Uncategorized | Sunstone Online

Do You Hide the Chocolate You Eat?

Scientists will, apparently, research anything. Have you always wanted to know how much people lie about their chocolate consumption? No? We haven’t either. But apparently this question has been on the minds of the British Heart Foundation, which commissioned the study.

For the study, 3000 men and women were questioned about their chocolate eating habits. 33% of them eat their chocolate on their commute home so that they don’t have to fess up to a spouse or partner at home. 13% admitted that they will eat chocolate behind the refrigerator door, under the covers in bed or when their partner has left the room.

Now, the British Heart Foundation is sponsoring a Dechox challenge, urging Britons to be chocolate-free for the month of March. As a special incentive, they explain that just cutting out chocolate could help a person to shed up to 11 pounds in a year.
But is that enough to give up chocolate? What do you think?

Prudent Advice About Prunes

We all know that prunes are good for constipation, but little did we know that they are great for dieting too. Liverpool University researchers tracked the weight and appetite of 100 overweight and obese men and women who were being given dieting advice.

Half were given prunes to snack on. The men who were given prunes were asked to eat 170g a day, about 15 prunes. The women were asked to eat 140g, or about a dozen, a day.

At the end of the three month study, both sets of groups lost about four pounds of weight and an inch off of their waistlines. However, the ones who ate the prunes felt fuller and had faster weight loss.

As Jason Halford explained, the appetite-suppressing effect of the prunes outweighed the damage done by the sugar content of the food.

As Professor Halford (who, by the way, received funding from the California Prune Board) said, “One of the biggest problems with dieting is that it makes you hungry. This doesn’t necessarily mean that prunes are the new weight loss miracle but they don’t undermine dieting.”

In addition, he mentioned that eating the prunes could also help you to achieve your goal of having five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Reflections on Greatness

Letter from President JFK to Mrs. Medgar Evers

Charity can be shown in many different ways. Sometimes it means raising money for a cause or coming out to support a cause. Other times it means expressing words of condolence and companionship in times of need. Throughout history, acts of charity have inspired.

As we approach the 50^th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, it is interesting to look back at acts of charity on his part. On June 11, 1963, President Kennedy reached out to the country in a nationally televised speech from the Oval Office to call for the end of race-based discrimination. He wanted Congress to enact sweeping legislation that would guarantee equal rights and equal opportunities for all in America.

Ironically, within a few hours of his speech, a KKK member in Mississippi ambushed and killed Medgar Evers in front of his wife and children. In response, JFK penned a letter to his wife which is part of the collection on display with the Shapell Manuscript Foundation. As JFK wrote,

I extend to you and your children my sincerest condolences on the tragic death of your husband condolences on the tragic death of your husband. Although comforting thoughts are difficult at a time like this, surely there can be some solace in the realization of the justice of the cause for which your husband gave his life. Achievement of the goals he did so much to promote will enable his children and the generations to follow to share fully and equally in the benefits and advantages our Nation has to offer.

Certainly, when we arrive at anniversaries, it is helpful to reflect on the people who have past and the lessons we have learned from their noble and valiant efforts for our nation.

Linking History to Present Day Events

Whether you’re an historian or just someone who likes to connect the present to the past once in a while, it’s always interesting to see what happened on this day in history. There are many websites that allow you to look at the parallels between what is happening today and what has happened in the past. Here are some examples.

On September 17^th in 1787, the Constitution was completed and signed in Philadelphia. In 1862 on this day, it was the bloodiest day in US military history when the Battle of Antietam took place and more than 23,000 soldiers were killed or wounded.

For sports enthusiasts, the American Professional Football Association (the precursor to the NFL) was formed in Canton, Ohio on this day. And in 2004, more recently, Barry Bonds hit his 700^th career home run, joining the likes of Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.

To learn more about what happened on a given day, you can look at sites like the Shapell Manuscript Foundation. They recently featured two interesting historic documents that they have in their possession about fugitive slaves and Abraham Lincoln. The links can be found at:

http://www.shapell.org/manuscript.aspx?prelude-to-lincoln-douglas-debates

http://www.shapell.org/manuscript.aspx?millard-fillmore-fugitive-slave-kansas-nebraska-act-slavery-fanaticism

They offer some great insights into historic events and into certain days in history.

Family Movie Night- How to Do it Right

Summer is coming to a close, with one more week until school starts. With little time and nothing left to do, family members of all ages are getting restless and edgy.

TLC puts forth a few ideas for ‘Family Night’ in an effort to help parents end the summer with a happy bang.

The first is movie marathon night. Though is sounds pretty standard, there are a bunch of ways to shake things up:

Choose a theme. Whether its spy movies, Disney classics, musicals or Western, design tickets and a ticket booth to add to the atmosphere.
Spend the afternoon building a concession stand in preparation for the big night. Use Monopoly money, some cardboard and theater-style popcorn containers to serve the best snacks. Don’t forget the soda, boxed candy and cracker jacks!
Make it competitive. Try a trivia game or a quick lesson in the history or making of the chosen movie. Think: special effect facts, sketches and artwork, trivia and more!
Dress up. Have both children and parents come to the showing dressed up as their favorite character. Include face paint, props and accents as needed.

SF Zoo’s Banana-Sam Returned Safely

Officials announced that the squirrel monkey stolen from the San Francisco Zoo has been found and safely returned to his enclosure.

“Although hungry, trembling and thirsty, Banana-Sam is currently back safe,” the zoo said in a statement.

The 17 year-old monkey, known as Banana-Sam, weighs only about 2 lbs and is a foot tall. His disappearance was noticed when zoo workers found two holes cut in the mesh fence of the squirrel monkey exhibit. Upon announcing the missing primate, Banana-Sam’s keepers were careful to warn the public that he is still a wild animal, and can cause serious damage with both his bite and claws. The curator added that monkey’s often carry diseases, and can cause severe infections if they bite a human.

Corrine MacDonald, the curator of primates and carnivores, told KGO, CNN affiliate, that squirrel monkeys can live into their 20s. Banana-Sam’s age could have posed a higher risk for him outside the zoo. He needs a specific diet in order to maintain his health.

According to the San Francisco Police Department, the monkey was found on Saturday night at a park. A passer-by caught a glimpse of Banana-Sam in the bushes, and coaxed him into a backpack before calling the authorities.

The thieves’ motive is still unclear, as common squirrel monkeys are not an endangered species, and are commonly sold in pet trade markets and medical research institutions.

The exhibit has been temporarily closed, with MacDonald stating that the other monkeys were severely shaken by the intrusion and capture. She added that the zoo is now concerned about a “copy-cat” theft, and is not sure when the exhibit will be reopened.