SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2015
Donate or volunteer at
SES in name of science
It’s time to round up sup-
plies for science classes at
Siuslaw Elementary School.
Here are four easy ways for
the community to show its
support.
1.Volunteer an hour on
Wednesdays through May
with fourth and fifth graders.
Or volunteer an hour on
Thursdays in March with third
graders.
2. Make a tax deductible
donation payable to Siuslaw
Elementary School. Note
Science Lab on it and either
drop it off at SES or mail your
donation to 2221 Oak St.,
Florence, OR 97439.
3. Save “Box Tops for
Education” and drop them off
at the school.
4. Donate any of these recy-
clable items:
Used Items: Clear 24-ounce
ketchup or syrup squeeze bot-
tles with lids; Campbell’s con-
densed soup cans, 11.5-ounce;
flattened cereal or cracker
boxes, Land-o-Lakes butter-
tub lids, bubble wands, rubber
bands, paper clips or milk jug
lids.
Unused items needed:
Wooden to-go chopsticks, tape
(scotch, masking, painter’s),
food coloring (left over Easter
egg dye is fine), balloons
(mainly nine-inch round, but
any are welcome).
Any of these items can be
dropped off at the Siuslaw
Elementary School Office or
the Florence City Hall recycle
area.
FRESH CRAB
7 A
J OEL F UHRMAN , MD
Go gluten-free to lose weight?
Popular diet books are blam-
ing wheat (or gluten, which is
the major protein in wheat) for
the epidemic of obesity. First it
was low-fat, then low-carb, and
now gluten-free diets are being
promoted as the “magic bullet”
for weight loss.
Wheat has been blamed for
obesity because there has been
an increase in wheat flour prod-
ucts concomitant with the rise
in obesity over the past 40
years. However, it is clear that
one food alone cannot explain
or be responsible for the rise in
obesity.
There has been a huge
upsurge in processed foods and
sugary drinks, progressively
increasing portion sizes, and
increasing inactivity. All of the
blame can’t be placed on a sin-
gle type of grain.
Refined wheat flour is the
base of many low-nutrient
processed foods.
However, a gluten-free diet
can be just as high in calories
and low in vitamins, minerals
and phytochemicals as the stan-
dard American diet, and, there-
fore, just as weight gain-pro-
moting.
There is no evidence that
specifically implicates gluten
in weight gain, or that remov-
ing gluten from the diet would
accelerate weight loss.
Despite the popularity of the
gluten-free diet trend, no stud-
ies have ever been published
showing that removing gluten
helps to reduce body weight.
In order to lose weight, you
need to eat more micronutrient-
rich foods and remove highly
processed foods from the equa-
tion; and that does mean white
flour and sugar. An enhanced
nutrient-to-calorie ratio is the
key: eat more high-nutrient
food and less low-nutrient
food, and you will take in fewer
calories, but feel more satiated.
If you were to follow a
gluten-free diet based on
replacing gluten-containing
processed foods like pasta,
bread and baked goods with
vegetables, beans, intact whole
grains and fruit, which are high
in nutrients and low in calories
(and happen to be gluten-free),
you would most likely lose
weight — but not because you
cut out wheat or gluten.
Gluten-free pasta, bread, and
cookies will not help you lose
weight; these foods are calorie-
dense, have added sugars and
oils, and are low in nutrients.
C u r r e n t l y, g l u t e n - f r e e
processed foods are perceived
to be healthier, but in most
cases they are still junk foods,
just like their low-fat and low-
carb predecessors.
Weight gain is not the only
health problem that wheat (or
gluten) has been blamed for.
There are claims that wheat
raises blood glucose more than
sugar, that gluten is addictive
and causes uncontrollable
overeating, and even that wheat
and other grains cause
Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Fuhrman is a New York
Times best-selling author and
board certified family physician
specializing in lifestyle and nutri-
tional medicine.
Visit his website at Dr
Fuhrman.com, or submit questions
and comments to newsques-
tions@drfuhrman.com.
Statewide School Exclusion Day is Feb. 18
OYSTERS CASINO
INGREDIENTS:
3 slices bacon
4 TBS chopped onion
2 TBS chopped green pepper
2 TBS chopped celery
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 drops hot pepper sauce
1 pint fresh oysters
tender. Add lemon juice, salt, pepper,
Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper
sauce. Mix well. Arrange drained
oysters in a buttered baking dish.
Spread bacon mixture over oysters.
Bake for about 10 minutes.
6 servings.
Recipe from:Southern Living Fish and
Shellfish Cookbook
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350ʼ.
Fry bacon, remove, crumble, return to
pan. Add onion, green pepper, celery
and cook in the bacon drippings until
In The Case
This Week:
THE KRAB KETTLE
280 Hwy. 101 (2 Blocks N. of Bridge) Florence
MONDAY-SUNDAY 10-6 • 541-997-8996
Crab, Oysters,
Shrimp,
Clams
Check fresh
fish availability
Voice your opinion! Submit letters to:
Editor@TheSiuslawNews.com.
The Oregon Immunization
Program is reminding parents
that children will not be able to
attend school or child care
starting Feb. 18 — School
Exclusion Day — if their
records on file show missing
immunizations.
State law requires that all
children in public and private
schools, preschools, Head Start
and certified child care facili-
ties have up-to-date documen-
tation on their immunizations,
or have an exemption.
“Immunization is an effec-
tive way to keep schools and
the entire community healthy,”
said Stacy de Assis Matthews,
school law coordinator in the
Oregon Health Authority
Public Health Division. “We
want to make sure children are
fully protected against vaccine-
preventable diseases such as
whooping cough and measles.”
Parents need to know about
this updated vaccine require-
ment:
• The hepatitis A vaccine,
which protects against a com-
municable viral infection, is a
two-dose series required for
children 18 months and older
in child care, preschool and
kindergarten through sixth
grade.
If school and child care vac-
cination records are not up-to-
date, the child will be sent
home.
In 2014, local health depart-
ments sent 32,345 letters to
parents and guardians inform-
ing them that their children
needed immunizations to stay
in school or child care.
A total of 5,227 children
were kept out of school or child
care until the necessary immu-
nization information was
turned in to the schools or child
care facilities.
Parents seeking immuniza-
tions for their children should
contact their health care
provider or local health depart-
ment.
No one can be turned away
from a local health department
because of the inability to pay
for required vaccines.
Pharmacists can immunize
children 11 and older. Parents
should contact their neighbor-
hood pharmacy for details.
Last day to enroll in health plan is Feb. 15
Oregonians have just nine
more days to enroll in health
coverage for 2015.
The open enrollment period
Start celebrating early with
DJ DAN at
The Shorewood
Friday February 13
from 4 to 8 or so
Valentine’s Dinner and
Dancing
FREE dinner and
champagne 4-6pm
followed by
dance fl oor contest
reservations recommended
541-997-8202
Singles and Couples
welcome
Prizes
• Drawing for gift basket
• $1000 off a month’s rent
and
Grand Prize
• month free rent
for health insurance ends Feb.
15. This is the only opportunity
for Oregonians to get health
coverage for 2015 or change
their health plans.
Oregonians can go to
HealthCare.gov to access
financial help, compare plans
from multiple insurers, and
enroll. They also can enroll
with the help of an insurance
agent or community partner.
More than 92,000 Oregonians
have already enrolled in plans
through HealthCare.gov.
“Having coverage protects
you from facing a penalty
when you file your taxes,” said
Laura Cali, Oregon Insurance
commissioner.
Oregonians are reminded
that they have to pay their first
month’s premium in order for
their coverage to be effective.
The membership packets
enrollees receive from their
insurance companies will pro-
vide instructions on making
these monthly payments.
Oregonians can continue to
get help enrolling over the next
two weeks.
Visit CoverOregon.com to
find an insurance agent or com-
munity partner. Cover Oregon
also is holding 11 enrollment
open houses in eight cities
before the deadline. Find the
schedule at bit.ly/CO-enroll.
Florence Area Humane Society
Celebrate February Holidays
and
Banish Winter Blues
with dinner for
Ground Hog Day, Valentine Day, Presidents’
Day, Chinese New Year Day
Tickets $10.00 per person
Children under 6 free
Available At:
FAHS Thrift Shop
FAHS Shelter
Three Rivers Casino
Siuslaw Newspaper, Sponsor
On Your Feet
Raining Cats and Dogs
Mary Ann’s Natural Pet
Baked Potato
with toppings
Assorted Desserts
Ocean Dunes Golf Links Clubhouse
1451 Spruce St. • Florence
541-997-8202
Friday, February 13, 2015 at 5:30 p.m.
All proceeds go to the animals awaiting homes at the Florence Area Humane Society Shelter