1. Bring broth and rice to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the rice is very tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Carefully transfer 2 cups of the rice mixture to a blender. Add tofu, oil and turmeric; process until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.)
3. Whisk the tofu mixture, lemon juice, dill and pepper into the soup remaining in the pan. Heat through.
Once known as two separate conditions (emphysema and chronic bronchitis), COPD is a serious, disabling lung disease that makes breathing difficult.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States and a significant cause of disability.
Most people are more familiar with the terms emphysema or chronic bronchitis, but COPD is the term doctors are using more today. "COPD is a term that the scientific and medical community is trying to get the public to recognize. It encompasses chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The reason we combined them is because they come from the same thing, mostly smoking, and they usually coexist," explains Norman Edelman, MD, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association in Washington, D.C.
COPD is a progressive disease, which means that it gets worse as time goes by if nothing is done to slow the course of the disease. While doctors cannot cure COPD or undo the damage to your lungs, changing your lifestyle (giving up smoking, staying physically active) and taking certain medications may help you remain active and healthy longer. COPD: What Happens in Your Lungs
Changes in your airways and the air sacs in your lungs characterize COPD. These changes, which all reduce your ability to breathe easily, include:
Less elasticity of the airways, so there is less expansion to make room for the air you breathe in
Destruction of tissue walls between the air sacs (or alveoli) which means there is less ability to take in oxygen from air
Swelling of your airways due to irritation of the lining
Production of a greater amount of mucus, which then makes it harder to breathe
Emphysema is largely characterized by the destruction of the lung and air sac wall tissues, while chronic bronchitis results from inflamed or clogged airways. If you have a cough and a lot of mucus on most days for three months a year (at least) for two years in a row, you have chronic bronchitis. However, since both of these conditions occur together in the same person much of the time, they are now considered to be part of COPD.
The Timeline of COPD
For most people, COPD takes many years to become disabling. Unfortunately, says Dr. Edelman, many people do not talk to their doctor when they first become aware of the earliest signs and symptoms, such as shortness of breath. Many mistakenly believe this is a natural part of aging or slowing down, or they may think it doesn't matter because they are only feeling breathless during or after exercise. This is why many people don’t get diagnosed until COPD has progressed.
"We think anybody who is at risk for COPD — that is anybody who ever smoked — and anybody who is short of breath for any reason, even if they haven't smoked, should tell their doctor and ask for a test we call spirometry. It's a simple test that measures how well you breathe," he says. Depending on the results of that test, you might need further testing to find out if you have COPD or another lung disorder.
Initially you may only have COPD symptoms such as coughing or occasional shortness of breath. Periods when symptoms become worse are called acute COPD or exacerbations. As COPD progresses you may be told you have chronic COPD, which means that without medication to improve lung function you could have symptoms all the time. Even when you have chronic COPD that is under control, there may be times when you have acute COPD symptoms because of infections or something in the air that irritates your lungs and airways.
Understanding COPD can help you make choices that will prolong your active, healthy life.
Fresh produce can be pricey, so the last thing you want is to throw away wilted vegetables and rotten fruits. Try these food storage tips to keep produce fresh.
Fresh fruits and vegetables should definitely be part of your diet, but it's easy to rack up half of your grocery bill before you ever leave the produce section. And when you've spent that much money, you'd hate to waste it by tossing out fruits and vegetables that spoiled before you had a chance to eat them. Proper food storage is the key to saving your fresh produce — and your money.
"How you store fruits and vegetables will impact how fresh your produce will stay," says Erin Palinski, RD, a registered dietitian in private practice in northern New Jersey. For instance, it’s important to quickly get vegetables that tend to wilt into the refrigerator. Storing vegetables at room temperature can make them softer than you may like.
Plus, fresher produce simply tastes better. "Produce that begins to decay will have a different, less-pleasant taste than fresh produce," says Palinski. Food Storage: Basic Rules
"Produce that tends to last for a long period of time, such as potatoes and onions, is usually best stored in a cool, dark place," says Palinski. Produce that spoils quickly should be refrigerated to help extend the shelf life and should be washed only before eating, since additional moisture may speed the spoiling process.
It’s also best to refrigerate produce at about 38 degrees Farenheit and store it in the produce drawers, says Palinski. "If you are going to wrap produce, use paper bags instead of plastic bags." Another storage trick is to use perforated plastic bags for refrigerated produce.
If your vegetables are nearing their “expiration dates,” but you won't have a chance to make use of them, you don't have to throw them away. Palinski suggests blanching (a quick boiling process), then freezing them in a plastic wrapping. Food Storage: Tips for Common Foods
Follow these guidelines for storing vegetables and fruits:
Apples: At room temperature for up to seven days or refrigerated in a plastic bag if you won't eat them that quickly.
Bananas: At room temperature, both ripe and unripe.
Grapefruit: At room temperature for one week or refrigerated for up to two or three weeks.
Peaches: At room temperature in a paper bag if unripe; remove from the bag when ripe and eat within a day or two.
Strawberries: Refrigerated for one to three days without washing.
Oranges: At room temperature for a day or two or refrigerated for up to one or two weeks.
Broccoli: Refrigerated for three to five days.
Carrots: Refrigerated, stored in a plastic bag with the green tops cut off.
Iceberg lettuce: Refrigerated in a plastic bag after rinsing and drying.
Tomatoes: At room temperature, out of direct sunlight — they quickly lose their taste if refrigerated.
Another important point: Don't pile all your fruits and veggies together in one bowl — they can cause each other to spoil. "Keep quick-ripening vegetables away from foods like avocados, cantaloupe, tomatoes, pears, and apricots," says Palinski. "These items emit ethylene, a gas that can cause nearby vegetables to spoil more quickly." Most apples also emit this gas. Food Storage: Plan Ahead
Storing fresh produce properly helps it last, and planning before you go food shopping can help you maximize your fresh produce costs. "Make a plan of what you're going to eat over the next few days, and then buy only the produce you need for that plan," says Palinski. "Also, try shopping for produce twice a week — every three to four days — to select the freshest produce and avoid buying too much since some will inevitably go to waste."
At the store, make the fresh produce section one of your last stops before checkout. "This way, there will be less time between the grocery store and the refrigerator," adds Palinski. Plan your meals to use the fruits and vegetables that are most perishable first. Vegetables that spoil relatively quickly include tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus, and mushrooms. Vegetables that last a little longer are peppers, squash, spinach, and most types of lettuce. Root vegetables like onions, carrots, potatoes, and garlic can last much longer.
