What’s the grammar rule for this?

I’ve been asked questions like this numerous times. The person asking wants a black or white ruling, but the “correct” usage is often very gray. And very often, there is no “rule” but rather a choice to make, either on the part of the author or the editor.

The Chicago Manual of Style has a Q&A section each month in its online version of the guide. This is from the April Q&A section:

Q. Where in the manual will I find guidance to answer the question whether the adverb structurally in the phrase “structurally modify or upgrade” qualifies only the verb modify or both the verbs modify and upgrade? I have looked at paragraphs 5.143 through 5.161 (15th ed.) but don’t perceive the guidance I need.

A. Alas—the great and powerful manual cannot tell you what this writer was thinking. The only way to know for sure is to ask him or her. If you don’t have access to the writer, then you will have to settle for ambiguity. If you need to know the exact meaning because you’re involved in a lawsuit whose outcome depends on the technical meaning of this phrase, you’re at the mercy of the judge. If you are the judge, well, good luck.

So how do I decide what is the “right” answer? If I am not the author, I ask the author for more information. If I am the author or the editor, I try to write the sentence a different way to see if that changes the meaning or intention of the sentence. I review my source material to be sure I understand what it is I’m supposed to be writing about.

When I was studying French in college, the professor would ask us to answer a question about usage, and then ask why we think our answer was correct. The point was to help us learn how to apply the variety of rules one needs to know to speak (or write) French without sounding like a 2-year-old French child. I don’t recall the exact question now (having to do with liasion), but I gave my answer and then the professor asked, “Why?” I replied that “it just sounds right.” I heard mumblings from fellow students about how stupid my answer was, but the professor said, “Yes! You got it! It sounds right to you, because you’ve absorbed the rule and can apply it instinctively!” (Then he proceeded to ask the mumblers to cite the rule.)

Every day, we apply “rules” of grammar, sentence structure, and style based on our experiences. If we had to “look up” everything, we’d never speak, let alone get any writing published. Those of us who have studied grammar, sentence structure, style, etc. write and edit based on years of writing and editing a variety of works, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, and remembering the corrections. I can’t cite every rule (I wasn’t an English major), but I know enough about it that if you need a ruling, I can Google the answer for you. (Or better yet, Google it yourself. You’ll remember it better that way!)

We don’t always have a written rule to follow. Styles don’t follow rules (other than the rules set by the person who wrote the style guide.) Do you think e. e. cummings followed rules and styles? Of course he did! But it was a style of his own making, which is not wrong (in poetry) when you apply the style consistently. Usually, we follow the rules for the type of writing that we are writing or editing. That is, the rules for writing technical user guides are not the same as the rules for writing poems or advertising copy (“Got milk?”).

And sometimes we have to go with our gut—or with whatever looks or sounds right.

Cholesterol is not the enemy!

“Fat is stored inside the fat cell in the form of triaglycerol. The fat is not burned right there in the fat cell, it must be liberated from the fat cell through somewhat complex hormonal/enzymatic pathways. When stimulated to do so, the fat cell simply releases its contents (triaglycerol) into the bloodstream as free fatty acids (FFAs), and they are transported through the blood to the tissues where the energy is needed.” —
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/what-happens-when-fat-is-burned.html

At a recent physical, it was pointed out by my doctor that my cholesterol is very high. She also did the “Berkley HeartLabs” blood test that tells us about my genetic markers for certain heart-related diseases. She had an expert in the Berkley HeartLabs tests come to her office to go over my results with me.

During our discussion, the expert pointed out, repeatedly, that my LDL cholesterol is too high (but my HDL is over 60, which is very good). I said that my cholesterol number has always been directly correlated with my weight. She insisted that my cholesterol was high because I eat too much saturated fat, and my genetic tests indicated that I don’t process fats well. I told her that I have been working out a lot more, running to 3-4 days per week, and reduced my calories by about half.

I said, “Doesn’t it make sense that because I’m burning fat, I would have more cholesterol in my blood stream?”

She said, “What?”

I said, “Well, the purpose of cholesterol is to transport fats in the blood stream, right? And because I’m burning more fat, there is more fat in my blood, and therefore more cholesterol to transport it where it needs to go.”

She said, impatiently, “It doesn’t go anywhere, it just gets burned up.”

I said, “It doesn’t just disappear! It goes into the blood stream to be transported to the muscles that need it, right?”

She said, “Well, that has nothing to do with what we’re talking about here. Let’s continue.”

She has likely spent most of her life (maybe the past 50 years?) working with patients who have heart disease and high cholesterol and can no longer see the forest for the trees. She’s convinced that mainstream medical thinking is correct, and she can no longer think critically about what actually might be going on. Like many of her generation, she doesn’t question what she’s told; the doctor is always right.

Just to placate her and my doctor, I did the recommended carotid artery ultrasound. That involved running the ultrasound device over each side of my neck to look for plaque buildup in my carotid arteries. Buildup in the carotid arteries can indicate buildup in the arteries that feed the heart, which can lead to heart problems. There was no buildup in either of my carotid arteries.

  • Cholesterol is necessary in our bodies. “Cholesterol is a lipid (fat) which is produced by the liver. Cholesterol is vital for normal body function. Every cell in our body has cholesterol in its outer layer.” (
    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/9152.php
    )”
  • Cholesterol makes up the protective membrane surrounding each cell’s internal organelles … contributes as a building block for many of the essential hormones in your body.” (
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/25345-cholesterol/#ixzz2HDdm4rhS
    )
  • “Only about 25% of our blood cholesterol comes from our diet. Most of the cholesterol in our blood (about 75%) is produced by our bodies in the liver, intestines, adrenal glands, and reproductive organs. ” (
    http://solidbodyfit.com/2012/what-does-cholesterol-do/
    )
  • “When a long time has passed since the last meal, the concentration of fatty acids in the blood decreases, which triggers [fat cells] to release stored fatty acids into the blood as free fatty acids, in order to supply e.g. muscle cells with energy. … In response to low blood cholesterol, different cells of the body, mainly in the liver and intestines, start to synthesize cholesterol. This is then released into the blood. … Abnormally low levels of cholesterol are termed hypocholesterolemia. Research into the causes of this state is relatively limited, and while some studies suggest a link with depression, cancer and cerebral hemorrhage, it is unclear whether the low cholesterol levels are a cause for these conditions or an epiphenomenon.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_lipids)

I have not been able to find research that discusses a correlation between fat-burning exercise and cholesterol/triglycerides in the blood stream. I think it’s about time the medical establishment looked in that direction, stop making fat and cholesterol the villains, and stop trying to pump us full of liver-damaging statin drugs. Doing a study on “normal” weight men with “normal” cholesterol would not be helpful. Testing needs to focus on “average” overweight people (20-50 lbs, not severely obese) who are regularly exercising and reducing their calorie intake, not healthy athletes, and not only men.

For example, test people who are not exercising, haven’t for quite some time, and eat a “normal” American diet of breakfast pastries, fast-food lunch, and meats and starches for dinner, with very little fruits and vegetables. Then put these people on various diets (high carb, low carb, high fat, low fat, high protein, no animal protein…), and have them do an aerobic workout for at least an hour every day, testing their blood for cholesterol, triglycerides, and so on. Unfortunately for valid testing, you would have to isolate the subjects for 3-6 months to be sure that they are following the proper protocols, which will never happen.

Nobody Keeps New Year’s Resolutions?

I keep reading headlines that tell me not to make New Year’s resolutions. No one keeps New Year’s resolutions, so don’t stress yourself out by making them. Sorry, but that is just BS.

I know many people don’t keep their resolutions, but many of us do. Yes, I did! I kept last year’s New Year’s resolution to exercise more and eat healthier. There were a lot of do-overs, but eventually, I got there. I kept the goal in mind and kept trying. I took a lot of “rest days,” but then got back into it again. I’m still not a “runner.” I’ve done a few 5Ks but I haven’t run a half marathon yet. (I’m doing that in January at Disney World.) But the point is, I didn’t give up.

There is nothing wrong with setting goals. In fact, you should set goals. (If your life is perfect, maybe you could help someone else reach their goals.) When you set goals, do set realistic, achievable goals. Not, “I’m going to lose 50 pounds,” but “I’m going to get up at 5 am every weekday.” That’s one goal. “When I get up at 5 am, I’m going to walk/run for 3 miles.” That’s a separate goal. Obviously, you’re not going to run 3 miles the first day. Maybe set a smaller goal to start, like walking for half an hour on the treadmill. Or taking the dog for a walk every day after dinner. That’s a hard one in the winter, because it’s dark before and after work. Maybe the first goal should be saving money to buy a treadmill or a gym membership? The point is, break down your ultimate goal (lose 50 pounds) into separate, achievable, realistic goals (1. get up at 5 am; 2. go for a walk every day or; 3. go to the gym I’m paying for but never use).

Don’t give up on goal setting, which is what a New Year’s resolution ought to be. That is, look back on the past year, think of what might need improvement, then set one or more goals to make that improvement. If you’ve always set goals and never achieved them, take at look at why that might be. (Perhaps your New Year’s resolution should be “learn how to properly set goals for myself.”) The purpose of telling everyone your resolution is so that (you hope) you have the support of friends and family to reach your goal. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to run 10 miles this weekend?” <heavy sigh> “Yes.”

It’s worth trying. And trying again. If it’s important to you, you’ll figure it out. If not, then maybe you have more important things to do with your time. Like playing with your kids or spending quality time with your spouse. I recommend long walks in the park.

Can Spelling and Grammar Checkers Replace Technical Writers and Editors?

No.

I could end this article right there, but some of you might want to know why…

Spelling and grammar checkers are not a replacement for good editing

  1. Most people, even experienced writers and editors, are notoriously bad at editing their own work. We see what we think we wrote, rather than what we actually wrote. A “second set of eyes” on a document, even if they aren’t stellar editors, is better than your eyes alone.
  2. Grammar checker programs aren’t human. It is a program with a list of rules to match and it cannot waiver from its list of rules. For example, in the sentence “The managers of the organization meet each morning,” Word’s grammar checker suggested I should use meets instead of meet. However, meet applies to managers, not organization, so “the managers meet” is correct, not “the managers meets.”
  3. Spelling checker programs don’t know which word you meant to use, only if the word you used is spelled correctly. Many words are confused by even the most seasoned writers (their, there, they’re; your, you’re; accept, except; advice, advise) and you need a seasoned editor to catch those errors. As always, a careful reading of your own work can’t hurt, but then refer to #1 in this list.
  4. A grammar checker program is not going to tell you if a bulleted list isn’t parallel. It’s not going to notice if you used the same tired phrase 3 times in the same newsletter. It’s not going to know if the wording or tone is appropriate for a given situation (e.g., a news article about a company’s new/improved product offering versus the death of the company president).
  5. Many writers struggle over proper punctuation, such as using too many commas or not using them at all. A seasoned editor is going to notice if something isn’t punctuated correctly. A common punctuation error I see is in compound modifiers. For example, “ad hoc reports” needs no hyphen (ad hoc is never hyphenated), “sixty-five-year-old runners” is hyphenated (to make it clear that the runners are 65 years old, rather than there being 60 five-year-old runners), but “illegally parked bus” does not need a hyphen.

Can spelling and grammar checkers still be useful?

Yes.

I leave Word’s Spelling and Grammar check feature turned on to check spelling as I type and to mark what it thinks are grammar errors as I type. (In Word 2010, click File > Options > Proofing.) Leaving these features turned on causes Word to underline what it thinks are errors. Then I can examine its suggestions to determine if I want to change what I’ve written or right-click it and then click “Ignore” or, if it’s a spelling correction, maybe I want to add it to the dictionary, which I often do for work-related words.

If you don’t have an editor available, try not to compose and publish a work in the same hour. Prepare it at least a day or two (or more) before you have to turn it in/publish it, and then let it sit for a day or two or at least overnight. The next time you look at the document, you’ll likely find errors that you didn’t notice the first few times you read it over, or perhaps find a better way to word a sentence. (For example, an hour ago I typed “at lease overnight” and grammar checker didn’t notice.)

Ernest Hemingway said, “The first draft of anything is shit” and “Write drunk. Edit sober.” While I certainly wouldn’t recommend being drunk at work, putting yourself in a more creative mood before you write can be helpful to the creative process.

Articles that agree with me regarding grammar checking programs:

End User Collaboration and Feedback

For the products that I document, the help documentation is installed and/or available as WebHelp for every product and every customer. They don’t have to go online to find it; they just click in the product to open the Help. This makes the help topic the perfect place for a feedback form—on the same page where they were looking for or found the help they needed to use the product to its full potential. Why do I want a feedback form on every help topic? Enabling collaboration in Help allows users to contribute and share information. Their feedback would allow me to refine and improve the Help and product usability, and assist with sales/marketing efforts. Users’ shared comments improve the Help experience, and gives the user a sense of “ownership” of the Help content (which means they’ll use it more).

Feedback management

Certain websites exist for the sole purpose of feedback form management and tracking, at varying levels of complexity.

Adobe Forms Central allows you to design your own feedback form, and the responses are stored on their website. However, it’s not free if you want more than one form or more than 50 responses. Their “Plus” plan is $143.88 per year, which allows unlimited forms, with a max of 5,000 responses per form. You can view the form that I made (from their templates) here. Adobe provides a link to the survey that you can email, embed in a webpage, or even send via Twitter. In the administration pages, one page shows the actual responses and the respondent’s email address in a spreadsheet format. You can also export the responses to Excel. A Summary Report has charts and graphs of data gathered.

Survey Monkey is widely used, and also also has free and paid levels starting at $204 per year. As with Adobe Forms, it involves linking to an external website.

I think Survey Monkey and Adobe Forms are more than what I need regarding Help usage, plus the jumping out to an external website with no tracking of which topic they were on when they decided to submit a comment is a problem.

MadCap Feedback integrates with MadCap Flare (competitor to RoboHelp) and works with their Feedback Server or MapCap Hosted Service. In addition to comments, it allows you see which search keywords were entered by users. From their user guide: “Let’s say that that many users are entering the search term “sofa.” Unfortunately, you have not used that word in your project, so users are unable to find the topics that they need. However, you have used a similar word, “couch.” Therefore, in the Synonyms Editor, you enter “couch” as a synonym for “sofa.” The next time a reader enters “sofa” as a search keyword, topics containing the word “couch” will be returned in the results.” Of course, I can do something like this in RoboHelp, too—IF I know which words they are using and not finding what they need. MadCap Feedback can work with any WebHelp (not just Flare projects). This app would provide a more detailed view of how our customers use our software and the Help files. The advantage to MadCap Feedback is that it was developed for exactly this purpose. They have group and one-on-one training ($$) for installation and setup. But Feedback is not cheap: $2,499. (Their Hosted Service is a monthly charge.) I imagine this would be something to try after trying a free or low-cost method to determine if I really want to do this.

Self-created and self-managed form

The alternative to online forms/survey managers is to create my own form, manage the inflow of emails, generate reports, and create/manage the database myself. If we have a tool that we’re currently using that could be expanded for this purpose (and includes reporting) that would be even better.

The design of the form would depend on the information that we want to gather, such as:

  • Was the information easy to find?
  • Was the information clearly represented?
  • Did this information solve your problem?
  • What can we do to improve this information?
  • What were you searching for?
  • What search words did you use?
  • Overall, how would you rate this Help documentation?

Of course, that’s too many questions. At the very minimum, I want to a display a comment box and ask them to leave a comment. When they click Submit, it would send an email to a dedicated mailbox, not to my mailbox. I would add something like this, at the bottom of every help topic:

Feedback Form

I already have the text above at the bottom of every help topic, plus “Leave compliments or complaints regarding the help in the User Forum.” But I’ve never found anything in the User Forum specifically for the Help. I think allowing users to comment directly in the topic, versus linking to yet another web page, would encourage more users to provide feedback.

Do you ask for user feedback? If so, how do you do it? If not, why not?

Should you eliminate grains from your diet?

As part of my weight-loss plan, I have limited the amount of sugar, grains, and legumes that I eat. I haven’t eliminated carbs entirely, I just get them from fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat, and dairy. Some people say, “You HAVE to eat grains!” but I have yet to find a reason why, and some reasons why I don’t. In a comparison of nutrients available in the various food groups, there is nothing that I can find that exists in grains and legumes that doesn’t exist in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat, or dairy. What am I missing?

Nutrient Fruits Vegetables Dairy Meat Nuts Grains Legumes
Vitamin A

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes
Vitamin B1

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Vitamin B2

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Vitamin B3

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Vitamin B5

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Vitamin B6

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Vitamin B9

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Vitamin B12

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No
Vitamin C

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

No
Vitamin D

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No
Vitamin E

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes
Vitamin K

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Calcium

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Copper

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Iodine

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Iron

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Magnesium

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Manganese

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Phosphorus

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Potassium

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Selenium

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Sodium

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No
Zinc

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Carbohydrates

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes
Protein

Some

Some

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes
Fats

Some

Some

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Note that grain products that you buy in stores are often “fortified” with various vitamins and minerals that either don’t occur naturally in them or were removed when processed. But the point of the table above isn’t whether grains and legumes have the nutrients, but to point out the fact that a diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat, and dairy DO have all of the nutrients that I need—including carbs and fiber. True, there may be as yet undiscovered nutrients in grains that aren’t in other foods, but it’s not likely. There is also the problem of the depletion of nutrients in our soil that reduces the nutrients of anything that we grow in it. But that’s a different story.

What is considered “whole grain” is clearly defined by the FDA, but clever marketing has gotten around that to fool consumers into believing they’re eating “healthy” whole grains by labeling products as “made with whole grains.” The Whole Grains Fact Sheet states that for a product to claim that it is whole grain, it “must contain all portions of the grain kernel, contain at least 51 percent whole grain by weight per reference amount customarily consumed, and meet specified levels for fat, cholesterol, and sodium.”  (Sorry famous fast-food sandwich maker, but sprinkling a little oatmeal on top of your bun does not make it whole grain.) The website also says that “The Institute of Medicine (IOM) established a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for carbohydrates at 130 grams per day for adults and children. This is based on the minimum amount of carbohydrates (sugars and starches) required to provide the brain with an adequate supply of glucose.” This is the RDA for healthy adults—and most Americans get more than that per meal, not per day. Besides, if you grind the grain into a powder, your body doesn’t have to work hard to digest it, and it’s no longer whole, is it?

Having seen how my body reacts to grains, I have searched around to find out why my body is so different than those who embrace the “whole grain health” philosophy.

In “The Definitive Guide to Insulin, Blood Sugar & Type 2 Diabetes,” the author explains:

“When we eat too many carbohydrates, the pancreas pumps out insulin exactly as the DNA blueprint tells it to (hooray pancreas!), but if the liver and muscle cells are already filled with glycogen, those cells start to become resistant to the call of insulin. The insulin “receptor sites” on the surface of those cells start to decrease in number as well as in efficiency. The term is called “down regulation.” Since the glucose can’t get into the muscle or liver cells, it remains in the bloodstream. Now the pancreas senses there’s still too much toxic glucose in the blood, so it frantically pumps out even more insulin, which causes the insulin receptors on the surface of those cells to become even more resistant, because excess insulin is also toxic! Eventually, the insulin helps the glucose find its way into your fat cells, where it is stored as fat.”

And this PDF on diabetes published by the Bellevue Medical Center, states:

“Type 2 diabetes is characterized by peripheral insulin resistance, impaired regulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis, and a relative impairment of beta-cell function. Insulin resistance, characterized by hyperinsulnemia without frank hyperglycemia, is the earliest detectable abnormality and may precede the diagnosis of diabetes by years. Eventually, beta cells are unable to compensate, and insulin levels are inadequate to maintain euglycemia (normal glucose content of the blood). In addition, rising glucose levels may further inhibit beta-cell function (glucotoxicity). The abnormalities in type 2 [diabetes] leading to insulin resistance are the result of genetic predisposition and weight gain. Weight loss, exercise, and decreased caloric intake improve sensitivity to insulin.”

After my father died from hyperinsulnemia, one of my uncles mentioned that one of their grandparents had diabetes. So not only is there a possible genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance in my genes, but my being 50 pounds overweight is a “risk factor.” My body isn’t reacting to carbohydrates the way a normal healthy adult body would react. The insulin receptors in my muscles aren’t being very receptive, and so the insulin is shuttling all the glycogen to my fat cells for storage. The only way to make my muscles more receptive to the insulin is to stop overloading my body with carbs, lose weight, and exercise.

In “Why Grains Are Unhealthy” and “How Grains Are Killing You Slowly,” the authors describe why they believe we shouldn’t be eating grains at all. (Grains contain lectins, glutens, and phytates, none of which are good for your body.) Both authors suggest giving up grains and legumes entirely, or to try it for 3 weeks to 3 months and listen to your body. It’s a good idea to take some before and after blood tests, too, since humans make poor witnesses. It is almost impossible to avoid grains unless you prepare your own food. This means if you are a fast food devotee, it will be even harder for you to avoid. (Did you know that a certain popular Sunday-morning breakfast restaurant puts pancake batter in their omelets to make them fluffy?!)

I know of many people who appear to be healthy and swear by whole grains. This guy in “How I beat diabetes with the ‘Duke diet’” says he’s lost weight and gotten healthier by SWITCHING to “whole” grains. See, there’s the kicker right there. He’s reduced the amount of processed carbs he eats and increased his fiber content, so he’s lost weight. He very likely also eats healthier overall than he used to, and he started exercising. All good things. But if he had never eaten grains and then started eating “whole” grains, his results may have been very different. The main thing is that he reduced his total calorie intake and started exercising, which caused him to lose weight, which then led to better health. At least, better health as far as he no longer has to take medicine for diabetes (but I haven’t seen his blood test results).

A study published 2012 July 6 “Comparison with ancestral diets suggests dense acellular carbohydrates promote an inflammatory microbiota, and may be the primary dietary cause of leptin resistance and obesity,” states:

Each published experimental comparison of a diet containing grains with one excluding grains has found significant favorable metabolic effects in the grain-restricted groups, with beneficial effects large enough to render the studies adequately powered despite their small test groups. The randomized clinical trials have shown significantly greater reductions in weight and waist circumference in an ad libitum Paleolithic-style diet compared with the consensus “Mediterranean” or “Diabetes” diets and significant improvements over the Mediterranean diet in blood glucose control, independently of the superior waist-circumference reduction. All three diets emphasize whole foods, but the restriction of grains in the Paleolithic diet is a principal difference, which correlated well with the reduced waist measurement and the 20%–30% increased satiety per calorie seen in the Paleolithic-diet groups.

A Paleolithic-style diet produced significantly greater improvements in blood pressure, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and lipid profiles in a small group of healthy volunteers, with each individual participant showing improvements, indicating that these metabolic improvements occur independently of reduced caloric intake. (emphasis mine)

So, am I saying you should eliminate grains and legumes? That’s not for me to say. What I am saying is that you can get all the nutrients you need from fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat, and dairy. I (and science) have yet to find a nutrient in grains and legumes that isn’t available in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meat, or dairy. For myself, because of my family history with insulin issues and what eating grains does to my body, I am choosing to avoid them. I still “cheat” now and then and have a little pizza, a morsel of bread, a tiny bit of pasta when my husband “cooks dinner” (he always makes spaghetti), but my digestion and I pay for it the next day … and the next day.

Articles Cited:

Light the Night Walk Annual Fundraiser

Each year, the company that I work for, Globalscape, hosts numerous fund-raising events in San Antonio, TX. Again this year, they are one of the sponsors of the “Light The Night Walk” for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The walk, an annual fundraising walk to pay tribute and bring hope to people battling cancer, is held in downtown San Antonio, starting and ending in Hemisfair Park. It is definitely a walk, not a run! There are so many people, you couldn’t run if you wanted to. Last year, I took my dog, Louie, a miniature poodle, with me. My husband and I took turns carrying him, because he was a bit freaked out by all of the people—and we didn’t want him tripping someone!

Some of the walkers carry a lighted balloon (a small flashlight is inserted, and then the balloon is filled with helium). It would be a cool sight to see from above, I think! All of the streets are closed, of course, and police are at the barricades, so it’s a very safe walk—aside from the fear of small dogs getting stepped on!

Even though The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was created to help fight blood cancers (e.g., leukemia), their research has also benefited people with solid tumors and autoimmune diseases. In the past 10 years, nearly 50% of cancer drugs approved by the FDA were originally approved for blood cancer patients. I’m sure you know someone who has battled cancer or have a loved one who has battled cancer. My mom died of cancer that started in her lungs and moved to her liver. I’ve also had two dogs who have died of cancer.

Please take a moment to visit my donation page to learn more about the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and, if you can, make a donation. Any amount is very much appreciated, but a donation of $100 helps supply laboratory researchers with supplies and materials critical to carrying out their search for cures, which I think is where your money would do the most good.

Please join our team’s effort today by making a donation. Your participation in the Light the Night Walk will help save lives. If you can’t afford to make a donation yourself, register to walk with us, if you’re in San Antonio. Or visit
http://www.lightthenight.org/
 and click local walk sites to find a walk in your area. (It can be slow to load the page; type in your zip code, then click Submit.)

Be sure to check our team Web site to see our progress—our goal is $10,000. Thanks for your support!