Greene Publishing, Inc.

By Jacob Bembry

We are known by the company we keep. I am associated with Greene Publishing, Inc., so many times I get mistaken for a family member. I have even been called Jacob Greene before. When I am away from the newspaper, though, I am usually not seen with any employees of the company, except for Bryant Thigpen, who has been my friend since he was a little boy. I am also seen with my family in public, including my mentally challenged sister Abbie, who is my BFF (best friend forever) or I may be seen in the company of any of my friends. On Monday, I could have been seen enjoying lunch with Bryant and with Jackie Watts, pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church.

Sister Cora Huckaba was discussing the Book of Nehemiah in Sunday School this past week. As she taught, I was struck by the passage where messengers are sent to Nehemiah asking him to come meet with them. Nehemiah refused five different times. He had prayed and he understood (through God’s wisdom) that the people who sent for him meant to do him harm and in fact to assassinate him so the building of the walls would not continue. When Nehemiah was able to accomplish in 52 days what others had failed to do for 70 years, they were shamed and recognized that Israel’s God had helped Nehemiah and the others do that work.

The most important part of the lesson was that Nehemiah had prayed and listened to God. Many times, I am a fool. I may pray. I may read the Bible, but I do not wait on God and meditate on Him and listen to Him. When I do not wait and listen and meditate, I do more harm than good. I find that out again and again. Pray. Read. Meditate. Wait. Listen. Wait and Listen, Jacob, you idiot.

I was listening to a minister online the other night who shared that some of the people we hang around with can hurt us. Sometimes other Christians can even be harmful to us. For example, I have Christian women friends who are married. I may go to lunch with them and it will just be a nice lunch between two friends. If I keep going with them, it can be toxic. People may see us together and start to talk. Soon, my reputation is ruined, or maybe what started as an innocent get-together proceeds into something that can become caustic. Or I may begin hanging around with non-Christians. The minister pointed out that Jesus was a friend to sinners and that the way to tell if we are helping or hurting them is to try the “Tug of War Test.” He said to imagine that you are in a tug of war with the non-Christian friend. He said that on your side are the Christians – your church, your Christian friends and Jesus Christ. On the other side is the world. If you see that you are being pulled to the world’s side to drop the rope. (Because the world can diminish our personal witness.) If you see that the non-Christian is being pulled to your side then hold on and keep pulling.

By Diann Douglas
Guest Columnist

We are still in March, National Nutrition Month, so this week, let’s look at another updated recommendation from the revised Dietary Guidelines. Americans need to work on reducing daily consumption of two food categories; solid fats and added sugars. A new acronym, SoFAS has been coined by USDA to describe this trend in the American meal patterns; the “SoF” stands for solid fat and the “AS” represents added sugars. While the intention is a catchy phrase, it might leave some people confused.

Let’s break this down and look at solid fats (SoF) first. Fats are categorized into three groups know as fatty acids; they can be saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. All fats contain a combination of three fats, but they are in different amounts. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature; the exceptions are palm and coconut oils. These fats tend to raise cholesterol levels in the human body, which over time can cause a plaque build-up in blood vessels leading to coronary heart disease. Foods high in saturated fats are meat, whole dairy and baked products made with palm or coconut oil.

Healthier fats are liquid at room temperature, are higher in poly or monounsaturated fats and do not contribute to cholesterol levels. Oils that are high in monounsaturated fats are canola, safflower, olive and peanut oils. Examples of polyunsaturated fats are corn, cotton seed and soy bean oil. This gives you a variety of fats to use, but always use fats sparingly.

Trans fats are also a fat that can lead to increased cholesterol levels, these are formed during food processing. When hydrogen is added to a fat to make it more solid, trans fats are formed making the fat more saturated. Synthetic trans fatty acids are found in margarines, snack foods, peanut butter and prepared desserts. Small amounts are naturally found in meat and milk foods.

How does all of this information translate into the food choices you make every day? Eat lean cuts of meat and chose low-fat and fat free dairy foods to reduce solid fats and naturally occurring tans fats. Consume less prepared desserts and snacks to reduce trans fats and saturated fats that are added to foods as an ingredient.

Consumers always have questions about margarine, there are so many on the market. Read the ingredient list and start with a spread that has a monounsaturated fat as the major ingredient. Then, read the nutrition label and find the smallest amount of saturated and trans fats with a higher number of unsaturated fats.

In food preparation, both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are much better alternatives to solid fats. While they still have the same amount of calories, unsaturated fats have a more positive affect in your body.

Now, for the “AS” or added sugars in SoFAS, by itself, it is not a bad ingredient and it adds sweetness to our foods and serves as a browning agent in many foods and most have few nutrients, and are high in calories. According to the Dietary Guidelines, added sugar contributes an average of 16% of the total calories in the American diet. This translates into added calories and excess calories can only mean extra pounds.

Sugars come in many forms. Read the nutrition labels, added sugars may be high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, malt syrup, maple syrup, fructose, dextrose molasses or honey.

Can you guess the food source highest consumption of added sugar? Sugary drinks like soda, energy drinks and sport drinks account for 36% of extra sugar in our diet. Sugar sweetened fruit drinks account for about 10% of the extra calories in the American diet. Sweetened tea, which adds extra calories to our Southern diet is a sweetened drink. The message is to cut back on foods high in sugar; eat or drink them less often.

Solid fats and added sugar can contribute a large portion of calories to the American diet. It is estimated that on average 800 calories per day come from these two food ingredients. Remember too, most foods that are high in these ingredients are also low in other nutrients and it is well documented these foods contribute to weight gain. The recommendation from USDA is to eat these foods less often. Instead, focus on nutrient-dense forms of foods from all food groups.

For more information on any nutrition topic, contact the Madison County Extension Service at 973-4138.

The University of Florida Extension/IFAS Extension – Madison County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability.

By Joe Boyles
Guest Columnist

During my recent trip to the Holy Land, one of the most fascinating sites we visited was the ancient fortress and palace of Masada, high atop a plateau overlooking the Dead Sea. Just before the birth of Jesus, King Herod had a magnificent three-tiered palace built into the north face of the plateau, with 4300 feet of fortifications built around the edge of the mountain top. From the west, the plateau rises 1300 feet about the valley floor.

Approach to Masada is in two forms, a switch-back “snake path” or a cable car. We took the easy way by cable car. The mid-February day we visited was clear, cold, and quite windy. High atop a plateau with no tree in sight, there isn’t anything to stop the wind.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the location of Masada was discovered and archeologists began to unearth what wind and sand had covered. The excavations of the ruins of Masada are extensive and show baths and worship sites that behold this once majestic site. Herod (known as the builder) ruled for a third of a century and commissioned many great sites which exist to this day. During his reign, the second Temple was built as the focus of Jewish worship in Jerusalem. It was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD during the great revolt. The remnants of the destruction are visible today.

That Jewish revolt against Roman rule occurred from 66-73 AD and is the focus of one of Masada’s most enduring stories. Nearly a thousand Sacarii rebels retreated to the fortress of Masada and stored food to await the siege they knew would come. The Roman Legions arrived under command of Flavius Silva and established garrisons (still visible today) to conduct their year-long siege. When the Sacarii realized that they would succumb, they committed mass suicide rather than face slavery. The handful of women and children who escaped told the story to the first century historian Josephus who recorded their zealous act. In the 1960s, a popular movie by the same name staring Peter O’Toole recounted this epic.

The engineers who designed the fortress two thousand years ago developed a marvelous way to collect water in a region that receives only four inches of rainfall each year. A series of gravity fed aqueducts collected rainwater off the rock and channeled it to cisterns. There is a model of their engineering today to demonstrate this creative method.

Today, Israeli military cadets regularly visit Masada to take their oath of allegiance. Like the defenders of old, they vow never to succumb to the threats they face from their neighboring enemies.

Perhaps it was more than symbolic that the day we visited the old fortress, four Israeli Air Force F-15 Eagles thundered overhead. They made two trips headed east, turning over the Dead Sea along the border with Jordan before heading south to their training areas over the Negev Desert. The Jews were destroyed by the Romans in the first century and by the Nazis in the last. They vow never again.

By Mark Buescher, C.P.A.
Guest Columnist

If you have driven by our office on Range Avenue recently, you have probably noticed the lights on until eight or nine o’clock each evening. The reason is obvious – it’s tax season. It’s the time of year that everyone is frantically gathering up last year’s income and expenses in order to file their tax returns.

North Floridians are like everyone else. We all want to save money when it comes to filing our income taxes. Even though 2011 has past, you may still be able to trim your tax bill this year.

The 2011 Form 1040 reflects a number of new tax breaks along with some of our old favorites. Some are straightforward. Others are complex. But they all provide an opportunity to save money. Here are a few reminders.

First, consider maximizing your 2011 IRA contribution. You have until April 17, 2012, to make deductible 2011 contributions. The maximum 2011 contribution is $5,000. But if you were age 50 or older last year, you can contribute up to $6,000.

Look into itemizing deductions if you usually take the standard deduction. Search for allowable deductions that you might have overlooked, such as the restored deduction for state and local sales taxes. Since Floridians generally pay no state income tax which would be deductible in lieu of the sales tax, the deduction for sales tax is even more valuable.

Medical deductions are allowable to the extent they exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income (AGI). Don’t forget items such as eyeglasses, hearing aids, and even Lasik eye surgery. Also, you can deduct mileage for 2011 medical appointments at 19 cents per mile through June 30, 2011 (23.5 cents per mile after July 1, 2011), plus parking and toll fees.

Other items you do not want to overlook include tax preparation fees, safe deposit costs, and certain investment advice. They all qualify as miscellaneous itemized deductions, subject to a two-percent AGI limit.

There are several types of deductions for education expenses that are often overlooked. One of the biggest is student loan interest. Up to $2,500 of student loan interest is deductible whether you itemize or not.

Another education related provision available for 2011 is the deduction of up to $4,000 for qualified tuition and school expenses. This deduction was slated to expire but was extended through the Tax Relief Act passed in December 2010. Qualifying amounts for you, your spouse, and dependents may be deductible, subject to income limits.

If you’re a teacher or teacher’s aide, you can deduct up to $250 for classroom supplies, including computers and accessories, that you purchased with your own money. This deduction was recently extended as well.

If you made energy-saving improvements to your home, check into the credit of up to 10% of your cost (30% of certain types of solar and wind energy systems). Although this credit was recently extended, it is subject to a $500 limit for amounts spent in 2011. But keep in mind, a credit is more beneficial than a deduction. A credit is a dollar for dollar reduction of your taxes.

For those of you who changed jobs in 2011, make sure you didn’t have excess social security taxes withheld. You may claim a credit for the excess on your Form 1040 if you paid over $4,486.

Also, do not forget several new benefits available through the health care legislation passed in 2010. For 2011, a self-employed person who paid for health insurance may be able to include in his health insurance deduction any premiums paid to cover his child who was under age 27, even if the child was not his dependent.

Another benefit under the new health care law is the small business health insurance credit. The new tax credit is available to eligible small employers who make qualifying contributions to buy health insurance for their employees. In general, the new credit is 35% of premiums paid.

These are just a few basic tax-saving ideas. Opportunities abound if you just dig below the surface.

Mark Buescher, CPA is owner and principal of Buescher and Ruff, LLC, a local full service accounting firm in Madison, specializing in tax preparation, business consulting and audit and assurance services. Tax laws contain varying effective dates and numerous limitations and exemptions that cannot be summarized easily. For details and guidance for your specific situation, contact your tax advisor.

By Diann Douglas
Guest Columnist

Since it’s National Nutrition Month for the month of March, we will continue to explore simple dietary changes that can make a big difference in your health. This week let’s look at the latest recommendations on sodium. Revised every five years, USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans now recommends Americans consume less than 2,300 mg. of sodium each day. It goes further to ask consumers to work toward an intake of 1,500 mg. For adults over 51 years of age and people with diabetes or hypertension, USDA strongly recommends the intake need to be at the 1,500 mg. level. This means consuming less than one teaspoon of salt each day in all of the food you eat.

Sodium is an essential nutrient needed by the body in relatively small quantities. The health concern is that most Americans consume a high intake of sodium in their diets which over time can lead to higher blood pressure. According to the research review by the Dietary Guidelines committee, on average, the higher a person’s sodium intake the higher the blood pressure. Keeping blood pressure in a normal range reduces risk of heart disease and kidney failure.

In the American diet, sodium is consumed as salt, an ingredient used in curing meat, baking, and enhancing the flavor of food. The salt added in cooking and at the table only account for a small amount of sodium in our diets. Most of the sodium in our diet comes from processed foods.

Americans love to eat out, so be aware restaurant foods are usually very high in sodium. Your food may not taste salty, but don’t let that fool you. Sometimes a restaurant meal can have over 2,000 mg. of sodium. It’s the sauces, fries and condiments that have hidden sodium.

If you are interested in a healthful meal plan to reduce sodium intake, a proven researched based diet is the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). DASH emphasizes consuming fresh vegetables, fruit and low-fat milk product, whole-grains and lean meats. When this meal plan is followed it also reduces the intake of saturated fats. In several DASH studies, participants were able to reduce their blood pressure and improve their blood lipids which reduced their risk of heart disease. The point is to choose fresh foods whenever possible and prepare them with ingredients other than sodium.

Learn to read nutrition labels and identify the amount of sodium in the foods you buy and eat. If a label claims to be low in sodium, it should have no more than 140mg. Products claiming to be “very low sodium” must have 35mg or less. When a label claims to be “reduced sodium” it only has to be 25% lower than the original version, so may still be high in sodium. Look at the percent of daily value, if it is less than 5%, the food is low in sodium.

How does all of this information translate into daily food choice? Here is a list of eating tips to reduce your intake of sodium:

Eat less processed foods such as deli meat, salty snacks and crackers, processed cheese, canned soups and meats, pickle, relishes and other condiments.

Learn to cook with herbs and spices which add wonderful flavors to your food.

Cut back on salt used in cooking pasta, rice and noodles. Use half the amount you would normally use. If you are making cooked cereal like oatmeal, leave the salt out.

Cook fresh vegetables instead of canned and use seasoning other than salt.

Buy “low-sodium” versions of canned goods when available.

Make your own salad dressings and omit salt as an ingredient.

Use no-salt – added ketchup or low sodium soy sauce.

When eating out, be selective. A grilled chicken sandwich can have as much as 1000 mgs. of sodium.; whenever possible, order food without sauces and extra cheese.

To learn more about how to reduce sodium intake, call the Extension office for a free copy of “Nutrition for Health and Fitness: Sodium in Your Diet.”

The University of Florida Extension/IFAS Extension – Madison County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability.