The sun is shining and your boom box is cranking out some good tunes. The grill is sizzling, wafting the smell of cooking hamburgers and hotdogs through the neighborhood. Just toss in a few cold brews and you might as well be in a beer commercial. 

Good times.

The official start of summer is absolutely a time for fun, but it’s really not the reason why we’re given a three-day weekend to enjoy the sun. 

Memorial Day is instead a day for remembering those who died while serving in the country's Armed Forces. It began as Decoration Day in 1868, when an organization of Union veterans set it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. 

While observance of Memorial Day has fallen off over the years, there are still some large activities going on, including the National Memorial Day Parade, and the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally.

Set on Constitution Avenue in the nation’s capital, the parade draws over 250,000 people. Meanwhile Rolling Thunder tries to live up to its name as upwards of 90,000 motorcyclists descend on the city to honor POWs and MIAs.

If you’d prefer a quieter weekend, you can still observe Memorial Day by flying a flag at half mast, visiting a veterans’ cemetery to lay some flowers down or by wearing a red poppy.    

So enjoy your day— drink a brew or two, grill up some burgers or just enjoy the weather— but take a moment to remember those who gave their lives to make it possible.    

Gluten

Wanted: for not being trendy and for being in foods with too many carbohydrates

Description: a family of proteins found in grains like wheat, rye, spelt and barley.

Why has poor gluten been singled out for such disdain? 

If you suffer from celiac disease, or even if you’re gluten sensitive, you have good reason to avoid gluten. Celiac disease, caused by an abnormal immune response to gluten, can damage the lining of the small intestine. Symptoms of celiac disease include diarrhea, anemia, unexplained weight loss, bone pain, and severe skin rash.

For the majority of the population though, gluten is far from the dangerous criminal some make it out to be.

Since many of the foods normally associated with gluten such as bread and pastries are high in carbohydrates, it’s become trendy of late to go on a gluten-free diet.

Unfortunately, this diet not only denies a person the ability to eat many popular foods (modern science has yet to produce a decent gluten-free pizza crust), but the many whole grains that contain gluten also have vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins and iron, as well as fiber.

In short, gluten has been given a bad rap lately. If you suffer from celiac disease, you’ll consider it Public Enemy Number #1 with good reason. For the rest of the world, gluten is about as innocuous as the wheat bread it’s in.

“Time to hit the pool,” you say, eyeing the pristine blue surface of the newly opened pool. 

“You need to wait,” your friend says. “You just downed that cheeseburger. You’re not supposed to go swimming for least an hour.”

When it comes to swimming, that’s about the only safety tip most of us remember. And sadly, that’s one safety tip that’s been disproven. Here are some that actually work so you can enjoy your sun and fun:

Bring some company.  Swimming with a friend is not only more fun, it’s safer. Don’t allow anyone to swim alone.

Stay hydrated.  Even though you’re surrounded by tons of wet water, you can dehydrate quickly in the sun and surf.

Spit it out!  The fresh water you’re swimming in might not be so fresh and could contain harmful bacteria if ingested. Pool water is full of chlorine and other chemicals

Check the water depth.  The American Red Cross recommends 9 feet as a minimum depth for diving or jumping.

Protect your skin.  Even if you’re not the type to burn readily, limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and wear sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15.

Look for lifeguards.  And no, not because you’re afraid they’ll come around to spoil your fun. Lifeguards are your last and best line of defense if something goes wrong.

With a little common sense safety, you can enjoy swimming all summer. So grab your towel and your sun block and dive right in!

Behind every great man is a great mother. Of course, some mothers didn’t need a son to be great, while other notable mothers weren’t even mothers at all. So as Mother’s Day comes around, here’s a look at some of the famous (and infamous) mothers who have graced the pages of history:

Anna Jarvis.  She wasn’t a famous mother in the traditional sense, but was instead a devoted daughter who helped create Mother’s Day. Ironically, she never married nor had children of her own.

Grandma Moses.  Some famous mothers were grandmothers too. Grandma Moses began her strikingly successful painting career at age 70, long after her four children had grown.

Ma Barker.  The alleged criminal mastermind behind the infamous Barker-Karpis gang, Ma Barker captured the American imagination in the 1930s.

Marie Curie.  Who says you can’t be a success in the work world and also be a great mom? Madame Curie not only received a Nobel Prize in two different fields, but also raised a daughter who won a Nobel Prize of her own.

Eleanor of Aquitaine.  Famously portrayed by actress Katherine Hepburn, Eleanor was mother to three kings and made sure her daughters married into the best royal houses of Europe. She's been called the Mother of Europe.

Mother Teresa.  While some consider her a controversial figure for her views on abortion and contraception, she is also fondly remembered for her countless charitable works.

So, Happy Mother’s Day to all moms everywhere, whether they’re famous, infamous or somewhere in between.

Did you ever have Career Day when you were in school?

That was the day you put those unexciting grammar and math lessons aside, walked down to the school cafeteria or gymnasium and got to meet all sorts of different people. There were hairstylists and lawyers, truck drivers, policemen and more, all eager to tell you about what their jobs were like.

It was fun, but what if instead of them coming to see you, you could go see them? April 28th is Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day, and it was intended to give kids the chance to do exactly that.

Taking your children to work with you for a day might be a great way to impart some life lessons to them. You check on homework assignments, participate in parent-teacher conferences and take them to after-school activities.

You get to see a lot of your child’s world. Why not give them a chance to see yours? 

The day will require a little planning on your part.

Speak with your employer and see if they participate or are willing to participate. You’ll want to talk with your child about what they’re interested in seeing, or what type of work they’re interested in.  You’ll also want to set expectations.

It’s a work environment after all, not a trip to Disneyland.

Try to engage them in what you’re doing— not just shadowing, but understanding what you do and why you do it. 

It's been said that experience is the best teacher, so why not give them a hands-on preview of what they can expect beyond the classroom?

With the name, it almost sounds like they would get mad at you if you tried to eat them. The good news is that not only are cruciferous vegetables a lot less dangerous than the name suggests, but they’re good for you too.

These vegetables include such familiar staples as broccoli and cauliflower, and less common fare such as rutabagas and shepherd’s purse.

As if being tasty weren’t enough, there are several health reasons to make these vegetables a part of your diet:

Vitamins.  Think carrots have the market cornered on Vitamin A?  Think again.

The members of this vegetable family are all-stars when it comes to Vitamin A. They’re not too shabby with Vitamin C and fiber either.

One hundred calories' worth of these beauties (about 5-6% of a daily diet) provides between a one quarter and nearly one half of your daily fiber requirement.

Reducing your cancer risks.  A review of research published in the October 1996 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed that 70% or more of the studies found a link between cruciferous vegetables and protection against cancer.

Protein.  No, they’re not going to pack the same protein wallop as a rib eye steak, but cruciferous vegetables can contribute a surprising amount of protein to the diet — over 25% of your daily requirement.  Protein with little to no fat… what’s not to like?

Check out some recipes to help get you started on your way to loving cruciferous vegetables. 

Bon appétit!