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4 ways to celebrate the Apollo 11 mission’s golden anniversary

2019-06-11T09:11:00

(BPT) – For those of us who were glued to the television during the launch of the legendary Apollo 11 mission that first landed man on the moon, it may be hard to believe that it’s been 50 years since mankind’s greatest leap.

And although fifty years have come and gone, the nostalgia, energy and pride surrounding the record-breaking spaceflight are still in full swing on Florida’s Space Coast. Here, back where it all began half a century ago, the Space Coast is planning an epic, once-in-a-lifetime tribute to the Apollo 11 mission, which will commemorate the historic 1969 journey of the mission and its crew.

Most of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Apollo 11 mission takes place from July 12 through July 16, honoring the incredible accomplishments of the U.S. space program and its astronauts through a series of one-of-a-kind events and other public activities. With a jam-packed schedule filled with memory-making space fun, vacationing families and space enthusiasts alike will find something to get excited about on Florida’s Space Coast this July.

Hit the virtual links.

Join current and former American astronauts on the virtual links in honor of the first man to play golf on the moon, Alan Shepard, at the Astronaut Golf Tournament July 12 at Drive Shack, in Orlando. Enter the longest-drive and closest-to-the-pin competitions and get a chance to take a shot with a replica of the club Shepard used on the lunar surface.

Party like it’s 1969!

At the Astronaut Walking Pub Crawl July 12, adults can have a Friday-night blast partying with astronauts while sampling libations at popular local watering holes throughout Cocoa Village. You could win a prize for “Best Space Dressed” if you wear your favorite space outfit.

The next day, cheer America’s space heroes at the Astronaut Parade, featuring U.S. space explorers riding through the city of Cocoa Beach in Corvette convertibles, plus members of various Apollo families passing by in Teslas. The procession wraps up with a public street party. Also on July 13, musician Alan Parsons headlines the Celebrating Apollo Outdoor Concert that evening at Cocoa Riverfront Park. The band Edison’s Children, which includes Rick Armstrong (son of Neil Armstrong), is the opening act.

Talk space talk.

July 14 is packed with amazing panel discussions about space, including some revealing personal accounts about the early days of the U.S. program. Join relatives of Apollo astronauts for a “Families of Apollo” kickoff brunch and hear stories about what that era was like for family members. Next, a “Women in Space” panel will examine the contributions by women to space exploration. It will be followed by a fascinating “Future of Space” presentation by astronauts and industry leaders.

The evening of July 14 features a one-of-a-kind, exclusive opportunity: a private, VIP preview of the newly transformed Apollo/Saturn V Center at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Expect some serious mingling with astronauts, and if you can’t make it to the private viewing, the public grand opening is set for the next day.

July 16 will be dominated by the evening’s Apollo 50th Gala, which will pay tribute to the first moon landing, while looking ahead toward the next giant leap in space exploration. Proceeds from the gala, which will be held at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, will benefit the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and the Aldrin Family Foundation.

Catch a rocket launch.

What could be more thrilling than seeing an actual rocket launch in person? There are nearly a dozen launches scheduled for the remainder of this year, including three in July alone. You can plan your trip around one of the launches listed online, but keep in mind that weather and other factors might occasionally lead to launch delays or postponements. Many of the beaches and local parks along the Space Coast’s 72 miles of pristine coastline are ideal for viewing a launch, while also enjoying some fun in the sun with your family.

The countdown is on! More details about all the Apollo 11 anniversary events, including ticket information, are available at https://www.spacecoastlaunches.com/apollo50/. To learn more about the wide variety of attractions and the calendar of activities on Florida’s Space Coast, go to visitspacecoast.com.


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Hidden epidemic: The disease that will be the #1 reason for liver transplants in 2020

2019-06-11T07:01:00

(BPT) – Every day your liver works tirelessly to support over 500 essential bodily functions, including storing energy, neutralizing harmful toxins, converting nutrients for absorption and acting as a filtration system. If your liver isn’t healthy, it’s unable to do these important tasks. The problem is, many people’s livers are at risk for a disease that impacts up to one in four individuals. To make matters worse, the symptoms for this disease are subtle and easily mistaken for other health issues.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition in which fat makes up more than 5% of the weight of the liver, not caused by alcohol use. Left untreated, it can progress into nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). A whopping 25% of adults worldwide have NAFLD, according to the Global Liver Institute, and about 12% of adults worldwide have NASH.

Risk factors

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are two of the main risk factors for NAFLD and NASH. While many health experts have called obesity a modern epidemic, NAFLD and NASH remain relatively unknown, especially among patient populations. In fact, NASH is sometimes called a “silent epidemic” since its symptoms are not overt and it currently requires invasive biopsy for diagnostic confirmation, but is truly a “hidden epidemic.” Symptoms are present but often overlooked and the disease is under diagnosed because an invasive biopsy is currently required.

The worldwide prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and 2016, affecting 650 million adults in 2016, according to the World Health Organization. NASH is expected to become the leading cause of liver transplant by 2020 in the United States, and its prevalence is projected to increase globally in association with obesity and type 2 diabetes growth rates.

Ask your doctor

NASH is poorly known and under-diagnosed. Self-advocacy is an important step for protecting your health, understanding your risks and spreading the word about this growing disease. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness and pain in the upper right portion above your stomach where the liver is located. Keep in mind, it can take years for symptoms to develop and you may have this disease long before you notice any health changes.

To learn more, visit the Global Liver Institute’s website at www.globalliver.org. Then have a conversation with your doctor. Ask about your risk factors and if you should be concerned. Lifestyle changes can make a difference and, if necessary, diagnostic testing can help you better understand your condition.

Beyond the Biopsy(TM) is an initiative of the Global Liver Institute, dedicated to accelerating the acceptance and adoption of non-invasive technologies as an alternative to painful liver biopsies. “Patients need access to a low-risk, non-invasive diagnostic tool so they can better understand the health of their liver and their treatment options. Biopsy may be considered the gold standard in diagnosis of liver disease, but it’s hardly the best science can do,” says Donna R. Cryer, JD, CEO, Global Liver Institute. Beyond the Biopsy joins with patients and health care providers to call for non-invasive alternatives to increase the number of liver patients appropriately diagnosed.

Questions to Ask

If you have two or more risk factors you should be screened, which usually entails bloodwork and imaging. Be aware that liver function tests are not always elevated in early stages so normal levels should not rule out disease. Ask your doctor these questions so you feel empowered:

1. What stage is my disease now and how quickly do we expect it to progress?

2. What is the schedule of lab tests, imaging and visits I should expect over the course of the next year?

3. How much weight loss will I need to achieve to show results for my liver condition?

4. Does your clinic/office/hospital offer nutritionist counseling, social work or other services?

5. Does my insurance cover health coaching, gym membership or other supports for lifestyle change?

6. Are clinical trials available? Should I participate?

7. What medications, if any, are you prescribing me? What are the expected benefits? What are the potential side effects?

8. Would I be a candidate for a liver transplant?

Take action today

Learn more by speaking with your doctor. Whether you or a loved one are at risk, taking the next best step to support your health starts with a conversation.

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International Medical Graduates Improve Healthcare in Rural America Amid Growing Doctor Shortage

2019-06-10T08:01:00

(BPT) – When it comes to accessing healthcare, patients living in rural communities across America face a unique and complex set of challenges. While remote areas often have harsh weather conditions and limited transportation to medical centers, another problem poses a constant threat to patients in these already underserved communities: a shortage of practicing physicians.

The National Rural Health Association found that 77% of rural counties are struggling with a lack of primary care, dental care or mental health providers. The doctor shortage nationwide is predicted to increase by 2030, according to a report from the Association of American Medical Colleges, which presents a worrisome trend for the rising population of U.S. adults ages 65 and older — also estimated to grow by 50% before 2030 — as their need for care increases with age.

As rural communities explore ways to bridge this critical gap in resources, international medical graduates (IMGs) remain indispensable to many U.S. health systems. These practitioners are more likely than their American counterparts to practice medicine in rural communities, according to the Educational Commission of Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), making a meaningful difference in areas where their services are needed the most. Nationwide, there are more than 260,000 IMGs, comprising one-quarter of our entire physician workforce.

“International medical graduates are invaluable contributors to the United States healthcare system,” explained William Pinsky, M.D., president and CEO of ECFMG. “It’s often difficult to recruit physicians to work in rural areas. International medical graduates are more willing to work in these communities.” Founded more than six decades ago, ECFMG is the sole agency in the country responsible for certifying physicians who have gone to medical school outside of the United States and Canada.

Improving access to care in rural communities is a tall order, and the IMGs who serve these communities are innovating to meet this challenge. The emergence of telehealth is already presenting opportunities to shift the landscape and make a difference — from small, isolated towns to Native American reservations. Healthcare professionals in these parts of the country may not have the same tools and supplies as doctors in urban areas, but virtual access to larger health systems is providing patients and physicians with unprecedented access to counsel, support, tests and treatment plans from hospitals with more resources.

As an IMG from India, Archana Chatterjee, M.D., Ph.D., practices pediatric medicine at the Sanford Children’s Specialty Clinic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She is one of only three pediatric infectious disease specialists in the entire state. The other two specialists are also IMGs.

“IMGs today are working to ensure that people living in underserved communities are able to receive quality care. With today’s technology, it is possible to bring the latest innovations to some of the farthest areas facing the greatest unmet needs,” she said.

Chatterjee noted that hospitals are also beginning to expand their offerings to medical students with the goal of increasing the number of primary care physicians practicing in rural areas. The University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, for example, created the Frontier and Rural Medicine (FARM) program to give medical students new rotation opportunities in rural communities, to learn clinical medicine and to observe firsthand the obstacles that healthcare providers and patients face in these regions.

“IMGs are working to dispel this notion that geography and healthcare are mutually exclusive and to empower patients everywhere through better quality care,” said Chatterjee. “For us, the opportunity right now is too great to ignore.”


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What It Means to Feel ‘OFF’ with Parkinson’s

2019-06-10T10:55:00

(BPT) – Parkinson’s affects about one million people in the U.S. and millions more globally. Medicines have existed to help with Parkinson’s symptoms for many years, but many people with Parkinson’s, about 40 percent in the U.S., still face a problem related to their symptoms: OFF periods. One of these people is Bob Harmon, 70, who experiences these disruptive OFF periods, which are also known as OFF episodes, daily. Here are four things to know:

1. What is Parkinson’s?

With approximately 60,000 Americans newly diagnosed each year, there is a chance Parkinson’s could impact someone in your own life. Parkinson’s is a neurological disorder caused by a progressive loss of neurons in the brain with symptoms including tremor or shaking, slowness and stiffness, among others.

While the exact cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, most experts agree that the condition is likely caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

2. What causes OFF periods?

An OFF period occurs when Parkinson’s disease symptoms return before it is time for the next dose of oral medication or when the usual dose of medicine does not work as expected.

Parkinson’s symptoms result from low levels of dopamine, a chemical in the brain, which helps with movement, and symptoms can become more challenging to control over time due to the loss of dopamine nerve cells.

Digestive problems, common in people with Parkinson’s, can affect the way the body absorbs oral medicine, which can also contribute to the development of OFF periods.

OFF periods can include a wide range of symptoms including tremor or shaking, slowness and stiffness, among others. The combination and severity of symptoms are unique for each person with Parkinson’s, and they may appear without warning.

3. Why are OFF periods so troublesome?

A 2014 survey of more than 3,000 people with Parkinson’s conducted by The Michael J. Fox Foundation found that about two-thirds of participants reported having more than two hours of OFF time per day. Because each person with Parkinson’s may experience OFF periods differently, they can be difficult to identify and articulate to loved ones and healthcare providers.

Bob, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2006 at the age of 57, describes his daily OFF periods as frequent and disruptive. He experiences issues with his stride, making it hard to walk, and has problems keeping his expression.

“My OFF periods were so bothersome that when my doctor let me know there was an investigational treatment for OFF periods, I was eager to participate in the clinical trial to see if it would help me,” Bob said.

People with Parkinson’s and healthcare providers face challenges in discussing OFF periods. These can include difficulty in correctly identifying symptoms and their connection to the “wearing off” of baseline medicines, the differing experiences between people with Parkinson’s and differences in terminology used to describe symptoms.

4. What can people experiencing OFF periods do?

FDA-approved treatment options are available, including an inhaled medicine for many patients who experience OFF periods. Bob participated in the clinical trial for this medicine, called INBRIJA™ (levodopa inhalation powder), which was developed over 20 years and in collaboration with the Parkinson’s community.

“During the trial, INBRIJA helped me manage my OFF periods,” Bob said. He added that he did experience a mild cough while taking the medicine.

Today, Bob takes INBRIJA, as prescribed by his doctor, Robert Hauser, MD, MBA, who is a movement disorder specialist and the director of the Parkinson’s & Movement Disorder Center at the University of South Florida.

“If you have Parkinson’s and are experiencing OFF periods while taking carbidopa-levodopa, talk to your healthcare team about the benefits and risks of INBRIJA as a treatment option,” said Dr. Hauser.

Effective communication between physicians and patients about Parkinson’s symptoms could help identify OFF periods and treatment options for those with Parkinson’s. For more information about INBRIJA as a treatment option, visit: MoreAboutINBRIJA.com.

Indication

INBRIJA™ (levodopa inhalation powder) is a prescription medicine used for the return of Parkinson’s symptoms (known as OFF episodes) in adults treated with carbidopa-levodopa medicines. INBRIJA does not replace regular carbidopa-levodopa medicines.

Important Safety Information

INBRIJA is not to be used if patients take or have taken a nonselective monoamine oxidase inhibitor such as phenelzine or tranylcypromine within the last 2 weeks.

Before using INBRIJA, patients should tell their healthcare provider about all their medical conditions, including:

  • asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or any chronic lung disease
  • daytime sleepiness from a sleep disorder or if they get drowsy/sleepy without warning or take a medicine that increases sleepiness such as sleep medicines, antidepressants, or antipsychotics
  • feel dizzy, nausea, sweaty, or faint when standing from sitting/lying down
  • history of abnormal movement (dyskinesia)
  • mental health problem such as hallucinations or psychosis
  • uncontrollable urges (for example, gambling, increased sexual urges, intense urges to spend money, or binge eating)
  • glaucoma
  • pregnancy or plans to become pregnant. It is not known if INBRIJA will harm an unborn baby.
  • breastfeeding or plans to breastfeed. Levodopa (the medicine in INBRIJA) can pass into breastmilk and it is unknown if it can harm the baby.

Patients should tell their healthcare provider if they take:

  • MAO-B inhibitors
  • dopamine D2 receptor antagonists (including phenothiazines, butyrophenones, risperidone, metoclopramide), or isoniazid
  • iron salts or multivitamins that contain iron salts

No more than 1 dose (2 capsules) should be taken for any OFF period. No more than 5 doses (10 capsules) of INBRIJA should be taken in a day.

INBRIJA is for oral inhalation only. INBRIJA capsules are not to be swallowed or opened.

Patients are not to drive, operate machinery, or do other activities until they know how INBRIJA affects them. Sleepiness and falling asleep suddenly can happen as late as a year after treatment is started.

INBRIJA can cause serious side effects including the following. Patients should tell their healthcare provider if they experience them:

  • falling asleep during normal daily activities (such as driving, doing physical tasks, using hazardous machinery, talking, or eating) which can be without warning. If patients become drowsy while using INBRIJA, they should not drive or do activities where they need to be alert. Chances of falling asleep during normal activities increases if patients take medicines that cause sleepiness.
  • withdrawal-emergent hyperpyrexia and confusion (symptoms including fever, confusion, stiff muscles, and changes in breathing and heartbeat) in patients who suddenly lower or change their dose or stop using INBRIJA or carbidopa-levodopa medicines.
  • low blood pressure with or without dizziness, fainting, nausea, and sweating. Patients should get up slowly after sitting or lying down.
  • hallucinations and other psychosis – INBRIJA may cause or worsen psychotic symptoms including hallucinations (seeing/hearing things that are not real); confusion, disorientation, or disorganized thinking; trouble sleeping; dreaming a lot; being overly suspicious or feeling people want to harm them; believing things that are not real, acting aggressive, and feeling agitated/restless.
  • unusual uncontrollable urges such as gambling, binge eating, shopping, and sexual urges has occurred in some people using medicines like INBRIJA.
  • uncontrolled, sudden body movements (dyskinesia) may be caused or worsened by INBRIJA. INBRIJA may need to be stopped or other Parkinson’s medicines may need to be changed.
  • bronchospasm – people with asthma, COPD, or other lung diseases may wheeze or have difficulty breathing after inhaling INBRIJA. If patients have these symptoms, they should stop taking INBRIJA and call their healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.
  • increased eye pressure in patients with glaucoma. Healthcare providers should monitor this.
  • changes in certain lab values including liver tests

The most common side effects of INBRIJA include cough, upper respiratory tract infection, nausea, and change in the color of saliva or spit.

Please see the accompanying Patient Information Leaflet available at https://www.inbrija.com/patient-information.pdf.

This article is sponsored by Acorda Therapeutics.

INB8313 05/19


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I was recently diagnosed with a serious chronic illness. What are my options?

2019-06-07T06:01:02

(BPT) – Tips to help seniors afford and manage their critical medical treatments.

Being diagnosed with a serious chronic illness like diabetes, heart disease or multiple sclerosis is not only life-changing, it’s also complicated. Just figuring out how to pay for your prescribed medications, making sure your prescriptions are filled and available when you need them and remembering what medications to take and when is almost a full-time job. Thankfully, as more and more seniors embrace technology, there are new digital tools and resources available to help them manage their healthcare costs and live healthier lives.

Dan Klein, president and chief executive officer of the Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation, the largest independent charitable organization dedicated to helping people pay out-of-pocket costs for prescribed treatments, offers four tips to help seniors access the treatments they need and effectively control and manage a serious illness.

1. Have a conversation with your healthcare provider about different treatment options and what you can afford.

Speaking with your healthcare provider about treatment options and costs should be one of the first things you do after being diagnosed with a chronic illness. He or she can help answer questions and concerns you are likely to have about your diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Also, as part of this conversation, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask about the out-of-pocket costs associated with your prescribed medications, and to have a frank discussion about your ability to afford the treatment. Your healthcare provider may be able to direct you to resources that can help you pay for treatment. Write down your list of questions, and consider asking your spouse, partner, relative or friend to go to the appointment with you.

2. Determine how you will afford your medications.

With rising deductibles, premiums, co-pays and co-insurance, the inability to pay for critical medical treatment is a growing problem for people with Medicare. There may be assistance available if you cannot afford the out-of-pocket costs for your prescription medications.

  • You should review your current Medicare prescription drug plan and make sure that it meets your health and financial needs. There may be other plans that will help you better manage your out-of-pocket drug costs. Visit https://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan/ to see what options are available to you.
  • Check if you are eligible for Medicare assistance programs — like the Low-Income Subsidy Program, also known as Extra Help — that can significantly lower your out-of-pocket costs. To learn more about the LIS program, visit https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare/prescriptionhelp/.
  • Sign up for FundFinder, a free web-based app developed by the PAN Foundation, that can help you find financial assistance from charitable foundations for your prescription medications. Monitoring the status of disease funds across different charities can be challenging and time-consuming. FundFinder delivers instant notifications via text or email when assistance from disease funds that you follow may be available at any charitable foundation.

3. Make sure you have the medications you need.

Don’t let an empty pill bottle be your refill reminder. Many insurance companies offer mail-order or specialty pharmacy benefits that can help you save money and time by having a three-month supply of your medication delivered directly to your home. And you can usually ask your mail order or specialty pharmacy to send you automatic refill reminders by phone, text or email, or through a mobile app.

4. Make sure you take your medications as prescribed.

If you find it hard to keep track of what pills to take and when, you’re not alone. Studies have shown that about 50 percent of medications for chronic diseases are not taken as prescribed. But to get maximum benefit from your medications and improve your health outcomes, it is critical to take your medications exactly as prescribed. Thankfully, there are free pill reminder apps, such as Medisafe Pill & Med Reminder.

One of the simplest tools to help you manage your treatment requires no technology at all — a pill organizer box can help you keep track of complicated medication schedules and reduce the risk of missing a dose or doses. Vibrating pill boxes incorporate a daily pill timer and can be especially useful for those who are hard of hearing.

Living with an illness is stressful enough without the added worries about how to afford and manage costly and complex medications. You can learn more about patient assistance charities like PAN and the ways you can manage your chronic illness at panfoundation.org.


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Can you take on the challenge of a day full of onions?

2019-06-09T01:01:01

(BPT) – The onion now has its very own day. It’s a day to cheer one of the nation’s most popular and versatile vegetables. June 27 is National Onion Day.

This is the perfect time to get adventurous and put onions in every meal.

The onion is the third-most consumed fresh vegetable in the United States, and it is packed with heart-healthy nutrients to keep disease and some cancers at bay. A recent study published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology suggested that eating 35 pounds of allium vegetables (onions and garlic) per year (half an onion per day) reduced the risk of bowel cancer by as much as 79%. That works out to less than a pound a week per person. (A good French Onion Soup calls for 5 pounds and serves six in one sitting.)

While the onion has a solid nutrient value, its flavor — unlike many good-for-you foods — continues to shine in a variety of forms from grilled or stuffed, to sautéed or pureed. This is a day you can slice and dice and caramelize to your heart’s content.

Don’t worry about overeating this phenom of Mother Nature. One onion — Nature’s Ninja — contains 20% of your daily vitamin C and 12% of your daily fiber needs. And don’t forget, it’s naturally sodium-, fat- and cholesterol-free and only 64 calories per one-cup serving.

The many varieties — yellow, spring fresh, sweet, white and red — all contain their unique flavors by the way they are prepared.

So load up and get cooking. Let the luscious smells waft through the kitchen to tempt the hungry bellies and serve up onions for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack — even dessert.

Try all varieties and spread them throughout the day. See how many red, white and yellow onions you can incorporate into your day.

How about a healthy Chipotle Egg Breakfast Sandwich to start your day, or serve up a hearty Onion and Egg Hash for the family? A Spicy Onion Panini or that French Onion Soup could easily turn lunch into a decadent treat. Maybe try a little Creamy Onion Dip for an appetizer before dinner? Have an onion dinner party, and pack it with onion dishes, such as Pasta Primavera with Caramelized Onions or Garden-style Fish with Onions and Bell Peppers.

Let’s not forget dessert. The sweetness of the onion complements the chocolate and pecans in the Vidalia Onion and Georgia Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies (see recipe below). See the NOA website, www.onions-usa.org, for these and more recipes for inspiration.

Can you do it? Can you take on the challenge of a day full of onions? Ditch the breath mints and go all in to celebrate National Onion Day on June 27.

Vidalia Onion and Georgia Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp fine salt

1 tsp baking soda

12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup Georgia Pecans, chopped

1 cup Vidalia onion, diced small

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter, add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add flour, salt and soda and mix until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

Rinse the Vidalia onion with ice water and drain well. Fold the onions into the dough to blend. Drop dough by large spoonfuls on a parchment or wax-paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned (add about a minute to time at high altitudes). Remove from oven and enjoy immediately.

Note: These cookies are meant to be eaten warm; if you want to keep them past the day you make them, add some dried cranberries to the batter to absorb some of the moisture.


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How to gather your family for a special weekly meal

2019-06-07T11:53:00

(BPT) – Did your family get together for Sunday dinner when you were growing up? Or perhaps you all looked forward to another special day of the week when everyone gathered for a meal?

Those weekly meals were all about relaxing and spending quality time with people you cared most about — your family. Why not renew the tradition by setting aside time for everyone to get together to enjoy a special meal?

Make your family dinner date a special occasion that’s easy to arrange and keep going, with these simple tips.

Schedule a day and time

Set the meal for a day and time that will work for everyone, whether it’s Sunday brunch or dinner, a Friday night feast or a mid-week supper — then stick to it. Make sure it’s on everyone’s calendar so it becomes part of your family’s weekly routine.

Keep the cost low

Make your family dinner plans easy to stick to by choosing simple dishes needing just a few core ingredients to prepare. Select some family favorites and rotate throughout the month.

Simplify prep

Stock up on easy-to-use staples so you’ll always have the basic ingredients for your favorite recipes. For example, Libby’s® Canned Fruit and Vegetables are convenient and affordable pantry items to have on hand, and can be used to create perfect dishes to enjoy with your family.

For an easy dinner dish, try this delicious Sticky Apricot Glazed Chicken (Serves 4-6). Recipe by Registered Dietitian Serena Ball of Teaspoon of Spice.

Ingredients:

1 can (15 ounces) Libby’s® Apricot Halves (in pear juice)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds chicken thighs (bone-in, skinless)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Drain about 1/2 cup juice from Libby’s® Apricot Halves and reserve. For glaze, add remaining contents of Libby’s® Apricot Halves to blender. Add turmeric, honey, soy sauce, garlic and 1 tablespoon oil. Blend until smooth. Remove 1/2 cup of glaze to use during grilling. Place remaining glaze in small bowl to serve alongside grilled chicken.

Brush chicken thighs with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spray grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Cook chicken on grill pan about 5 minutes each side. Brush both sides of chicken with reserved 1/2 cup of apricot sticky glaze; bake grill pan with chicken in oven until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, 10-15 minutes. (For juicier chicken, let rest a few minutes before serving.) Serve with additional apricot sticky glaze.

Or for dessert, try making these Mini Fruit Crisps (serves 4). Recipe by Courtney’s Cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 can (15.25 ounces) Libby’s® Pear Slices (in heavy syrup) (or Libby’s® Peach Slices or Libby’s® Apricot Halves); drained and chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Sweetener (to taste)
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup oat flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four ramekins or small oven-safe dishes with cooking spray.
In mixing bowl, combine Libby’s® fruit, cinnamon, ginger and sweetener; divide among ramekins.
Combine oats, oat flour, brown sugar, applesauce and oil until a crumble forms; sprinkle over fruit.
Bake 30-35 minutes.

Make it a family affair

For even more quality time together, invite everyone into the kitchen to help cook. Teaching your kids about food and cooking, plus cooperation and teamwork, provides lifelong lessons they’ll never forget. Plus it’s fun to make food together!

Create your own traditions

Have your kids make special place mats for themselves and every member of the family. Take a family selfie each week to capture these treasured memories as your kids grow up. Use meal times to share how everyone’s week went, or to talk about what everyone is looking forward to during the upcoming week.

Your entire family will look forward to these mini-celebrations, when you all set aside the cares of the week and enjoy time together over a delicious meal. Get back to the table with your family to create memories that your children — and you — will always cherish. For more great recipes and family dinner ideas, visit getbacktothetable.com.


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Take the quiz: What kind of travel companion are you?

2019-06-07T12:31:00

(BPT) – Best friends don’t always make the best travel companions. At home, it might sound like a good idea to explore the world with your BFF, but if your ideal vacation means lying on the beach and your friend’s perfect trip is more like “10 cities in 10 days,” you might want to revisit your plans to travel together.

A recent online survey by Travelocity found that almost half of millennial travelers had a vacation ruined by a bad travel companion, and 40 percent of travelers stopped talking to each other after a bad trip. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Finding someone whose travel ideas are perfectly in sync with yours can make a fun trip even more amazing. The first step is to ask yourself what kind of travel companion YOU are, because it’s really all about compatibility.

First, take the Travelocity Travel Companion Quiz to see if you and a friend or family member are travel compatible before you commit to a vacation together. The quiz and its traveler profiles were created from a survey of more than 500 travelers who answered questions about their travel goals and whether they wanted to make travel decisions.

Here are the different traveler profiles, their ideal companions and recommended vacation spots.

The Explorers. Maybe you’re the gal holding all the maps or the guy who’s just along for the ride. Either way, explorers have the same goal — seeing it all!

The perfect summer getaway for you is touring every Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., hiking every trail in Yosemite National Park or noshing your way through New York City’s five boroughs. Vacations are all about discovery and new experiences, so make sure you and your travel bestie eat breakfast at the hotel. You’ll need it to power through your late-night party sessions and jam-packed itinerary.

  • Your next great getaway: Nashville, Tennessee; New York City; Washington D.C.; Yosemite National Park
  • Avoid traveling with: Vacation bums

The Vacation Bums. Your regular life is plenty busy, so vacationing is all about blissing out. You might prefer relaxing all day in a spa, soaking up the sun on a beach in Fort Lauderdale, aligning your chakras in Sedona or hanging out by a pool in Palm Springs.

Vacation bums don’t care about sightseeing — they just want to chill. Their ideal travel companion also likes to relax but makes sure to reserve the cabana or spa day in advance. And while that may seem like a contradiction, the Take Charge Vacation Bum is great at remembering the details and plans so you can all relax later — making sure there’s a cooler full of drinks and a bottle of sunscreen for your day lounging at the beach.

  • Your next great getaway: Austin, Texas; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Palm Springs, California; Sedona, Arizona
  • Avoid traveling with: Explorers

The Balance Seekers. The perfect vacation for you is all about finding that ideal combo of relaxation and fun. You might want to bike and sip your way around Napa, surf and snooze along Hawaii’s best beaches or hang by the pool during the day and hit the shows at night in Vegas.

Plan a trip that offers the perfect balance of cultural activities and adrenaline rushes offset by total relaxation. Even better, make your next trip a solo adventure. After all, when you’re in control of your itinerary you can choose when to sit back and relax or kick it into overdrive.

  • Your next great getaway: Las Vegas, Nevada; Grand Canyon; Napa Valley, California; Lahaina, Hawaii
  • Avoid traveling with: Explorers or Vacation Bums — you’re your own best travel companion!

Whether you take charge while traveling or sit back and enjoy the ride, Travelocity has the perfect vacation for every personality type. So take the quiz, grab someone in your life who is travel compatible and discover a vacation destination that’s just right — for both of you!


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Report: Financial fraud is targeting older adults at record levels

2019-06-07T11:01:01

(BPT) – The financial exploitation of older people is a rampant epidemic in America. A recent report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau revealed that each incident of financial fraud cost older adults ages 70 to 79 an average of $45,300. And when the older adult knew the suspect, the average loss rose to about $50,000.

As older adults experience more wealth events — from selling a home to making IRA withdrawals — they become more vulnerable to scammers. This can often happen when older people lose touch with those who can help protect them. While technology has made lots of things easier, including managing money, it has also increased the ways for scammers to weaponize fraudulent activity. It is more critical than ever to empower older adults to protect their financial accounts — and for trusted family and friends to help them do so, before it’s too late.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is observed in June. This is a great reminder and call to action to act on this topic. Through increased awareness and concrete steps, we can help our loved ones better protect their financial assets.

How to spot financial fraud

Former FBI section chief of the Cyber Threat Division Greg Ruppert, now the head of financial crimes risk management at Charles Schwab, said, “I’ve seen every trick scammers use to separate older adults from their money and they are ever more targeted and sophisticated in their approach. Financial scams, no matter the amount lost, are devastating to older adults, who rely on those resources and are unable to recoup the loss.”

Common types of scams targeting older adults include healthcare insurance scams, counterfeit prescription drug schemes, romance scams, person-in-need scams, lottery scams, funeral and cemetery scams, telemarketing/phone scams and investment schemes.

How family members can help

Help protect your older family member against financial scams by staying engaged so you can spot the signs of an investment scam and help if warning signs appear. Speak to them regularly and be on alert for clues, for example if they mention being asked for money, or that managing their finances is confusing or overwhelming.

When you visit them in their home, notice visual cues such as unpaid bills or piles of unopened mail and physical clues like fearful behavior, worsening of an illness or disability as the result of the pressure from a scammer’s tactics.

One of the biggest risk factors for older adults when fraud has taken place is being too embarrassed to admit they may have been scammed to ask for help. This hesitancy can only be overcome with regular communication and wellness check-ins with trusted family members.

5 steps to safeguard financial assets

Here’s how you can avoid scams and make sure you and your senior family members are not victims of financial fraud:

  • Designate a trusted contact. Financial institutions like Charles Schwab provide an option to designate a trusted contact — a person who can speak to your financial services provider in the event of an emergency, such as financial exploitation.
  • Get your financial affairs in order. Understand your full financial situation, including locating and filing key financial records, creating or reviewing wills, establishing trusts and power of attorney declarations, and updating account and insurance policy beneficiaries as your life situation changes.
  • Guard your passwords. According to the 2018 FBI Internet Crime Report, people over 60 experience the most incidents of online investment scams and the highest monetary loss. To protect your online financial accounts, create unique passwords and never share usernames, logins, passwords or personal identification numbers.
  • Get smart with your smartphone. Scammers can mask their phone number to make it appear that a call is local or from a trusted party. Prevent telemarketing scams by joining the National Do Not Call registry and let calls from unknown phone numbers go to voicemail.
  • Up your technology game. Local recreation centers and libraries offer technology and digital literacy classes to help older adults and their family members protect themselves online and learn about the latest financial schemes.

To learn more about how to educate yourself and your older family members on the latest financial schemes, visit: https://www.schwab.com/resource-center/insights/section/resources-for-senior-investors.

(0619-950K)