The annual Patriotic Program, “God Bless America,” will be held Sunday, July 4, 2010, at the King Fine Arts Auditorium, 2100 Parke Ave. in Burley. Performances will be at 6 and 8 p.m. This is a non-denominational concert presented by the Mini-Cassia area churches. The event is free and open to the public.

This year, the combined choir directed by Jeff Rasmussen and Helen Bowcut will perform several patriotic numbers, along with guest artists including Andy Smithson; the “Silhouttes,” an octet comprised of Jacque Lee, Trina Smith, Paige Beck, Leslie Crafton, Burton Anderson, Keith Ramsey, Rob Newman and Clay Handy; the “Golden Moments,” with singers Camille Cox, Milton Barrus and Jack VanBuren; a brass ensemble under the direction of Dr. Paul Pugh playing a “Salute to the Armed Forces”; and the traditional piano quartet comprised of Helen Bowcut, Ellen Judd, Mayna McGill and Jeff Rasmussen performing “The Stars & Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa, arranged by Mack Wilberg. The narration has been written and will be presented by Charmaine Ralphs. The staging and production is under the direction of Julene Thurston.

Summer Reading is here!!! The summer reading program at Burley Public Library is titled “Fit, Food, and Fun in the Park”, which reflects the partnership between Burley Public Library, Cassia Regional Medical Center and Cassia County School District.

Parents, make sure your kids are registered for summer reading. They will have fun each week at Storybook Park and have a chance to win great prizes at our final summer reading celebration. It’s free and all children are invited to attend!! Summer Reading kicks off with a registration day June 3^rd at Storybook Park from 10:30 to 11:30. (Please note that the lunch program will start June 7^th.) Following are the classes and programs offered at Burley Public Library in June:

Wednesday June 2^nd- 10:00 AM, Beginning Computer Class. Perfect for anyone who has little prior knowledge of computers. No registration necessary but limited to class size of 10.

Thursday, June 3^rd- 10:30 – 11:30 AM, Summer Reading Registration at Storybook Park. All children are invited to participate in summer reading, named Fit, Food and Fun in the Park – it’s free and fun! Please come to the park to register for 2010 Summer Reading. Registering will give you a chance to win great prizes at the Fit, Food and Fun in the Park’s final celebration August 5th.

Wednesday, June 9^th- 10:00 AM, Internet and Email Computer Class. This class is designed for someone who has some basic knowledge of computer use. No registration necessary but limited to class size of 10.

Thursday, June 10^th- 10:30 AM “Fit, Food and Fun in the Park” summer reading program. Today’s theme is “LiVe/ The Body Walk. Cassia Regional Medical Center will help children in attendance explore the body and the effects of healthy living. Free lunch served by Cassia County School District Food Services to all children ages 1 to 18 at 11:30.

Wednesday, June 16^th, 10:00 AM, Beginning Microsoft Word 2007 class. Participants will need to have a basic understanding of computer use. No registration necessary but limited to class size of 10.

Thursday, June 17^th, 10:30 AM, “Fit, Food and Fun in the Park” summer reading program. Today’s theme is “An Ocean of Fun”. Children will enjoy games, a simple craft, and a story. Don’t forget to keep reading to be eligible for prizes! Free lunch served by Cassia County School District Food Services to all children ages 1 to 18 at 11:30.

Wednesday, June 23^rd- 10:00 AM, Beginning Microsoft Excel 2007 Class. . Participants will need to have a basic understanding of computer use. No registration necessary but limited to class size of 10.

Thursday, June 24^th- 10:30 AM, “Fit, Food and Fun in the Park” summer reading program. Aargh, mateys! Pirates abound as today’s theme is “High Seas Adventure”! Children will enjoy games, a simple craft, and a story. Don’t forget to keep reading to be eligible for prizes! Free lunch served by Cassia County School District Food Services to all children ages 1 to 18 at 11:30.

Some people hear the word “fasting” and they think that is an action for religious folk and it only occurs in highly regimented religions.  However, fasting is used for more than just spiritual reasons.  Fasting has many different benefits that can help awaken the body, purify it and keep it functioning at top speed.

There are many different types of fasts.  The first type of fast is the typical “religious” fast in which there is no food consumption and no drinking ANYTHHNG for 24 hours.  This fast is more for the purpose of forcing the body to submit to the will of the Soul.  Although this form of fasting is mostly a religious practice, it does have health benefits.  It is good for the body to rest every once and a while from digestion and to just have time to clear out all the old and start anew.  This type of fasting really only brings you a minimal glimpse of what a longer fast can offer you.

The second type of fast is the pure water fast.  This type of fasting usually lasts from two days to 40 day.  In this fast you can drink water, but there is no food or calorie consumption of any kind.  The benefits of this type of fast are plentiful.

1. Fasting will detoxify your body of all excess waste and purify your body of toxins and chemicals the body accumulates through food consumption and product use.
2. It helps to rid your mind and body of dependencies on certain foods or chemicals.  A lot of people feel they can’t live without a Diet Coke every day!  Doing a water fast will help to eliminate your body’s perceived need for such things.
3. Water fasting will help to curb and possibly eliminate cravings for foods.  Sugar, carbohydrate and heavy meat cravings can all be replaced with healthier cravings such as fruits and vegetables,

The third type of fasting is juice fasting.  This is where you refrain from consuming anything solid or of a non-fruit variety.  Juice fasts tend to be a little easier to handle for longer periods than either of the other fasts.  Juice fasts will help to cleanse your colon, clean up skin problems and cause your metabolism to reset itself and become more efficient.  Other benefits of fasting are weight loss, skin tightening, improved energy levels, improved breathing and possibly even dysfunction or disease ridding.

Now, with all of these fasts, you most likely will experience headaches for the first one to three days.  This is your body telling you it is dumping out all of the bad stuff it has stored up for so long.  You may also experience bowel irregularity while your body gets going on the fast, but do not fear, if you do not cheat on the fast this will soon correct itself and you with be as regular and regular can be.  One note on juice fasts: you need to choose juice that is 100% juice NOT FROM CONCENTRATE!  The purer and fresher, the better it is for your body and the more benefit you will get from it.

It is recommended that a fast be done two to three times a year to rid your body of impurities and disconnect your body from the abuse it goes through every day.  How long you do a fast is completely up to you.  Listen to your body and do what it tells you to do.  No one knows you and your body better than yourself and you get to honor what your body is telling you.  It is ok to feel discomfort and hunger, but if your mental and physical functions start to breakdown, you need to adjust your plan.

One last note, while you are fasting try to stay away from the use of chemicals.  We are talking unnatural hairsprays, lotions, shampoos, oils, rubs, makeup and so forth.  I know this sounds a bit extreme, but the fact of the matter is our bodies are sponges and nearly everything we touch or come in contact with will be absorbed into our bodies to some extent.  So, at least for the fast, keep it as natural as possible.

So go ahead and do something different!  Jump in the “Fast Lane” and watch the benefits of your efforts appear before your eyes.

For the March Mini-Cassia Leadership Training we focused on Health & Community Service Providers.  We toured through many different companies that all provide a valuable service to our community.

We started off the morning with a Wellness Presentation focused on outlining the most import things to focus on with respect to our physical health.  Some of those things were water quality, sleep quality, and air quality.  It really is amazing how important the things are that we take into our bodies.  We are affected by our surroundings more than we are aware.

Next we toured through Golden Heritage Senior Center.  What a wonderful organization that focuses on feeding and providing recreation for the seniors in our community.  In addition to providing meals from scratch at their facility, they are a “Meal on Wheels” provider and deliver over 30 Meals on Wheels meals at any given time.

We then toured through Parkview Rehabilitation and Care Center.  Under new management, I was impressed with how many different types of services they offer to both their short term and long term care patients.  After touring through Parkview, I was touched with how kind and involved all the employees were.  They have a genuine care and concern for their patients.  There is a sort of reverence walking through Parkview that you do not feel other places.

Touring through Autumn Haven we got to learn a bit about it’s history and just how family oriented the assisted living facility really is.  It really was like walking through a very large home.  We learned about the different services they offer including “Family Night” on Monday nights.  What a wonderful place to work and serve.

The Minidoka Memorial Hospital was a real eye opening experience.  I have a new respect for medical facilities and the struggles they face.  Keeping on top of all the new technology, providing the best medical service possible as well as continually looking to educate people on health issues.

We also learned how to use fire extinguishers at the West End Fire Department and heard from the Mini Cassia Women & Children Shelter.  Lastly, we heard a moving and compelling presentation from the Idaho Meth Project.

The one thing that struck me the most about this leadership day is just how much our service providers rely on volunteers and donations.  Most, if not all of these organizations spend countless hours writing grants in hopes of getting extra funds so they can provide more and improved services for their community.

What a heartwarming and eye opening experience it has been for me to see just how much the people in this community love to serve others and reach out to those in need, for whatever reason.  Really renews my faith in humanity!  If you have an interest in volunteering or getting involved in our community, please contact me at the Chamber of Commerce and I can help you find an avenue to devote to.

Ashley Hull
Office Administrator
Mini Cassia Chamber of Commerce
ashley@minicassiachamber.com
(208) 679-4793

I have been over weight my entire life.  And at the age of 23, I decided that it had to stop.  I had gastric bypass surgery and went from 252 lbs on my surgery day to 144 lbs less than one year later.  At three months I had lost 50 lbs, at six months I lost 75 lbs and by a year I had lost over 100 lbs.  And through all of the starvation, lethargy and throwing up, I still hadn’t mastered the art of living a healthy lifestyle.  Old habits really do die hard.

At age 26 I decided to go to a nutritionist and get some health counseling.  And it was really interesting what he recommended.  He did not put me on a strict diet.  He didn’t restrict what I could eat; he just gave me some simple guidelines to help me make healthier decisions.  I am sure these tools will help you as well.

1. Get a food allergy test done. There are foods that you may not necessarily get sick from eating, but you body can’t digest them well and they will literally make you “fat”. Mine are wheat, eggs, almonds and cashews. This is really helpful in assisting you in making better food choices. If you know you are better with almonds than peanuts then you can make better decisions. So I would suggest getting that test done. As well as I would get a metabolic analysis test done to see if you are deficient in any aminos or essentials that will help you in metabolizing you food and just plain function better. I found I was deficient in serotonin (the sleep hormone) and so I started taking 5HTP which helps to supplement serotonin and makes me sleep better, and gives me more energy during the day.
2. Eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Never go more than 4 hours without eating. This will keep your metabolism up and working. Even if you have to eat something crappy, it is better to do that than nothing at all. This is a huge issue.
3. It is absolutely necessary to make sure you allow yourself dessert and allow yourself real desserts, not “diet desserts”. HOWEVER, eat your desserts between lunch and dinner, not after dinner. If you eat it after dinner you are going to put your metabolism into overdrive to work during your sleep (which doesn’t work) and then you will either have horrible sleep, which is known to cause people to gain weight, or it will just turn strait into calories and then fat. Dessert is your friend, but make sure you are being smart about when you eat it. Also, make sure it is really what you want. Don’t settle for what is there, make it what is really going to satisfy you. If you don’t do it right then you are just going to keep looking for more.
4. Carbs are your friend. You have to have carbs to survive. However, like dessert, you have to be smart about how you do it. I suggest you do carbs, your bulk of carb intake at breakfast and you can have some at lunch, but cut out carbs at dinner-time. This is for the same reason as the dessert. As well, in my opinion it is better to do you carbs in the form of rice, beans, potatoes, yams, and I would do bread and pasta on occasion. That is my suggestion. I do pasta once in a while when I go out to a restaurant and rarely do bread. I love rice so that is not difficult for me.
5. You must, must, must eat breakfast. To go along with that, eat something within an hour of waking up in the morning. It doesn’t have to be your breakfast, but you need to eat something to get your metabolism going.
6. Drink water. Need I say more? Just do it.
7. With your workouts, it is better to do some light weight lifting 3 times a week then getting on a treadmill and running your legs off 5 times a week. You need to build your muscle and then as you gain muscle you will kick up your metabolism and be able to burn more calories faster. If you want to do cardio to make you feel better do it 2 time a week for 20 minutes and then do your resistance training 3 times a week. I have some great resistance training workouts that I can share with any of you that you can do at home.
8. Weigh yourself once a week, but don’t define yourself by your weight. It is a measurement to see if progress is being made, but it is not the, be all end all, of progress. Especially if you are doing weight lifting. It can be a measurement of progress, but not the grand prize at the end of the road.
9. Always remember to have 1 or 2 people that you can use as your support system. You need people to share your success and sadness with. People who know what you are going through who won’t judge you, but who also won’t be jealous of your success as well. Find these people and hold onto them like they are gold. You will need them.

10. Get at least 15 minutes of direct sunlight a day.  The vitamins the sun provides to your body are essential to your health.  The sun is free and it is pure and you cannot buy a supplement that will do as good of a job as the sun.

11. Always eat sitting down.  Take time to enjoy your food.  Food should not only be a necessity, but a pleasure.  Make it an experience and don’t distract that experience with working, watching TV, or playing on Facebook.  Do yourself a favor, and make eating an all around good experience for your body and soul.

So there you go.  Some great tools to get you on track with your healthiest you.

Ashley Hull

Everyone talks about how they want to lose weight, eat healthier, be more health conscious.  Well, my response to that is, GREAT!  First step…eat!  The worst thing you can do is start starving yourself.  Bottom line, our bodies are like cars.  They need fuel to do their job.  So here are a few tips on beginning your healthy lifestyle.

1. Eat within 45 minutes of waking up.  When we wake up in the morning our bodies have been fasting for 8 hours or more.  Our bodies need fuel and they need it fast.  For me this is especially difficult because I work out first thing in the morning when I wake up and I don’t feel like eating.  However, my metabolism is trying to get going for the day, just like the rest of my body, but it needs calories to make it go.  Grab a quick snack.  You don’t have to eat your full breakfast right then.   Eat a piece of fruit, healthy breakfast bar, granola, yogurt…ANYTHING!  Trust me, you are going to need it, and when you do eat it, you will start to notice a difference in how your body feel and responds to the prompt attention.

1. Eat a good hearty breakfast.  I tend to have a protein shake and some oatmeal for my breakfast.  I keep the oatmeal low sugar, but the oats are a good source of longer lasting carbohydrates that will sustain me until the protein from my shake kicks in.  I know a lot of people feel like they are too busy, too rushed or don’t have time for breakfast, but let me ask you this.  Would you allow your children to go to school without eating something first?  You know how important it is that they be alert so they can be actively engaged in their education.  Don’t you think you deserve that same kind of consideration?  First step to getting that energy is eating a good breakfast.   So go ahead, and in the famous words of Nike: Just Do It!

1. Eat every 2 ½ to 3 hours throughout the day.  Never, never, never, go more than four hours during the day without eating.  Your metabolism runs at a certain level of efficiency throughout the day.  If you do not feed it and feed it often it will drop your metabolic rate and it cannot get back up till your body has completed its next circadian rhythm cycle.  So, even if you have to eat something that you don’t consider to be “healthy” it is better than nothing.  Some people may say, “Well, I can’t do that!  I will eat too many calories if I do that!”  Here’s the deal.  By consuming calories, you are allowing your body the necessary fuel to burn more calories at a higher rate.  Remember, if calories are a concern for you, you can always choose snacks that are lower in calories such as fresh fruits and vegetables.  They have great nutritional value and lots of fiber to keep you regular.

1. Drink, drink, drink.  You have to consume water.  Your body’s cells are made up of water.  If your cells are dehydrated then your cells can’t utilize the nutrients you give them and therefore, you can’t gain the benefits of eating all this good food.  Some people like to put sweeteners, flavors or additives in their water because they think water is boring.  What I have to say about that is: if that is the only way you are going to drink water, then do it.  But I much prefer unadulterated water, pure and clear.  It tastes good going down and it feels good as well.  The profound effects pure water can have on your body are unimaginable.  Energy, cleansing, lightness, hydration.  All good things.

So there you go.  The moral of the story is…eat.  It’s that simple.  Eat soon, eat hearty, eat often.

Ashley Hull

May’s Message from the Chamber President
David Nebeker, Fairfield Inn

The Every 15 Minutes program went extremely well this week. We had an amazing response due to the efforts of the community and the students at Burley High School. I think it really got to the students at Burley High. I witnessed that night as the students who had been pulled out of class stayed overnight at the school, and the emotions that surfaced there. They were each asked to write to their parents and say their final goodbyes. It was so touching to see the strongest of them brake down and cry. The tissues were put to good use and I think every one present learned a valuable lesson. Earlier in that day we had staged a “fake accident” scene, complete with the paramedics, mortician and life-flight. The parents of the “planned” victims showed up and their emotions became surreal. The reality of what could happen was painfully aware to everyone watching. The Every 15 Minutes program is about raising awareness of drinking while driving. At the end of a school year with prom and graduation there are always a few who will drink and drive afterwords. We, as an administration and student body, hoped to expose the deathly results due to drinking while driving. I think we effectively got the message across. Thank you to all who helped make this program possible and a success.

-Emily Silva