are recommended for treating eczema. Oats can be found in numerous skin care products. Colloidal oatmeal are the finely ground oats used in these products. Skin care benefits are found when oats are directly applied to the skin. There are different types of oatmeal. Once the oats are processed, they have different properties. There are three popular types of oats: steel cut, rolled and quick oats: steel cut, rolled, and quick oats. Steel cut oats are the least processed oats. They are cut into very small pieces. They are somewhat chewy. They are the longest to cook, but they are the healthiest option. Rolled oats are the oats that are used in oatmeal raisin cookies. Rolled oats are steamed so they turn soft. They take a flat shape. This allows them to be cooked quickly and absorb a lot of liquid. They are healthy as well. Most oatmeal is great for you, but there are certainly some types of oatmeal you should avoid. Quick oats are the most common form of oatmeal. Quick oats are found in instant oatmeal in the grocery store. They should be avoided when eating clean. Quick oats are the most highly processed oats. Instant oatmeal is pre-cooked, dried, and pressed. They can be cooked instantly, but they are very mushy. Here is a healthy, protein packed oatmeal recipe from health website danettemay.com: Peanut Butter Overnight Oats • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk • ¾ Tbsp. chia seeds • 2 T peanut butter or almond butter Instructions: • 1 T organic honey • ½ cup rolled oats • sliced banana

Add Oats to a container of your choice and pour in milk. Mix in vanilla extract, chia seeds, and cinnamon. Alternate between layers of peanut butter and layers of sliced banana. Drizzle with honey. Place in fridge and enjoy in the morning or a few hours later!

www. TheMillstoneTimes.com 23