Just wanted to share this tidbit with you. http://saveourbones.com/calcium-absorption-bananas/
The attitude of gratitude helps to keep us healthy & sane
Even as I realize how manipulated public opinion is by the "image makers," I still have feelings of patriotic gratefulness to all those who have sacrificed for the founding fathers' principles down through the years of this country's existence. I'm glad and proud that the USA still exists and that we have the opportunities we do, in spite of all the naysayers who hate us. If the USA were not the golden land of possibilities, people would not be pouring over our borders looking for a chance to make a better life for themselves and their families. Anyway, today is a day to remember all those men and women who have given their lives to protect the ideal that is our country.
RESISTANT STARCH...NEW WEIGHT-LOSS MIRACLE?
I suppose by now, most of you who are constantly out there fishing for the latest technique on keeping weight from packing itself onto your hips and belt line have probably read or heard about a phenomenon called “resistant starch.”
Okay, So Just What Is Hype and What Is Truth?
The hype is that RS, found in certain foods, is a type of carbohydrate that can work wonders, promoting weight loss and digestive health, helping to maintain blood sugar levels, and reducing your risk for diabetes.
The truth? Well, the above may be partially true. Studies do show this nutrient may provide an array of health benefits. But as most experts point out, many of the claims demand more research. Researchers also emphasize that RS is not a revolutionary discovery, but rather another piece of the complex nutritional puzzle.
What, Exactly, Is Resistant Starch?
Many foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and certain dairy products contain an assortment of
carbs, including sugars, starches (RS falls in this group), and fiber. During digestion, most sugars and starches break down in the small intestine into glucose, which is the primary energy source for the body. But fiber, soluble (that partially dissolves in fluid) and insoluble (that does not dissolve) moves to the large intestine undigested. Studies have shown that fiber is very important in the diet because it helps reduce the risk of conditions such as constipation, heart disease, and diabetes.
Now, onward to RS. On a molecular level, resistant starch is still a starch, and, logically, should get burned as energy. However (and here is the key), during digestion, RS actually mimics some of the properties of dietary fiber, “resisting” digestion and passing into the large intestine. Similar to insoluble fiber, it helps prevent constipation by “increasing bulk and making elimination faster,” says Janine Higgins, PhD, a professor at the University of Colorado who has extensively studied RS.
“Like insoluble fiber, RS ferments in the large intestine, lowering the pH level, which makes the colon more acidic,” says Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, a lecturer in food science and nutrition at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. This makes it less hospitable to bacteria that can cause illness. At the same time, a lower pH level helps the good flora (bacteria) thrive.
Weight-Loss Magic?
While digestive health is important, it doesn’t get the media attention that the words “weight loss” do. The excitement enters when researchers announced that RS seems to “inhibit certain enzymes responsible for the creation of fat and increase the amount of fat your body burns,” says Hope Warshaw, RD, author of Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy.
A small study conducted by Janine Higgins and published in Nutrition & Metabolism, found that participants who replaced about 5 percent of their total carbohydrates with foods high in RS “significantly increased” fat burning. Higgins and her colleagues concluded that consuming resistant starch on a regular basis “could possibly decrease fat accumulation in the long term,” which may help people maintain a healthy weight.
Why RS may help with fat burning is not yet clear. Higgins says, “It could be because when you eat resistant starch, you’re not getting as many calories gram per gram as with regular starches, or it could be other reasons. We haven’t nailed down the mechanisms for explaining that yet.”
RS is a way to up your total fiber intake, which should be about 25 grams a day. Start by consuming more legumes, suggests, George Fahey, Jr., professor of animal and nutritional sciences at the University of Illinois, who has studied the health benefits of RS and the RS content in different foods. Slightly green bananas, cooked, cold potatoes, cold pasta, and cold rice contain resistant starch. See the table below.
In the end, nutritionists like Bowerman look at RS as more support for eating a nutrient-dense, whole-foods diet. “RS strengthens the argument that people should eat a wide variety of whole plant foods, since this ensures that we get the huge array of healthy compounds nature intended.”
Up Your Intake of Resistant Starch With:
- 1 Medium Green Banana, 4.7 grams
- ½ Cup Cooked Black Beans, 2 grams
- ½ Cup Cooked Kidney Beans, 2.4 grams
- ½ Cup Cooked Navy Beans, 3.8 grams
- ½ Cup Cooked Brown Rice, 1.7 grams
- ½ Cup Cooked Corn, 0.3 grams
- ½ Cup Cooked Lentils, 3.4 grams
- 1 Cup Cooked Oatmeal, 0.5 grams
- ½ Cup Cooked Pearl Barley, 1.9 grams
- 1 Medium Boiled Potato, Cold, 1.3 grams
- ½ Cup Cooked Split Peas, 3.1 grams
- ½ Cup Cooked White Rice, Cold, 0.95 grams
- 2 Slices Whole-Grain Bread, 0.5 grams
- 1 Cup Cooked, Cold, Whole-Wheat Pasta,
The amounts of resistant starch given above may vary, depending on origin of food, how it’s grown, etc.
The list above provided by Oldways, from data published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association and in Die Nahrung.
For more information click on www.eatright.org.
KEEP YOUR ENERGY LEVELS SOARING
In today’s busy world we all need to find ways to keep our energy levels in line with the demands made on us. Recently I came across a list of ideas that may help to keep us movin’ and shakin’ the way we need to.Stretching
Take a moment for a stretch each hour or so throughout the day. This helps prevent stiffness, increases blood circulation, and gives you an energy burst. Try this: Stand up, take a deep breath, raise your arms and reach for the sky; hold. Release the stretch, exhale and drop your arms. Next, begin with the crown of your head and roll down, vertebrae by vertebrae, until you’re hanging forward. Let your arms dangle. Shake and nod your head gently to loosen the neck. Without locking your knees, feel the stretch in the back of your thighs. Enjoy this stretch for a few minutes.Pummel Yourself
Borrow this gentle, invigorating exercise from the energy-cultivating practice of qigong. Gently “drum” the insides and outsides of your arms and down your sides and legs with a loosely closed fist; then drum up the insides of your legs, your abdomen and solar plexus, neck, and lower back. This thumping can stimulate the flow of qi or life energy and increase circulation — plus, it just feels really good.Eat Early and Often
If you skip breakfast and chow down a meager lunch, you may hit a wall by mid-afternoon. Once you finally get home, you’re ravenous, and at that point your body will not be able to recoup the nutrients it lost all day. Eat a breakfast of complex carbs, protein, and a little fat. Also consider eating several light but nutritious mini-meals throughout the day.Don’t Brew … Squeeze Instead
Start the day with a glass of hot water, the juice of one-quarter to one-half a lemon, and a pinch of
cayenne pepper (you can add a little honey if you want). Why is this a detox staple? “Due to its sour taste, lemon juice stimulates digestive juices and the release of bile from the liver,” says Cathy Wong, N.D. “Cayenne stimulates the secretion of gastric acids in the stomach and raises the metabolic rate.” Theoretically, she says, this can increase fat burning and thus the release of fat-soluble toxins from fat cells. Translation: It gets things moving.
Take a Contrast Shower
Hot-cold hydrotherapy, practiced by the Finns for the past 2,000 years, is believed to strengthen immunity, increase circulation, and have a stimulating effect on the body. Though the ancient ritual did not involve a shower, or modern plumbing for that matter, you probably don’t have immediate access to a sauna and a snow bank, so this will do. After showering, turn the knob to as cold as you can stand it for 30 seconds, switch back to warm, and end on cold. Get your nape, back and chest. Repeat two or three times.
I’ll see you in the fast lane!
PRACTICE SUN SAFETY FOR LIFETIME PROTECTION
The Skin Cancer Foundation, www.skincancer.org, recently released tips on ways to protect yourself and your family. Remember too that sun not only causes cancer, but it is also the No. 1 skin-aging element in our environment; and none of us want to walk around with wrinkled, leathery skin, do we?
DID YOU KNOW ... ? 
• Year-round sun protection is important?
• The sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation can penetrate many types of clothes?
• It can also go through automobile and residential windows?
• It can damage your eyes, contributing to cataracts, macular degeneration, and eyelid cancers?
• When you're on snow or ice, your face and eyes are at almost twice the risk of UV damage because of reflected glare?
THINGS YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE PROTECTION
• Protect yourself and your family all year round, not just in the summer.
• Seek the shade, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Do not allow yourself or loved ones to get sunburned. Sunburn is actually radiation burn.
• Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths.
• Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day.
Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to ALL EXPOSED AREAS (and don't forget your feet and between your toes, if you wear sandals) 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or after swimming or excessive sweating.
• Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses.
• Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months.
• Examine your skin head-to-toe every month.
• See your doctor every year for a professional skin exam.
PRODUCTS TO HELP PROTECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
Recently, to combat these hidden dangers, The Skin Cancer Foundation expanded its Seal of Recommendation program. For more than two decades, the Foundation has granted the Seal to products containing SPF 15+ sunscreen that meet the highest standards for safety and effectiveness. Now, in recognition of the need for extra forms of sun protection, several other types of products have been awarded the Seal as well, including ...
• A UV- protective automobile window film
• A UV-protective residential window film
• A UV-blocking face mask
• A UV-blocking deck and patio awning
• A laundry product that can be added to detergent to increase UV protection in clothing
• Sunglasses that protect against UV and high-energy visible light
More than 200 products in the U.S. and some 20 abroad currently have
qualified for the Seal. For a list of these products, call 1-800SKIN-490, or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to:
The Skin Cancer Foundation
245 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1403
New York, NY 10016
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
FOLK REMEDIES THAT HAVE BEEN PROVEN TO WORK
HONEY
One simple folk remedy that seems to actually work better than over-the-counter medicines is honey for coughs. In January 2008, the Food and Drug Administration said that over-the-counter cough medications posed unacceptable risks to children under the age of two, so the news about honey is welcome news indeed. Three years before, the American College of Chest physicians declared that over-the-counter cough remedies were largely ineffective for people of any age.
In a 2007 study published by the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 105 children ages two to 18 who suffered from upper-respiratory infections received no treatment, honey, or a honey-flavored OTC cough suppressant. Parents then rated their children’s cough symptoms and quality of sleep. Those treated with honey did best. The researchers said that honey might soothe irritated membranes in the back of the throat, and has well-established antioxidant and antiviral effects.
The dosage given by the researchers was ½ teaspoon for children two to five years old, 1 teaspoon to children six to 11, and 2 teaspoons to those ages 12 to 18. The higher amount is a reasonable dose for adults as well. A smaller dose might be appropriate for babies between one and two years of age, but absolutely DO NOT give honey to infants under one year of age. It can cause infant botulism, a rare but potentially fatal ailment.
CRANBERRIES
While skeptics have long maintained that the benefits of drinking cranberry
juice have more to do with the bladder-flushing effects of water in the juice or the inhospitably acidic urine created by juices such as cranberry juice, than with the actual components of the berry itself, research has shown otherwise.
In a series of lab tests, an Israeli team found that it kept infectious bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall. Juice from blueberries, which are closely related to cranberries, also worked. But several other fruit juices, such as grapefruit, mango, orange, and pineapple had no such effect. A 2008 analysis of 10 such studies comparing cranberry products with a placebo, other juices, or water found that a daily dose of cranberry juice or capsules significantly reduced bladder infections, especially in women who suffer from them frequently.
It’s still not clear whether the juice, tablets, or capsules are the most effective or what the optimal dose might be, but drinking cranberry juice as soon as symptoms appear — burning sensation on urination, difficulty urinating, a sense of bladder fullness, ongoing discomfort — may clear up an early infection. If symptoms worsen, however, or last for more than a day or two, see your doctor.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
ASPIRIN AT BEDTIME LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE
A daily aspirin can help control pre-hypertension, but only if it is taken at bedtime, a Spanish study shows.
Why aspirin should do its good work for blood pressure at night but not in the daytime is not clear, said Dr. Ramon C. Hermida, who is director of bioengineering and chronobiology at the University of Vigo. Research indicates that it can slow the production of hormones and other substances in the body that cause clotting, many of which are produced while the body is at rest.
An aspirin taken every morning didn’t lower the blood pressure of pre-hypertensive people, but the evening regimen did, Hermida reported Wednesday at the American Society of Hypertension annual meeting, in New Orleans.
Pre-hypertension, defined as blood pressure just below the 140/90 level,
is a known warning sign of future risk of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular problems. The new report is the first study to show the drug’s benefit — although only when taken at night.
A previous study by Hermida, showed the same beneficial effect of bedtime aspirin for people with moderately high blood pressure. The three-month study included 244 adults diagnosed with pre-hypertension. A third of them were advised to follow general rules of hygiene and diet designed to reduce blood pressure, another third were told to take a 100-milligram aspirin tablet every night at bedtime, and the final third were told to take the same aspirin dose on awakening.
Researchers monitored blood pressure levels at 20-minute intervals from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and at 30-minute intervals at night before the trial began and three months later.
Systolic blood pressure (the higher number in the 140/90 reading) dropped 5.4 points and diastolic pressure by 3.4 points for those taking aspirin before bedtime. No drop in blood pressure was found in those taking morning aspirin or following the general guidelines.
“There is some evidence that taking a variety of medications, including those for hypertension, at night is associated with greater blood pressure reduction than taking them in the morning,” said Dr. Suzanne Oparil, president of the American Society for Hypertension. “I don’t think we know why.”
It’s possible that there might be better absorption of the medication by the gastrointestinal tract at night, said Oparil, who is a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
“It’s all a little bit speculative about why, but I think the observation is solid,” she said.
In a statement, Hermida said the new findings “show us that we cannot underestimate the impact of the body’s circadian rhythms.”
“The beneficial effects of time-dependent administration of aspirin have until now been largely unknown in people with pre-hypertension,” he said. “Personalizing treatment according to one’s own rhythms gives us a new option to optimize blood pressure control and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease down the line.”
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
MYTHS AND TRUTHS OF CARING FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH
We’re bombarded daily with scientific press releases telling us how to attain longevity and maintain health, but after awhile we become resistant to every new piece of info that comes out of those hallowed laboratories. Why? Information overload. Also it may be that using the term information is a little too generous. A lot of what we read or hear may be only partial reports. We also have to remember that the pressure on the media to report something “new” is relentless. So they grab at any report or release that may be of benefit, even if the results may not be conclusive or experiments yet have to be repeated with results replicated. Johns Hopkins came out recently with this health tips list that is a good reminder of what has been proven to work and not work. Take a look. Myths are dispelled and truths reinforced. And you might find something you didn’t already know.
- Relax. The rumor that olive oil turns into “bad” trans fat when used in cooking just isn’t true. However, do not cook with flax oil. It forms toxins when subjected to heat.
- A vitamin that works! Niacin — also known as Vitamin B3 — lowers “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and increases “good” HDL cholesterol.
- Doctors find it’s best to take certain blood pressure pills first thing in the morning after getting up because people are most active during the day and blood pressure tends to climb as the day goes on.
You’ve heard that a drink a day may be good for your heart. But did you know that studies in people over 65 show moderate alcohol consumption may also reduce the risk of dementia? (But keep in mind that heavy drinking increases health risks for both heart and mind.) - A team of Harvard and Spanish researchers reports that red wine protects people against the common cold.
- And have a piece of dark chocolate with your Merlot! Researchers have found that chocolate contains flavonoids — just like green tea and red wine. As a bonus, dark chocolate may also lower your blood pressure!
- In clinical trials St. John’s Wort, the so-called “happiness herb,” was NOT shown to be effective for treating more severe depression.
- Hiccups are usually minor and short-lived, if a little embarrassing and inconvenient. But, hiccups are no laughing matter and can be associated with an underlying medical condition. If you’re having them too often or if they last more than a few minutes, tell your doctor.
Several studies suggest that coffee has anti-cancer properties. A Japanese study concluded that coffee drinkers were 50 percent less likely to get liver cancer than non-drinkers. It’s also been linked to reduced colon cancer risk. - Did you know that caffeine can linger in the body for up to 12 hours? Avoiding caffeinated coffee, tea and soft drinks after lunch may help you sleep better.
- To date, researchers have found just one sure way to increase biological life span — eat fewer calories.
- Trans fats — the kind found in cookies, many margarines and fast food — really are the chief villains of the fat world. Trans fats raise “bad” cholesterol, lower “good” cholesterol, damage the inner linings of blood vessels and are linked to diabetes.
- Recent studies report that for many heart attack sufferers, sudden and excessive sweating is the standout symptom and the one most likely to cause them to seek help.
- Still have sunscreen left over from last summer? It’s probably good to use. The FDA requires all sunscreen products be manufactured to last for three years.
- Tea companies assure us that decaf tea is just as rich in beneficial f1avonoids as regular tea. Not true. The decaffeination process reduces the flavonoid content drastically.
- Macular degeneration is the main cause of severe vision loss in older people. Here are six prevention tips: (1) Don’t smoke, (2) Wear sunglasses, (3) Eat kale and spinach, (4) Exercise, (5) Eat fish and nuts, and (6) Keep your weight down to avoid diabetes.
- Potassium can blunt sodium’s tendency to increase blood pressure. But you don’t have to go overboard with supplements; fruits and vegetables supply plenty of this mineral.
- You can skip the marathon. Studies show brisk walking (3–4 miles
per hour) for about half an hour a day reduces heart disease and stroke rates in women as much as vigorous exercise. - Vitamin D does much more than strengthen your bones. It may protect against colon cancer, autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and heart disease.
- Early treatment of Bell’s palsy with a steroid anti-inflammatory like prednisone increases the chances of a full recovery.
- The worst sleeping position for snorers is on the back, try sleeping on your stomach to cut snoring volume and frequency. Caveat: Do this only if you don’t have back trouble, for which stomach sleeping is usually not recommended.
- Aspirin and ibuprofen are not so good together. Ibuprofen seems to cancel out aspirin’s ability to protect the heart.
- The risk of obesity jumps almost 25 percent with each two-hour increase in daily television watching.
- Feel younger than you are? You should. Researchers calculate that 70-year-olds today are equivalent, health-wise, to 65-year-olds who lived 30 years ago.
- Chelation therapy is hot. Direct mail offers claim it’s sort of a Liquid-Plumr for the arteries. Trouble is, the claims don’t pan out — and chelation can have serious side effects, such as kidney failure and convulsions.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
SALT, A LIFE NECESSITY
I was fortunate enough to have spent my childhood in a city that was within an hour’s drive of the Pacific
Ocean. My parents often chauffered us kids to the beach on hot summer weekends as a way to cool down. I was an active youngster, climbing trees, taking spills on bicycles and scooters, and turning cartwheels on the lawn, so I often suffered scraped knees and elbows. A mystery always of fascination to me was that one day of playing in the ocean would heal a wound that would have taken several days to disappear otherwise. My mother said it was the salt water of the sea and I guessed she was correct. Though nowadays, unfortunately, with environmental problems such as they are, I don’t know if the oceans still hold the healing properties they once did, but I like to believe that, away from large centers of pollution, they probably do.
Salt often gets a bad rap, because humans have a tendency to overdo their intake. But our bodies require it to keep our electrolytes balanced. Without salt, we would soon die. The trick is to keep your cellular salt (sodium) and potassium levels in balance. A little trick I have learned: If I’m having a salty snack or meal, I chug-a-lug a big glass of orange juice shortly thereafter. That seems to help keep me from retaining too much fluid.
Following are some other uses for salt that I think you might find interesting:
NASAL LAVAGE
An ancient Indian (ayurvedic) treatment for allergies, sinusitis, or other causes of a stuffy nose is nasal saline irrigation. A saltwater rinse for the nasal passages is safe, cheap and effective remedy for chronic nasal inflammation. Several recent studies have concluded that a twice-daily saline rinse can be very effective in helping to cut down on medication use and shortening downtime caused from colds or the flu. “Saline irrigation won’t reverse an infection, but it helps remove mucus from the nasal cavity,” explains Andrew Lane, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Sinus Center. (See the neti pot above.) Rinsing regularly clears out allergens and bacteria, and cause cilia (the tiny hairs in the nose that push mucus along) to work more effectively. Try Googling for neti pots to get more information.
SALINE SPRAYS
Saline sprays are a gentle way to help heal any minor wound and can be found in any drugstore. Body piercing establishments often encourage the use of these sprays several times a day on a new piercing to help it heal successfully.
DENTAL CARE
My dentist recommends using a paste made of baking soda and salt to brush with (tastes terrible but it works), and a salt-water rinse made with water as hot as you can stand to help heal sore gums.
OTHER LITTLE-KNOWN HOUSEHOLD USES
• You can remove dirt from greens such as spinach or Romaine lettuce by swirling them in a bowl of salted water.
• Get rid of excess soap bubbles when hand-washing dishes or clothing by sprinkling a pinch of salt in the soapy water.
• Clean a greasy pan by shaking salt into it before washing. The salt absorbs most of the grease.
• If you still use an iron occasionally and it builds up a sticky residue, you can get rid of the gunky stuff by sprinkling salt on a brown paper bag and running the hot iron over it.
• To prevent frost from building up on the inside of windows, rub them with a sponge dipped in salted water.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
SIMPLE THINGS TO DO THAT MAINTAIN HEALTH - Two
This week May 19, 2008 through May 24, 2008, we will be covering home remedies and health and nutrition tips that have been proven to work. Folk and traditional medicine practitioners have been dispensing advice for centuries that must be effective, because people are still practicing some of the techniques. Methods of treatment that didn’t work or, in some cases, actually did harm to the patient have gone into the dumper where they belong … at least in the more developed countries. Following are a few updated reports I’ve run across in the last few days.
❑ ANOTHER GOOD REASON TO CHILL OUT
The inability to control anger can slow the healing process. Patients
with experimentally induced blisters on their forearms who rated low on anger control scales measured by psychological tests healed less quickly than patients who had more control over the expression of their anger. Patients who frequently had outbursts of anger or who could not stop themselves from losing their temper were four times more likel to heal slowly. People who fail to hold in anger secrete more of the stress hormone cortisol, which may slow wound healing. These results were published in Brain, Behaviour, and Immunity by Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD, and Jean-Philippe Gouin, MPS, psychologists with the University of Ohio, Columbus, who were the leaders of a study comprising 98 subjects.
❑ A LITTLE-KNOWN MARKER OF HEART DISEASE RISK
We all know that heart disease is the number one killer of United States citizens. But did you know that fully half of all heart attacks occur with no advance warning symptoms? However there is one marker that can be listed as a risk factor and is not part of any traditional medical test. It doesn’t show up on any blood test. It doesn’t show on an EKG and it can’t be detected on a stethoscope. It doesn’t show up on any high-tech medical scans, either. What can it be?
Simply this: Several university studies have found that people who interrupt conversations are at greater risk for heart problems. In fact, one study at Duke University found that people who interrupt are up to seven times more likely to get heart disease! Why is this so? The researchers theorize that people who interrupt are excessively competitive and controlling – two hallmarks of the worst “Type A” personalities. But here is the amazing, real kicker: These same high-risk people can lower their risk without totally altering their personalities … and without any drugs, exercise or dietary changes. All they have to do is practice being good listeners. In one study, the test subjects focused on being silent while others talked. The result? They lowered both their blood pressure and their stress hormone levels.
❑ CONTROL PAIN BY USING A NATURAL PHENOMENA
People who spend a lot of time on their feet know all about pain and stiffness. They know they can get relief with aspirin, Tylenol and ibuprofen. But they also know that prolonged use of these drugs can cause bleeding ulcers, liver damage and other nasty side effects. That’s why more and more doctors are avoiding these pills and relying on natural remedies like willow bark and cayenne.
And here’s another pain remedy — one that involves no drugs or supplements whatsoever. It costs practically nothing ... it’s very effective ... and it works in just minutes. What is it? It is static electricity. Yes, static electricity. Medical science has long recognized that the human body is pulsing with tiny electrical currents. And “normalizing” this flow of electricity promotes healing.
Go to your local hardware store and get an ordinary painter’s mitt ... plus a one-foot section of PVC pipe about an inch thick. Create an electric charge by rubbing the pipe vigorously with the mitt for one minute. Then slowly sweep the pipe over the painful area. Move in a head-to-toe direction, about a half-inch away from your skin. After three or four passes, recharge the pipe by rubbing it again with the mitt. Keep repeating the process until the pain subsides. Most people get relief within a few minutes, and the relief is really quite dramatic. Try it you’ll be amazed!
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
SIMPLE THINGS TO DO THAT MAINTAIN HEALTH - One
This week May 19, 2008 through May 24, 2008, we will be covering home remedies and health and nutrition tips that have been proven to work. Folk and traditional medicine have been dispensing advice for centuries that must be effective, because people are still practicing some of the techniques. Methods of treatment that didn’t work or, in some cases, actually did harm to the patient have gone into the dumper where they belong … at least in the more developed countries. Following are a few updated reports on old customs, such as fasting, I’ve run across in the last few days.
❑ MORE GOOD NEWS ABOUT WINE AND COFFEE
Giulio Pasinetti, M.D., professor of psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of
Medicine, New York City, has released the results of a study that found that one to two 4-ounce glasses of red wine a day (Cabernet Sauvignon was used in the study) … or three cups of coffee a day can prevent the slow build-up of the damaging protein that kills brain cells. Another finding of the study: People who drink fruit and vegetable juices more than three times a week have a 76 percent lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
❑ AN ANCIENT TRADITION GETS ANOTHER LOOK
According to a recent presentation at American Heart Association conference made by Dr. Benjamin Horne, PhD, MPH, director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology, Intermountain Medical Center, in Murray, Utah, fasting once a month for a 24-hour period may reduce heart disease risk. He says his analysis of 4,600 patients shows that having nothing but water for a period of 24 hours allows the body to reset its metabolism and adjust its glucose and insulin sensitivities. A monthly fast for decades can have substantial benefits, including 40 percent lower risk for clogged arteries. Caution: People with chronic health conditions such as diabetes should not fast.
❑ ANOTHER REASON TO ENJOY EATING YOGURT
Yogurt may be good for your gums. A recent finding from Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan finds that people who consume 55 grams (about 2 ounces) of lactic acid, found in such foods as yogurt and yogurt drinks, were less likely to have severe periodontal disease than people who consumed no lactic acid foods. While further research is needed to confirm the findings, it certainly isn’t going to do any harm to eat a couple of ounces of yogurt a day. Yoshihiro Shimazaki, DDS, PhD, assistant professor and researcher surveyed 942 people and recently published his findings in the Journal of Periodontology.
❑ ANOTHER REASON TO AVOID DRUG & ALCOHOL ABUSE
A recent report published in the Archives of Dermatology by Stuart Reece, MD, University of Queensland Medical School, Brisbane, Australia, says that people with drug abuse problems are twice as likely to turn prematurely gray as people who do not overindulge. Along with illegal drugs, alcohol also damages the production process of melanocytes, the cells that give hair its color.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
TELEHEALTH INTERVENTION HELPS PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS
“Telehealth interventions have the potential to allow for earlier detection
of key clinical symptoms, triggering early intervention from providers and reducing the need for patient hospitalization,” says Bonnie Wakefield, associate research professor in the Missouri University Sinclair School of Nursing. “Reducing the length and frequency of hospital stays can lower health-care costs for patients and hospitals, which helps patients manage their diseases and ultimately feel better.”
So exactly what is “telehealth intervention” anyway? Telehealth is a term given to the art of delivering health-care services via telecommunication technology. This kind of personalized patient/care-provider exchange is being used on an increasing basis, and it seems to be proving itself through significantly delayed hospital readmission rates when compared to patients who receive traditional care.
To understand how the use of technology affects patient-provider interactions, Wakefield evaluated the effectiveness of a telehealth home-based intervention in patients with heart failure. Patients were selected randomly to receive follow-up by telephone or videophone after hospitalization for heart failure. According to Wakefield, previous research on traditional clinic visits found that quality patient-provider relationships can improve patient satisfaction, adherence to treatment, clinical outcomes and understanding of information.
What, exactly, does it provide? “Telehealth does not necessarily change the care that providers give. Rather, it changes the communication channel between clinicians and patients to minimize geographic barriers and enhance delivery of service. According to patients, it is not important how the interaction happens, but just that it does happen. People who suffer from chronic illnesses usually wait three to six months between office appointments with their care providers. With video and telephone technology, nurses have the ability to interact regularly with patients and provide a sense of security. Patients discuss concerns on a frequent basis, and nurses give advice and detect problems that the patient might not notice,” Wakefield says.
“Although older patients may not be accustomed to using technology, it
doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to learn. Older patients feel they are contributing to society and education by testing innovative technology. They appreciate when health-care professionals take time to invest in their well-being.” Wakefield said it is critical to match technologies to patient needs and further evaluation is needed to determine which patients may benefit most from specific telehealth applications and which technologies are most cost effective.
The study, called “Home Telehealth for Heart Failure,” will appear in the Journal of Telemedicine and e-Health, and was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Service.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGISTS DEVISE A WAY TO STARVE BRAIN TUMORS
In my lifetime, I’ve watched two family members die of brain tumors. I hope there will never be another. It’s a terrible way to die and, for family and friends, a horrifying progression to watch. Lying within regions that are often inaccessible without damaging the surrounding tissue, brain tumors are very hard to treat. Figuring out a way to wipe them out has long been a challenge and a mystery for clinicians and scientists, but now researchers are on a promising path.
For years researchers thought all cells inside a tumor were the same. But
recently, they’ve discovered something different – a small group of cancer stem cells, which give rise to all the cells that make up the cancer. Investigators have found that brain tumors arise from these cancer stem cells that live within tiny protective areas formed by blood vessels in the brain. Killing those cells is a promising strategy to eliminate tumors and prevents them from re-growing. The researchers have found that drugs that block new blood vessel formation can destroy the protected areas and stop cancer from developing.
Dr. Richard Gilbertson, a molecular biologist at St. Jude Children’s Hospital says, “If you target those cells, you can have a devastating effect on the disease. Drugs like Avastatin and Tarceva are now being tested in humans to see if they can target the cancer stem cells. It’s a tangible way of actually getting at the heart of the disease.”
Dr. Gilbertson says other cancers, like those of the blood, breast and colon, also contain cancer stem cells and may be treated in a similar way in the future.
Cancer cell
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
POTENTIAL SUPERDRUG FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE ON THE HORIZON
"When people have heart attacks (or suffer from hypertension) the blood vessels get more rigid," says study author David Ostrov, PhD, an assistant professor in the University of Florida College of Medicine's department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine. "We discovered a compound that reverses the fibrosis that makes blood vessels rigid."
The May 1, 2008, edition of the American Heart Association (AHA) journal Hypertension reports that University of Florida researchers have identified a drug compound that dramatically lowers blood pressure, improves heart function and –- in a remarkable finding –- prevents damage to the heart and kidneys in rats with persistent hypertension. The AHA estimates that 72 million people in the United States have high blood pressure, a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack and death.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme, a naturally occurring agent in the human body, plays a key role in the development of high blood pressure. It produces angiotensin II, a potent hormone that triggers the condition and contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease by constricting blood vessels, causing blood pressure to rise. That’s why millions of Americans with hypertension and cardiovascular disease take ACE inhibitors. But these drugs have limited capacity to repair heart function and to reverse tissue damage.
On the other hand, an enzyme know as ACE2 — also naturally occurring — not only lowers levels of angiotensin II, but also converts it to a hormone that helps protect the cardiovascular system. “Only recently has it come to be appreciated that ACE and ACE2 play a very important role in balancing the activity of the other one to maintain normal blood pressure,” says Ostrov. Hypothesizing that activating ACE2 could be beneficial, University of Florida scientists set out to discover a compound that enhances the enzyme’s activity.
Investigators used one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers to process 140,000 prospective drug compounds in a matter of weeks. The computer predicted which molecules would be most likely to enhance the activity of CE2, rotating them in thousand of different orientations to see how they would bind to certain pockets on the enzyme’s surface.
This project had a very small likelihood of succeeding because it’s much easier to inhibit activity rather than to enhance it. By analogy, it’s easier to break something than to build it,” Ostrov said. “If you consider the structure of an enzyme’s active site, it’s easy to see that if you plug up the active site, it’s not going to work. But how can one make the enzyme actually work better? This seemed to be a very significant challenge we were probably not likely to overcome. We tried anyway.”
It worked.
The enzyme exists in two forms: either like a Pac-Man with a mouth that has chomped closed, or like a Pac-Man with a mouth that remains open. The molecule that worked best fit in a structural pocket in the enzyme’s open conformation. Stabilizing the open conformation may be the reason why we enhance the activity of the enzyme.
Early results also show the compound inhibits generalized inflammation, which has significant implications for a number of human ailments, including autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, as well as other diseases involving fibrosis, such as Alzheimer’s.
Watch for more information on this exciting news!
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
HOW TO BEAT THE SLEEP DISORDERS THAT ROB YOUR LIFE OF SPIRIT
Adults who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to experience excessive daytime sleepiness, have more
nighttime falls, feel depressed, have attention and memory problems, and to use more over-the-counter or prescription drugs. No matter what age we are, our sleep needs remain fairly constant throughout life. But while sleep patterns do change as people age, disturbed sleep and waking up tired every day are not a normal part of aging. Many people don’t get enough sleep, which can increase the risk of serious health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Following are some techniques that may help people get a better night’s sleep:
>Avoid napping during the day. If you have to nap, limit it to less than one hour and do it no later than 3:00 p.m.
>Avoid substances that disturb sleep, such as caffeine and alcohol.
>Avoid using the bed for anything other than sleep or intimacy.
>Develop pre-sleep rituals that help you relax, such as a warm bath, a light snack or a few minutes of reading.
>Establish a routine sleep schedule.
>If you can’t fall asleep, leave the bedroom and do a quiet activity. Go back to bed only when you’re tired.
>Keep your bedroom dark (cover any small lights, such as the clock or phone, the darker the better), quiet and cool.
>Leave worries behind. Bedtime is a time to relax, not replay the stresses of the day.
For more information, click on www.nihseniorhealth.gov/sleepingandaging/toc.html
Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
LIPOIC ACID MAY HELP IN THE QUEST FOR HEALTHY ARTERIES AND LOWER BODY WEIGHT
By now I think all of us are aware that heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Atherosclerosis, or what used to be called “hardening of the arteries,” is a long-term process that is now seen as a chronic inflammatory disease, which begins when certain types of white blood cells called monocytes bind to “adhesion molecules” on the walls of the arteries. This in turn allows the monocytes to enter the arterial wall, there they become inflammatory macrophages that, in the presence of low density lipoprotein, or LDL, can transform into lipid-laden foam cells — ultimately, an arterial fat deposit. This chronic process often begins during adolescence, can continue for a lifetime, and has been linked to obesity, poor diet, lack of exercise, diabetes, high blood pressure, genetic predisposition and other causes.
In a study recently published in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, scientists affiliated with the Linus Pauling Institute and College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University and the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington reported that in mouse-model studies, they found lipoic acid associated with inhibited formation of arterial lesions, lower triglycerides, reduced blood vessel inflammation, and less weight gain — all key issues for addressing cardiovascular disease.
The investigators warn that, as of now, the results cannot be directly extrapolated beyond the laboratory, but results of the study strongly suggest that lipoic acid supplementation in humans may become useful as an inexpensive, but effective adjunct strategy in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic vascular diseases. “These findings reinforce the need for more comprehensive human studies,” according to Balz Frei, professor and director of the Linus Pauling Institute. “That will be the next step in our research, in double-blind, randomized, clinical studies during the next five years with Oregon Health and Science University.”
Alpha lipoic acid is a naturally occurring nutrient found at low levels in green leafy vegetables, potatoes and meats, especially organ meats such as kidney, heart, or liver. The amounts used in this research would not be obtainable by any normal diet, and for human consumption might equate to supplements of about 2,000 milligrams, or 2 grams, per day.
For more information, click on www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/080114162506.htm _______________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
COMMON CAUSES OF VISION LOSS
The human body is an incredibly complex organism and it is amazing that
more things don’t go wrong than do. One of our six senses, that of sight, is an area that is often compromised throughout life, but maintaining healthy eyesight becomes even more tenuous as we age. The precious gift is based on a delicate mechanism comprising the eyeball, the optic nerve and the sight center in the brain that interprets what we see. Dr. Susan B. Bressler, professor of ophthalmology at the acclaimed Wilmer Eye Institute, and a team of top Johns Hopkins doctors have listed the four most common causes of blindness and vision loss. They are:
1. AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION (AMD)
The macula, the central part of the retina, is responsible for central (as opposed to peripheral) vision and for perception of detail and colors. In the less common and more severe type of AMD, called neovascular or “wet” AMD, abnormal blood vessels from the choroid grow and may bleed and leak fluid under and within the macula. As they heal, they typically leave scars that prevent the macula from functioning well. More common is the non-neovascular or “dry” form of AMD, in which deposits called drusen collect under the retina and may lead to thinning or loss of retinal cells. This can result in blank spots in the central vision.
2. CATARACT
A cloudy or opaque area in the lens can interfere with its ability to transmit light rays from the front of the eye to the back of the eye. This can cause cloudy or filmy vision, the appearance of halos around lights, and loss of contrast or brilliance of colors.
3. DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
Some people with diabetes gradually develop damage to small blood vessels in the retina, which can lead to leakage of fluid and swelling of the macula. This itself can blur vision in the eye. In advanced stages, fragile blood vessels grow from the retina into the vitreous humor in the back of the eye. These may bleed and form scar tissue, which can eventually cause the retina to detach, leading to blindness. Adequate blood sugar control can minimize this damage and may prevent its progression.
4. GLAUCOMA
Buildup of aqueous humor, a fluid that occupies the space between the cornea and the lens, can damage the optic nerve by increasing pressure within the eye, often because its normal drainage is blocked. The result is loss of side vision and, eventually, of vision directly in the center, with poor visual clarity and, if the problem is not treated effectively, gradual blindness. For more information, click on
www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com .
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
EXERCISE IS AS GOOD AS ANTIDEPRESSANTS
Scientists are beginning to understand the connection between brain atrophy, neurogenesis, and depression. What happens within the brain when a person is depressed? Our concept of that is rapidly shifting, thanks to work in brain imaging and molecular medicine. In the late 1990s, several lines of research began turning our concept of mood disorders upside down.
NEW BRAIN CELL GROWTH CONTINUES THROUGHOUT LIFE
Taken chronologically, the first step was research showing that neurogenesis — the birth of new brain cells — can continue throughout life. Most of us remember being told that we’re born with all the brain cells we’ll ever have. Not true. We now know that the process of neurogenesis is an ongoing one, with new brain cells being born even as old brain cells die off.
DAMAGE TO BRAIN CAUSED BY DEPRESSION
The second was evidence that depression is associated with loss of volume in parts of the brain. Researchers have also found that depression appears to inhibit this birth of new brain cells. And that may help explain the second line of research — why people who’ve had depression are likelier to have a smaller hippocampus (a part of the brain that plays a role in emotion and is associated with memory and learning). The more severe and long-lasting the depression, the greater the loss of brain volume.
This process of brain atrophy also affects the frontal lobes, which are involved in managing emotional reactions. The good news is that most of the change seems to be related to cell shrinkage, rather than outright cell death, and thus can potentially be reversed. Genetic studies have also found a subgroup of people more susceptible to this process of brain atrophy.
WHAT ABOUT NEUROTRANSMITTERS?
Where does this leave familiar neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine? They are still understood to play a significant role in mood disorders — but with a new twist. Most people are familiar with the research that underlies the use of fluoxetine (Prozac) and similar antidepressants. These drugs block the reuptake of certain neurotransmitters at receptor sites in the brain, thus increasing the concentrations of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the synapses (gaps) between cells in the brain. This increase is believed to be responsible for the elevation of mood.
ACTIONS WITHIN THE CELLS
The twist? More recently, instead of focusing on tinkering with the level of neurotransmitters between cells, researchers have looked at what happens when the neurotransmitter binds to the cell membrane. The reactions that then go on inside the cell are now thought to be more important to the cell’s functioning than the binding of the neurotransmitter to the outside. For instance, researchers have found that antidepressants increase levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps nourish neurons, aiding them in becoming more active and make more connections to other cells. Researchers also have found that antidepressants are involved in neurogenesis — at least in rats — increasing the production of new neurons in the rat hippocampus.
THE ROLE OF EXERCISE VERSUS STRESS
In animal studies, stress puts a halt to the process of neurogenesis. Under stress, existing cells shrink and the total number of cells decreases. Exercise and “environmental enrichment,” on the other hand, have a beneficial effect.
In humans, there are hints that exercise may help reverse brain atrophy. Treatment with antidepressants also has been found to be effective, although the extent of the response varies among individuals and may be moderated by how severe a person’s depression has been, and how often it has recurred. And psychotherapy still has a role to play because how we interpret a stressful event can have a significant impact on our emotional response and ability to recover.
HOW MUCH EXERCISE?
According to John Ratey, MD, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New
Science of Exercise and the Brain www.amazon.com a simple equation can help you get on target for the right amount of activity. “An exercise regimen can work as well as an antidepressant,” says Dr. Ratey. The equation is to multiply your body weight by 8 to find the number of calories you need to burn each week. Once you come up with that total, go online to a calorie-burning site, such as www.calorieking.com or www.my-calorie-counter.com to find the amount of time per activity you will need to expend to reach your goal. As an example, the list below shows a few activities and the number of minutes it takes for a 135-pound woman to burn 200 calories:
Walking (4 mph, brisk) — 37 minutes
Aerobics — 29 minutes
Dance (general) — 29 minutes
Elliptical Trainer — 29 minutes
Spinning (moderate) — 27 minutes
Jogging (5 mph) — 24 minutes
Swimming — 19 minutes
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
SALAD SEASON IS ALMOST HERE!
As many of you who have been reading my blog on a regular basis know, I am an advocate of nutritious eating as a way to stay vital and healthy. Knowing some secrets of healthy food preparation makes the determination to eat healthy a little less daunting when you come home tired after working all day.
TIPS FOR GREAT SALADS
• Select greens that are crisp and free of discoloration. Iceberg lettuce and cabbage should be firm and solid.
• Wash greens thoroughly in cool water, pat them dry with a clean paper or cloth towel to remove water. Store in a covered container or plastic bag, and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving to crisp the greens. Place a piece of paper towel in the bottom of the container to absorb extra moisture.
• For iceberg lettuce, grasp the head in your hand and hit the core area against the countertop; lift out the core. Rinse the head under running water and drain core-side down.
• Just before serving, tear — don’t cut — the greens into bite-sized pieces. Cutting greens with a knife will turn the edges brown overnight.
• Allow greens to stand at room temperature no longer than 15 minutes before serving.
• Toss greens with a spare amount of dressing and serve immediately or place greens in a salad bowl and pass the dressing at the table. Adding too much dressing will make a salad soggy.
• Pasta, rice, and vegetable salads should chill for a few hours to allow flavors to blend.
TENDERLOIN TIPS
• Because pork tenderloin defrosts and cooks quickly, it is a good cut to keep in the freezer for last-minute meals. Thaw tenderloin using the “defrost” cycle of your microwave according to the manufacturer1s directions.
• For quick, hearty sandwiches, cut a tenderloin into 3-ounce portions, pound into patties, and pan-fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Serve on rolls.
• Cut pork tenderloin while partially frozen into thin, even slices and use in place of beef or chicken in your favorite stir-fry or fajita recipes.
STRAINING BROTH
• Remove meat and bones from broth. Line a colander with a double thickness of cheesecloth; place in a large heat-resistant bowl. Pour broth into colander. Discard vegetables, seasonings, and cheesecloth.
TIPS FOR BETTER GELATIN SALADS
• Always used canned or cooked pineapple in gelatin salads. Fresh pineapple and kiwi fruit will prevent the salad from setting.
• For easy removal of gelatin salads from mold, moisten the interior of the mold with cold water, rub vegetable oil inside or coat with nonstick cooking spray before filling.
TIPS FOR POTATO SALADS
• To cook potatoes for salads, scrub and wash potatoes; remove any eyes or sprouts. Place whole unpeeled potatoes in a large kettle. Cover with cold water; add 1-2 teaspoons salt for each quart of water. Cover and boil until fork-tender yet firm. (Cooking times vary with size and variety-small potatoes may cook in 15 minutes, while larger ones may need 30 minutes.) Drain potatoes; allow to cool. Use a paring knife to peel if desired. Slice or cut potatoes into chunks.
• Red potatoes are especially good for salads because they don’t absorb excess dressing or break apart as easily as other varieties. And because of their thin edible skin, they don’t need to be peeled.
TIPS FOR STORING AND COOKING GRAINS
• You can store white and wild rice in an airtight container indefinitely. Brown rice has an oily bran layer that can turn rancid at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for up to six months.
• Always rinse wild rice before cooking. It is not necessary to rinse other grains.
• When cooking rice, do not stir of lift the cover unless instructed in the recipe.
• Wild rice and barley may become tender without absorbing all the cooking liquid. If necessary, drain before serving or combining with other recipe ingredients.
• For fluffier rice, remove the saucepan from the heat after the cooking time is complete and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve .
• Leftover cooked white or brown, rice, wild rice, and barley freeze well; defrost and re-heat in the microwave oven for use in recipes calling for cooked rice or for a quick side dish.
• Allow 1/2 to 3/4 cup cooked rice, wild rice, or barley for each side-dish serving.
CHEESE TIPS
• When buying bulk cheese, 4 ounces equals 1 cup shredded.
• Store cheese in airtight containers, plastic bags, or plastic wrap in the refrigerator (about four months for soft cheeses and six months for hard cheeses).
• Cheese can be frozen for longer storage time. Because the freezing process changes the cheese’s texture slightly, it is best to use it in cooking or baking.
• When cooking with natural unprocessed cheese, melt at low temperatures to keep the cheese from turning tough and stringy.
• When adding cheese to a soup or sauce, stir in the cheese at the end of cooking to avoid overheating. Shredding the cheese allows it to melt faster with a minimum of heating.
KNIFE CARE
• Always wash and dry knives by hand immediately after use and never let them soak in water. Don’t put knives in the dishwasher.
• Store knives in a slotted wooden block or hang them on a magnetic rack especially designed for knives. Proper storage will protect the knife edges, keep blades sharper longer, and guard against injury.
SO YOU THINK YOU’RE CONSCIOUSLY IN CHARGE OF YOUR DECISION MAKING? MAYBE NOT!
It seems that researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig in collaboration with the Charité University Hospital and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience in Berlin have come up with some interesting results regarding how the human decision-making process works.
“Many processes in the brain occur automatically and without involvement of our consciousness. This prevents our mind from being overloaded by simple routine tasks. But when it comes to decisions, we tend to assume they are made by our conscious mind. This is questioned by our current findings,” says Professor John-Dylan Haynes, whose group used a brain scanner to investigate what happens in the human brain just before a decision is made.
Contrary to what most of us would like to believe, decision making may be a process handled to a large extent by unconscious mental activity. As much as several seconds before we consciously make a decision, its outcome can be predicted from unconscious activity in the brain.
In the study, published in Nature Neuroscience, participants could freely decide if they wanted to press a button with their left or right hand. They were free to make this decision whenever they wanted, but had to remember at which time they felt they had made up their minds. The aim of the experiment was to find out what happens in the brain in the period just before the person felt the decision was made. The researchers found that it was possible to predict from brain signals which option participants would take up to seven seconds before they consciously made their decision. Normally, researchers look at what happens when the decision is made, but not at what happens several seconds before. The fact that decisions can be predicted so long before they are made is an astonishing finding.
More than 20 years ago the American brain scientist, Benjamin Libet, found a brain signal, the so-called “readiness-potential” that occurred a fraction of a second before a conscious decision. Libet’s experiments were highly controversial and sparked a huge debate. Many scientists argued that if our decisions are prepared unconsciously by the brain, then our feeling of “free will” must be an illusion. In this view, it is the brain that makes the decision, not a person’s conscious mind. Libet’s experiments were particularly controversial because he found only a brief delay between brain activity and the conscious decision.
In contrast, Haynes and colleagues now show that brain activity predicts — as much as seven seconds ahead of time — how a person is going to decide. But Haynes also warns that the study does not finally rule out free will: “Our study shows that decisions are unconsciously prepared much longer ahead than previously thought. But we do not know yet where the final decision is made. We need to investigate whether a decision prepared by these brain areas can still be reversed.
So how can I apply this information from a health standpoint, you may ask. Well, in my opinion, whether we make decisions based on our unconscious or not, in more complex decision-making requirements than whether we are going to use the right or left hand, the unconscious has to get information and training from somewhere in order to have a basis on which to formulate the pre-decision unconscious brain work. The application for this information is to train your brain as well as possible in a positive, ethical, life-affirming direction. That way, the “unconscious” decisions will take you in the direction you want to go.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
LOVE YOUR KITTY, LOVE HER E. COLI … EUWWW!
When I was a kid and had cats and dogs around the house, my mother was always reluctant to let them inside. The inveterate animal lover that I have been, even from the cradle, wanted all my pets indoors at night so there was a nightly, emotional tug-of-war about whether my pets could come in or not. I could never understand my mother’s resistance. She would say, “Animals are dirty. They make the house dirty.” In my child’s perception of things, I didn’t see that at all. It seemed like a very weak excuse to me, just to make us all miserable. (Strangely, in her later years, my mother has done an about-face and has quite a few pets that she treats like her children, to my delight and amusement.)
Anyway, my mother’s legacy lives on, in a watered-down way, in me. I
still make sure that my animals are inside, safe, warm and cozy at night. But one of the first things my new kittens learn is that the kitchen table and counter tops are definitely off-limits. So are the bathroom counter tops. All other spaces are permitted as long as they don’t start clawing. What the little cuties do when I’m not at home is a whole other matter.
Now a report in the Journal of Infectious Disease (Vol. 197, No. 2), vindicates my mother somewhat. The report titled “Escherichia coli Colonization Patterns Among Human Household Members and Pets, With Attention to Acute Urinary Tract Infection” says that our systems have the ability to clone the bacteria that is spread when kitty explores the higher reaches of your kitchen, carrying on her dainty paws the residue of her latest visit to her litter box.
The study’s subjects were human volunteers, recruited from the staff and visitors at a Minneapolis Veteran’s Administration hospital, and their pets — 48 dogs and 25 cats. Not every fecal sample from people and pets had the so-called extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli, and even fewer people had acute urinary tract infections during the study.
But in households where people and pets all had E. coli, the bacteria were genetic clones of one another. That meant the person had given the bug to the cat or vice versa. In some cases, researchers said, the animal might have been an intermediate host between two infected humans. They said in conclusion: “Within-household sharing of E. coli … is common and can involve any combination of humans and pets.”
Granted, the study was small and we don’t know how well controls were instituted, but I’m including it in my blog as a cautionary tale, and I suggest that it might be a good idea to make sure your table and counter tops are cleaned with a sanitizer of some kind before preparing each meal. Also be fastidious about washing your hands after cleaning the litter box.
And if our little furry friends could read medical literature, I’m sure they would do the same for our germs.
Take a look at www.catwatchnewsletter.com for more information.
OSCAR-WINNING FOODS WE ALL SHOULD EAT
YOGURT
Yogurt is an outstanding source of protein and calcium. It is also well-know for its friendly bacteria called probiotics, which promote good digestion and boost immunity. Yogurt may also be a tool in our weight maintenance kit. New research links dairy foods to reduced body fat.
AVOCADOS
Ounce for ounce, they contain more blood pressure-lowering potassium
than bananas. They are also rich in good-for-you monounsaturated fats, and cholesterol-lowering beta-sitosterol, cancer-protective glutathione, vitamin E, folate, vitamin B6 and fiber.
TOMATOES
Cooked or processed tomatoes are your very best source of cancer-fighting lycopene, the nutrient that battles prostate cancer. New research shows it may offer women cancer and bone protection too. So enjoy your spaghetti sauce, tomato soup or pizza. Adding a bit of olive oil increases absorption.
BRAZIL NUTS
This nut comes from a tree and is know as a trigger food because researchers think it may cause cancer cells to self-destruct. It’s a great source of selenium, a promising anti-cancer trace mineral that also promotes DNA repair and boosts immunity. Just two medium nuts a day contain enough selenium to perhaps reduce prostate, colon and lung cancers.
SARDINES
Sardines are an exceptional source of omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease blood clotting, prevent heart arrhythmias and combat inflammation — all very good for your heart. They are also low in mercury, so you can eat them as often as three to four times a week.
BROCCOLI
Aim for at least three servings a week of this little green powerhouse, or its cousins (cabbage, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower), because these little guys carry two potent cancer-blockers that modify natural estrogens into less damaging forms and increase the activity of enzymes that fight carcinogens.
QUINOA
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is actually a seed, not a grain. The Incas used this as a staple for centuries because it provides 11 grams of high-quality protein and 5 grams of fiber per cup. The rice-like seeds contain ample magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamin E, riboflavin, copper and more iron than true grains.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Butternut squash is actually a fruit that not only provides an exceptional amount of beta-carotene (which converts into vitamin A in your body), but bone-building calcium too.
ONIONS
This Egyptian symbol for eternity gained that status for good reason. It may actually prolong life! It is loaded with sulfur compounds, which are also found in garlic thin your blood and lower blood pressure. In addition, onions contain quercetin, a nutrient also found in apples, which helps prevent oxidation of “bad” cholesterol and defends against cancer and cataracts. For maximum quercetin, choose red onions.
GREEN SOYBEANS
Also known as edamame, this is one of the oldest snack foods, and one of the most beneficial, helping to lower “bad” cholesterol, hinder breast and prostate cancers, protect against colon cancer, and strengthen bones. You’ll find edamame in natural foods market. Just steam and pop the beans out of their pods.
LENTILS
Lentils are loaded with heart-protective nutrients including folate and fiber. Lentils provide 9 grams of protein per half cup and enough iron to make them a good meat substitute. They are easy to prepare and can be cooked up in about 20 minutes.
KIWI
Named for New Zealand’s flightless bird, these fuzzy fruits (which are actually berries), top the list as the most nutrient-dense fruits of all. Two of them have more potassium than a banana, twice the vitamin C and fiber of a small orange, plus folate, magnesium vitamin e, copper and lutein (good for eyes).
FLAXSEED
These tiny, nutty-tasting seeds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and lignans, which may block hormone-related cancers. They pack lots of protein and fiber too. Sprinkle ground flaxseed into yogurt, cereals, salads, soups and batters.
KALE
Kale tops the list of vegetables in antioxidant power, also containing lutein and zeaxanthin that protects against age-related diseases. Get optimum benefit by eating kale often, as well as collards, spinach and turnip greens.
TRANS-SPECIES PSYCHOLOGY BREAKS DOWN BARRIERS FOR UNDERSTANDING THOSE WITH WHOM WE SHARE THIS PLANET
On March 26, 2008, I began writing on a topic that, while near and dear to my heart, has been hard for me to write about. (See Can Human Evolution Be Measured by How We Treat Animals?) The way some humans have historically treated animals is beyond the pale. For those of us who view animals as extensions of ourselves, the pain elicited when we read or hear about horrible crimes perpetrated against our animal kin is almost more than we can bear. I’m usually drained by the time I finish my research because the stories I read are so heartrending. But the bottom line, once I plow through the bad stuff? There is hope shining on the horizon.
TRANS-SPECIES PSYCHOLOGY
This new hope lies in trans-species psychology, which is a part of a new area of science committed to the idea that animals have minds of their own just like we do. It marks a formal turning point in what we know and, even more significantly, what we do. This new discipline erases the
conceptual walls that have held humans apart from other species. Our differences are more like those we might see between human cultures. How each culture eats, lives, mourns, celebrates and works may be somewhat different, but at the end of the day we all have the same feelings inside: joy, sadness, grief, pride, love.
Author Gary Kowalski writes in The Souls of Animals: “Animals are not our property or chattel, therefore, but our peers and fellow travelers. Like us, they have their own likes and dislikes, fears and fixations. They have plans and purposes as important to them as our plans are to us. Animals not only have biologies; they also have biographies. We can appreciate the lives of animals, but not appropriate them, for they have their own lives to lead.”
In Best Friends magazine, November/December 2007 issue, authors Gay
Bradshaw and Lori Marino go on to say, “Equality in mind and heart means equality in how we live. If we are serious about our kinship with other beings, we must adopt nothing less than the Golden Rule in our dealings with them. This sounds simple but it has profound implications for everyday life. For instance, current laws 
affecting humans and animals reveal a wealth of inconsistencies. Kidnapping a baby elephant, beating her as part of circus training and making her live a lifetime alone in chains is routine and legal.
“Killing an animal is not only permissible but also part of everyday culture. Deer, elk, bear, cougars, ducks, turkeys and other wildlife are routinely killed, as are countless cows, pigs, chickens and fish. And with few exceptions, killing a dog or cat does not count as a serious crime. In all these cases, were the victim human, it would be called murder. Acknowledging that animals have minds and feelings like us compels a radical change in laws to make what we know about other animals consistent with how we treat other animals.
“Trans-species psychology also affects how research and education are conducted. Middle and high schools regularly us frogs and cats in biology classes. For centuries, animals have been used as research tools because they resemble humans so closely. Yet, to perform such experiments on humans is considered unethical and is not allowed.
“Trans-species psychology rejects this double standard. It calls for a science that serves humans and other animals alike without make one suffer at the hands of the other.
“A new science also raises new questions. For example, much research is devoted to investigating how and why so many species — whales, birds, fish — are going extinct, and how to conserve them. But little attention is given to the most obvious problem; human behavior. Stanford biologist Paul Ehrlich has been making this point for years. Finding solutions to human overpopulation and consumerism are politically uncomfortable subjects. As a result, conservation hasn’t stopped the landslide of extinctions.
“Now that we know animals have the same attributes that have permitted people to dominate other species, a new egalitarian, trans-species ethic is emerging. Instead of demanding that animals continue to change their lives to suit people, humans are asked to take responsibility for changing how they live, and science is charged with helping people to do this.”
A case that occurred recently in Ventura, California, comes to mind. Bob, a 40-pound African spurred tortoise, was kidnapped from the back yard of the home he shared with the Sullivans and their young autistic son. Bob was later found near death with his legs and necked slashed and a hole in his shell. He
was rushed to a hospital and after a long, arduous recovery, eventually returned home. The perpetrator of this crime, an 18-year-old named Jose Antonio Mosqueda was apprehended and after a long trial ultimately received five years’ probation.
During the trial, the Sullivans received phone threats against their own lives and those of their pets, telling them to “drop all charges or their little brown dog would be next,” and then their miniature dachshund, Flapps was murdered. If Bob and Flapps had been humans, the case would have been considered much more serious and the criminals would have been hunted down and would have received lengthy sentences. As it was, nobody was caught for the murder of Flapps and Mosqueda gets off with a fine, a 270-day sentence commuted by time served awaiting trial and only five years probation for torture and 
attempted murder! The Sullivan family will never be the same. The Sullivans live in an embattled atmosphere, bringing Bob and the other pets inside each night. Their son William, a 7-year-old autistic who prefers to speak only to the animals, has been severely traumatized.
In another instance, I have trouble reconciling the dichotomy of the heritage of the minister of a church I know who has studied theology and languages and will soon be receiving his doctorate, but who comes from a family that still enjoys hunting and who is teaching his 10-year-old son to hunt. This man is obviously a humanitarian, highly educated and feels a mission to improve the world he inhabits, yet he sees nothing wrong in sending his young son out into the forest with a rifle!
Killing animals is murder, pure and simple.
For more information check out the following sites: www.animalliberationfront.com
CAN HUMAN EVOLUTION BE MEASURED BY HOW WE TREAT ANIMALS?
Love all living creatures.
If it could ever be said that I have a motto, that would be it. And I often find it easier to love the beings we call animals than I do those of my own species. To answer the question that the title of this post asks: In my opinion, there is but one, very simple answer … YES!
Over the ages, homo sapiens, the most predatory creatures on earth,
have slaughtered other animals for their meat, hide, feathers, bones, tusks and even precious gems in the form of pearls. (In order to stay on track with this article, I won’t even touch on the tortures and murders we perpetrate on our own species.) When our species finally stood upright and began to develop a larger brain, the power of speech and tool-making concepts, we left other species behind as far as intellect is concerned. Yet there is a profound, more visceral understanding that runs deeper than the higher brain, the brain responsible for building the pyramids, designing early ships that sailed the ocean, or engineering wood and vine bridges spanning great chasms.
This intuitive reverence for life brought home to us more obviously in some cultures than in others … witness the Tao or the Native American belief systems or Wicca, just to mention a few … is now being brought into the realm of science through a discipline called trans-species psychology, which is gaining momentum as I write this.
In Best Friends magazine. November/December 2007, an article titled “Minds of Their Own” written by Gay Bradshaw and Lori Marino tells this story: “Seemingly out of the blue, three teenagers went on a killing spree, in a community that never seen that kind of violence. But only a few years earlier, the young killers had witnessed the massacre of their families.
“In another case, a psychologist is asked to visit a 31-year-old female in a halfway house who has had a nervous breakdown. Before coming to live there, she was held prisoner, isolated and subjected to experiments by her captors for nearly a decade. Her symptoms classically fit the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“At another facility, a social worker visits an infant who cries inconsolably for his absent mother. The distressed infant is a victim of genocide, one of the few survivors of a mass killing that occurred only a few days before, in which his mother and most other family members were brutally slaughtered.”
These are not isolated incidents. These stories are common to
animal-care workers throughout the world. The teenage killers were young bull elephants, the entity suffering the breakdown was a chimpanzee, and the crying infant was a dolphin. Bradshaw and Marino ask, “Are these descriptions anthropomorphic exaggerations, dramatizing animal lives with the language of human experience?"
They answer their own question, "Only a few years back, the answer might have been yes. But today, a bounty of scientific discoveries has erased many (some argue all) of the differences that have seemed to separate humans from everyone else. Whales have culture, apes have a sense of art and aesthetics, elephants mourn their departed loved ones, snakes play, and the list goes on.”
“Trans-species psychology is part of a new area of science committed to the idea that animals have minds of their own just like we do. It marks a formal turning point in what we know and, even more significantly, what we do,” say the authors.
As I write this post, my heart aches and my eyes fill with tears of shame and sorrow. It is one of the most difficult posts I have ever written. I’m thrilled that the new discipline is emerging … and not a moment too soon, I might add. I do what I can to aid the little creatures who have come into my care. And I donate a dollar here and a dollar there to various animal rights organizations. But I’m only one person. I hope that those of you who read this will join with me in this very important quest. I believe our own survival as a species is tied in with how we treat other species. ... So far our track record has been very poor.
I will be writing more on this subject in my next post, slated for March 28, 2008.
VONNIE'S DELICIOUS WAFFLES
There is a lot of enthusiasm these days for getting the right amount of fiber in our food and with good reason. Fiber — both soluble (the kind that dissolves in water), and insoluble (the more fibrous type that does not dissolve, such as wheat bran) provides many benefits. Some are listed below.
• Helps stabilize blood sugar levels because it prolongs the digestive process.
• Helps control hunger for the same reason.
• Helps in the bulking up of stools, which in turn helps keep people “regular.” It is especially important to drink enough water (about 8 cups or 64 ounces a day) to help the fiber do its work.
• Soluble fiber binds to fats and holds them in the intestine for elimination, therefore aiding in the effort to keep bad fats from gaining access to the circulatory system.
• A meal with a lot of fiber is usually much lower in calories, but makes us feel full and satisfied.
Following is a recipe I put together that provides my family with more fiber and tastes delicious too! The recipe can be used for pancakes or waffles. If you are making pancakes, eliminate the vegetable oil. The consistency after cooking will be a little chewier and less doughy than the traditional low-fiber kind.
RECIPE FOR VONNIE'S 
SPECIAL FIBER-RICH WAFFLES
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 egg
2 cups Bisquick Heart Smart mix
¼ cup wheat germ
¼ cup wheat bran
¼ cup ground flax seed
¼ cup oat bran
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves or allspice
¼ tsp ginger or to taste
A pinch of cardamom (if desired)
2 tsps vanilla
Mix the first four ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir until well blended. Slowly add the remaining ingredients and stir again until well blended. If the mix seems a little thick, add more milk at tbsp at a time until the consistency is loose, but not runny. Be sure to grease the griddle plates, even if they are Teflon, waffles are notorious for sticking. Spread the batter carefully until it looks like the edges will fill when the lid is closed. Close lid and watch for the indicator light to tell you when they’re finished cooking. Makes four servings. Spread with honey, maple or berry syrup, or jam.
Waffles freeze and reheat very well, so save some for later in the week!
Enjoy!
Note: If you desire, you can add well-chopped walnuts or almonds and cranberries or raisins.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
TECHNIQUES FOR DIAGNOSING THE OFTEN ELUSIVE CAUSES OF BACK PAIN
Persistent or serious back pain will often motivate your doctor to order
one or more imaging studies to pinpoint or confirm the cause of the pain. Each of these studies has benefits and limitations, but provide a view of the bones and the soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, cartilage, tendons, and blood vessels) that is especially important if the possibility of surgery looms. Read on for a comparison of the various studies available.
X-RAYS
Your doctor will probably opt for x-rays as the first imaging study for chronic back pain and for new-onset back pain lasting longer than four to six weeks. They are especially useful for detecting fractures and invasion of bone by multiple myeloma (tumors of the bone marrow). People over age 50 are more likely to need spinal x-rays because these individuals have a greater risk of malignancy and vertebral fractures. People should not be concerned about the possible risks of modern x-rays; the radiation doses are low and there is no evidence of harm even from repeated x-rays. Conventional x-rays are available almost anywhere and are relatively low in cost ($150 to $200).
COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) SCANS
A CT scan, also called a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan, involves a series of x-rays that are taken as a special detector rotates 360° around the patient. A computer combines all the information into a cross-sectional picture. CT scans, 10 to 20 times more sensitive than x-rays, provide better soft-tissue detail and good detail of the vertebrae. Although MRI scans or CT myelograms (see below) are even more useful for examining the soft tissues (for example, herniated disks), CT scans are still best for studying bone problems — for example, bone destruction due to infection. CT scans are considerably more expensive and deliver more radiation than conventional x-rays (approximately $550).
CT MYELOGRAM
A CT myelogram involves a CT scan after the injection of a contrast material into the spinal canal. The injection carries the risk of infection and such side effects as nausea, headaches, and pain or discomfort at the site of injection. In addition, a person is required to sit or lie with the head elevated for six to eight hours afterward. These scans offer the best detail of bone and soft tissue. CT myelograms are usually performed only prior to surgery or after failed surgery (about $600).
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI)
In MRI, the most sensitive imaging technique, the patient is surrounded with a powerful magnet while radio waves are passed through the body. No x-rays are involved. This test provides the best images of soft tissues and is completely safe. However, MRI may not give a useful image of the bones in the spine. MRI is not recommended for early diagnosis of back pain unless the doctor suspects a serious condition, such as cauda equina syndrome (pressure on the nerve bundle that ends near the first lumbar vertebra; can have any number of causes and may cause serious and/or permanent nerve damage). Despite their sensitivity, studies have shown that MRIs should be reserved for preoperative evaluation or for people with a suspected herniated disk whose back pain symptoms do not respond to conservative treatment after four to six weeks.
MRI commonly visualizes disk abnormalities. In one study, at least one disk was affected in 64 percent of people who had no back pain. Disk herniation was present in 27 percent of these subjects (this number increased with age). Thus, the abnormalities revealed by an MRI are not necessarily the cause of a person’s back pain. In addition, this technique is costly, and MRI devices are not available everywhere.
Because people must lie perfectly still for between 30 minutes and two hours in a relatively small space, MRIs may be uncomfortable and poorly tolerated by those who are claustrophobic. (Open MRIs produce less claustrophobia but generally do not provide high-quality views and are not recommended.) In addition, depending on which part of the spine requires the MRI, it usually cannot be used in people with intrauterine devices, metal joint replacements, aneurysm clips, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, or pacemakers (about $1,000).
BONE SCANS
Bone scans measure the amount of radioactivity emitted from bone after
the injection of a bone-seeking compound that contains technetium, a radioactive metal. The bone is scanned two to three hours after the injection, and information about the distribution of the radioactive compound in the bone is fed to a computer, which produces a two-dimensional image of the bone. An area of bone that displays an increased uptake of technetium has a higher rate of bone turnover, which can be the result of a fracture not identified on an x-ray as well as metastatic cancer, Paget’s disease, or osteomyelitis (a bacterial infection of the spine). The amount of radiation delivered is similar to that of a CT scan. This technique can be used to identify fractures in both the central and peripheral areas of the body (about $500).
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
GREEN TEA IS A NUTRITIONAL SUPERSTAR
Even java junkies are starting to recognize the efficacy of a couple of cups of green tea each day. This deceptively mild beverage has enjoyed the spotlight of the media a lot lately, and with good reason. Credit goes to the antioxidant polyphenols, notably catechins called
epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which are believed to be responsible
for most of the health benefits linked to green tea. Green tea is made
by briefly steaming the just harvested leaves, rendering them soft and
pliable and preventing them from fermenting or changing color. After
steaming, the leaves are rolled, then spread out and "fired" (dried
with hot air or pan-fried in a wok) until they are crisp. The resulting
greenish-yellow tea has a green, slightly astringent flavor close to
the taste of the fresh leaf. In addition to adding to our arsenal of heart-healthy antioxidants, there are a many other reasons to imbibe. Read on to find out why.
BLOOD PRESSURE SENTINEL
Blood pressure below 120/80 — is considered optimal for most of us. Keeping it that way is a challenge as we age. But folks who sip just half a cup a day are almost 50 percent less likely to wind up with hypertension than nondrinkers.
BRAIN PROTECTOR
It appears that the tea's big dose of antioxidants fights the free-radical damage to the brain as seen in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's conditions. Getting-up-there adults who drink at least two cups a day are half as likely to develop cognitive problems as those who drink less.
CANCER FIGHTER
Again, ECGC polyphenols — the potent antioxidants in green tea — seem to prevent cancer cells from gaining a foothold in the body, by discouraging their growth and then squelching the creation of new blood vessels that tumors need to thrive. Study after study has found that people who regularly drink green tea reduce their risk of breast, colon, esophageal, stomach and prostate cancer.
YOUTH RESTORER
Keeping your arteries pliable translates into improved circulation and blood pressure, which helps you stay younger and healthier. How much green tea does this vital job take? About 10 ounces a day, which also helps prevent your body from absorbing artery-clogging fat and cholesterol. Fight plaque build-up in your blood vessels and keep them flexible to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
SKIN GUARDIAN
In the lab, green tea applied directly to the skin (or consumed) helps block sun-triggered skin cancer, which is why you're seeing green tea in
more and more cosmetics and sunscreens.
SKIN CALMER
The tea is a natural antiseptic that relieves itching and swelling. Soak a cotton pad in green tea and apply to cuts, scrapes or bug bites. Try it on inflamed breakouts and blemishes, sunburns, and even puffy eyelids.
WEIGHT CONTROL AID
Turns out that green tea speeds up your body's calorie-burning process
slightly and a couple of cups a day also help control appetite. Every little bit helps.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
INTERACTION OF TWO TRIGEMINAL NERVE CELL PROTEINS FOUND TO BE THE CAUSE OF HEAD PAIN
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University’s School of Dentistry have uncovered two nerve cell proteins that interact to carry head and neck pain information to the brain. The significance of this finding is that improved therapies for treating ailments such as migraines or TMJ disorders may be found.
“Our discovery reveals the complexities of pain signaling mechanisms
from the head and neck to the brain,” said Agnieszka Balkowiec, MD, PhD, principal investigator, OHSU School of Dentistry assistant professor of integrative biosciences and OHSU School of Medicine adjunct assistant professor of physiology and pharmacology.
Head pain is signaled to the brain by the trigeminal nerve, which also conveys other kinds of information, such as the sensation of touch and temperature, from many structures of the face, including teeth, temporomandibular joints, cornea, ears, and skin. Research suggests that the trigeminal nerve provides the signaling pathway for neuropathic and inflammatory pain conditions such as migraines, TMJ disorder, periodontal pain, dental surgical pain, trigeminal neuralgia, head and neck cancer pain.
The two proteins are Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP), and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). Previous studies have found that during a migraine attack, the stimulation of trigeminal nerve cells releases CGRP at the peripheral end of the cells, widening blood vessels in the brain coverings called meninges. Widening the blood vessels increases the flow of blood through the meninges and initiates an inflammatory process that likely contributes to the pain experience. Blocking CGRP helps alleviate migraine pain.
But the new discovery by Balkowiec’s team points to BDNF as being a likely culprit behind head pain — a previously unknown finding. BDNF has previously been shown to play an important role in pain signaling from other parts of the body, but this is the first time it has been considered to be a factor in head pain. The interaction between the two proteins is what is of interest. It also seems that BDNF is released by CGRP even when the trigeminal nerve cells are not stimulated.
The research is ongoing, “What we now need to better understand is how the interaction between CGRP and BDNF affects pain signaling to the brain in various disorders,” said Balkowiec.
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Photo credits: man, Junial Enterprises-Fotolia.com; woman, nazira_g-Fotolia.com
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
RESEARCH ON THE HUMAN BODY’S IMMUNE RESPONSE IS ONGOING
At the Institut Curie, Inserm, in collaboration with colleagues from Dynavax, researchers are closing in on some of the mysteries of how the human body defends itself from attack. There are a few ways the human body faces attack. One source of attack is from the outside via viruses and bacteria and another is from within, through a dysfunction of its own cells resulting in autoimmune diseases, tumors and cancer. There are a couple of responses the body activates when triggered by those attacks. One is innate immunity, a response that is rapid but devoid of memory; the other is adaptive immunity, which is a response that takes longer to put into place but is more specifically targeted.
In the presence of viral or bacterial attack an essential prerequisite to the properly functioning innate immunity is the “turning on” of the protein PI3-kinase. Once PI3-kinase is activated, the immune response is triggered, leading to the production of type 1 interferons, the spearhead of innate immunity, which destroys the body’s invaders. This discovery opens up new therapeutic prospects since it may suggest ways of restoring the function of innate immunity, which, in autoimmune
diseases is overactivated and in certain cancers is inhibited.
While innate immunity is always on guard to detect and destroy abnormal cells, tumor or bacterial/viral, it has no memory. The long-term adaptive immunity then comes into play, and though it takes longer to initiate, it teaches the immune system to recognize and destroy a specific invader.
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells are the body’s “sentinels” and are responsible for not only recognizing an invader, but for making the decision whether to trigger an innate immune (immediate, no memory) response or an adaptive (longer initiation, adapts itself in the best ways to destroy a specific invader) immune response.
Whatever the response, the presence of an intruder stimulates the TLR receptor inside the dendritic cells. Only then is the choice made between the two t
ypes of immune of response. The PI3-kinase is activated and turns on a whole cascade of proteins inside a cell. Information on the presence of an intruder in the body is thus transmitted to its final destination, in the cell’s nucleus, where the protein IRF-7 (transcription factor) modifies the expression of specific genes and so alters the cell’s behavior. In this specific case, IRF-7 induces the production of type 1 interferons (interferon-alpha, for example), which will bring about the destruction of the virus and strongly activate various cells of the immune system.
In certain autoimmune diseases, like systemic lupus erythematosus(3) or Sjögren’s syndrome, this innate response goes haywire and is overstimulated, which leads to an abnormal defense reaction of the immune system that causes it to attack the body’s own cells, tissues or organs. In some cancers, on the other hand, the innate response is virtually absent. It may be that the cancer cells are able to block the PI3-kinase signaling pathway.
Vassili Soumelis, MD, PhD, at the Institut Curie and his collaborators 
hope that, in time, they can develop new treatments for use in autoimmune diseases and oncology. By acting on PI3-kinase, it may be possible to adapt the innate response, so as to inhibit it in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and boost it in cancer treatment.
First published in the February 18, 2008, issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
HOW BABIES LEARN WORDS
The excitement that is generated every time a baby says its first word is a wonderful thing to behold. Learning to communicate is another signal that a new, precious little human being is on the long path to becoming a functioning adult. Conversely, parents of children who are a little slow to talk begin to worry and look for signs that their little one may have one problem or another. It turns out that scientists have learned that babies learn words based on items in their surroundings that they find the most interesting. Seems logical doesn’t it? And I think that little gem of information doesn’t change that much as we age. We find learning about anything easier if it holds our interest.
While most infants understand a small repertoire of words by 12 months old, there has been to date little scientific knowledge of just how they build those vocabularies. In contrast, researchers know a fair amount about how toddlers’ language develops. While it might make sense to assume that younger babies learn language in much the same way as older babies, a new study finds that just isn’t so.
I turns out that younger babies learn words for new objects based on how
interested they are in the object, whereas older babies attach more importance to whether the speaker is interested in the object. These findings suggest that parents might want to talk more about what their babies are interested in rather than what they, the parents, are interested in.
Investigators from Temple University in Philadelphia and the universities of Delaware in Newark and Evansville in Indiana conducted a couple of studies. In both, infants were taught new words for “interesting” (bright-colored items that had moving parts or made noise) or “boring” objects (dull in color and appearance). The interesting objects immediately captured the babies’ attention.
In the first study, the researchers explored whether 10-month-olds used both what they see and hear (i.e., perceptual clues) as well as what the person holding the object does (i.e., social cues) to learn a new word. In the second study, they confirmed that the infants truly paired the new word, or label, with the object, not with a particular location of the object.
These findings suggest that attention to social cues, like eye gaze, while valuable and sufficient for later word learning, is not necessary for infants to learn their very first words. Instead, infants learn words for things they find interesting with little regard for what a speaker is doing. Lead researcher, Shannon M. Pruden says, “Ten-month-olds simply ‘glue’ a label onto the most interesting object they see. Perhaps this is why children learn words faster when parents look at and label the objects that infants already find of interest.”
“The exciting thing is that a lot of people weren’t even sure that 10-month-olds were paying attention,” says study co-author Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, professor of psychology at Temple University and co-author of the book How Babies Talk. But this study shows that not only are they paying attention, they’re actually learning words. And that means parents should pay attention to what their infants are interested in and use that information to start a conversation.
“So when you’re at McDonald’s, you shouldn’t just talk to the woman next to you assume the baby isn’t picking up much,” says noted co-author Roberta Golinkoff, PhD, professor of education and psychology at the University of Delaware. “If you’re holding a French fry and talking about divorce, your baby might learn that the word ‘divorce’ goes with a French fry. Talking with children matters, even at this very early age.”
Adapted from materials provided by Society for Research in Child Development, via EurekAlert!
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
RESOURCES FOR THE LONG-TERM CAREGIVER
I have several friends who are in the position of being long-term caregivers. The responsibility is tremendous. And the toll it takes on their health is daunting. But for many it is the only option. Whether the affected person has suffered a stroke, has Alzheimer’s, or is afflicted with some other illness, caregivers need all the support they can get. Following is a list of helpful resources for people in that position:
WEBSITES
• www.alz.org/we_can_help_resource_lists.asp
Sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association. Click on “Caregiver Guides” for a list of publications for caregivers recommended by the Alzheimer’s Association.
• www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/home.jsp
Sponsored by the Family Caregiver Alliance. Click on “publications” or “newsletters” to read articles dealing with topics such as caregiver depression, hiring in-home help, or self-care for caregivers. These facts sheets can also be ordered for $2 each from the Family Caregiver Alliance at 180 Montgomery St., Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA 94104 or by calling 1-800-445-8106.
• www.care-givers.com
This is a website for empowering caregivers, which features articles, suggested readings and a newsletter.
• www.healthinaging.org/public_education/eldercare/1.xml
This site is sponsored by the American Geriatric Association Foundation for Health in Aging. Free Eldercare at Home book covers topics such as pain, dental problems and bone weakness; also provides articles on topics of interest to caregivers and links to resources.
• www.niapublications.org/adear
Provides a list of free publications that can be ordered either online or by
calling 1-800-438-4380.
BOOKS
• The Comfort of Home: An Illustrated Step-By-Step Guide for Caregivers by Maria Meyer (Care Trust Publications)
• The Eldercare Handbook: Difficult Choices, Compassionate Solutions by Stella Henry and Anne Convery (HarperCollins)
• The Fearless Caregiver: How to Get the Best Care for Your Loved One and Still Have a Life of Your Own by Gary Barg (Capital Cares)
• Helping Yourself Help Others: A Book for Caregivers by Rosalyn Carter and Susan K. Golant (Random House)
• Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease by Joanne Koenig Coste (Houghton Mifflin)
• The Resourceful Caregiver: Helping Family Caregivers Help Themselves by National Family Caregivers Association staff
• Surviving Your Spouse’s Chronic Illness by Chris McGonigle, PhD (Henry Holt & Company)
• Share the Care: How to Organize a Group to Care for Someone Who Is Seriously Ill by Cappy Capossela and Sheila Warnock (Fireside Publishing)
• The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer’s Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss in Later Life (4th Edition) by Nancy L. Mace and Peter V. Rabins (Johns Hopkins Press)
MAGAZINES
• Today’s Caregiver Magazine 1-800-829-2734, P.O. Box 21646, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33335, www.caregiver.com
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
LOSE WEIGHT AND GAIN FITNESS WITH "SOFT" EXERCISES
All my life, I’ve known the benefits of exercise. I learned them at my mother’s knee because she was a dedicated exerciser. Mom and I have done it all, from athletics to weight training to dancing. For both of us dancing seemed to be the ideal exercise. We discovered this separately, she when I was away at college, me after my own kids were grown. But hardwired preferences sometimes do run in families and in this case that proved to be true. I lost 40 pounds during the couple of years that I was a competitive ballroom dancer and I made gains in general fitness as well. And it all seemed so easy because I was having fun!
Now from Johns Hopkins Health Alerts comes information that exercise doesn't have to be a chore to offer health advantages. The latest studies suggest that "soft" exercises, such as yoga, dog walking and gardening, can help you manage your weight.
Most of these soft exercise activities are not extra-large calorie burners. But they do get you up and moving and away from the TV and fridge. Here are few exercises you might try to lose weight and enjoy yourself.
YOGA
Yoga is a great way to relax and reduce stress, and new research shows
that it may also help control weight. In a recent study of more than 15,000 middle-aged people, those who did yoga for at least half an hour a week for four or more years were better able to fight off weight gain.
Although a vigorous yoga session can burn up to 250 calories, the energy expenditures related to yoga itself were probably not responsible for the lack of weight gain seen in the study. Rather, it's more likely that taking up yoga makes you more mindful of what you’re eating and of your body and health in general. In addition, yoga can improve breathing, strength, and flexibility, making you more apt to perform other types of physical activity and lose weight.
WALKING THE DOG
Dogs are more than delightful companions — they can help with weight control. In a 2005 study, researchers at the University of 
Missouri-Columbia found that disabled people who started off walking a dog for 10 minutes three times a week, and worked up to 20 minutes five times a week, lost an average of 14 pounds over the course of a year — without purposefully changing their diets. Most weight-loss programs can’t boast of those kinds of results.
Another study, conducted at Northwestern University, found that people who went on a weight-loss and fitness plan together with their dog lost 11 pounds over the course of a year. Diet and exercise with your dog? That’s right. Like humans, many dogs are overweight, so involving your pooch in your weight-loss efforts can be beneficial for both you and your dog.
OTHER SOFT EXERCISES
Light gardening and yard work can be surprisingly taxing: Performed at a moderate pace, a 154-lb person can burn 330 calories per hour digging up weeds and raking. A similar case can be made for dancing and golfing (when you walk and carry your clubs). Biking at a moderate pace (less
than 10 miles per hour) can burn 290 calories an hour, while walking at
3.5 miles per hour can burn 280 calories an hour. Swimming slow freestyle laps can burn a whopping 510 calories per hour.
If you're exercise averse, look for activities that you enjoy or that allow
you to socialize, such as doubles tennis or fly fishing with a friend. Consider joining a walking club or taking a class (gentle yoga, tae kwon do, tai chi or chi gong perhaps). In short, look for the fun in moving more as you strive to make activity a part of your everyday life.
If you found this Health Alert interesting and want to learn more about exercise, weight loss, nutrition, dietary fats, fiber, antioxidants and related topics, Johns Hopkins recently published a 2008 Nutrition and Weight Control White Paper.
Written by a team of top doctors and nutritionists from Johns Hopkins, this fascinating 88-page report is filled with important information to help you understand your body's nutritional needs, the factors that affect body weight, and the health consequences of being overweight. Available for just $19.95 US [$19.95 CDN], the 2008 Nutrition and Weight Control White Paper can be ordered as an instant PDF download or in a handsome print edition. Just click on www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com
and search "soft exercises."
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
DEPRESSION: MEDICATIONS TO AVOID
I think every human alive has, at some point in their lives, probably struggled with that old devil depression. When I was younger, I had a major running war with it a lot of the time. My life had gone off in a direction other than the one I had planned and it took me decades to come to terms with that. Now I’m finding that some of the medications doctors prescribed for my other ailments might of actually been causing or adding to my symptoms. 
A number of widely used prescription medications have been reported to cause depression or worsen existing depression in some people. Symptoms of medication-induced depression may include changes in sleep patterns and appetite, sadness, anxiety, fatigue, discouragement and irritability. If you become depressed while taking any medication, continue to take it, but go see your doctor and discuss whether to switch to another drug, reduce dosage or receive other treatment for your depressive symptoms.
The following list includes some, but not all, of the medications known to be linked with depression:
• Acyclovir (Zovirax), prescribed for treatment of shingles and herpes
• Antihypertensives, such as the beta-blocker propranolol, (Inderal, Docitin)
• Anti-seizure medications, such phenytoin (Dilantin)
• Barbiturates, such as pentobarbital (Nembutal) and secobarbital (Seconal)
• Benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), lorazepam (Ativan), clonazepam (Klonopin), and other anti-anxiety medications
• Cimetidine (Tagamet) used to treat peptic ulcers and heartburn
• Corticosteroids such as prednisone and dexamethasone, used for inflammatory conditions, asthma and arthritis
• Digitalis medications for cardiac disease, such as digitoxin (Crystodigin) and digoxin (Lanoxin)
• Fluoraquinolone antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), and gatifloxacin (Tequin)
• Interferons such as Roferon-A, Intron-A, and Rebetron, used to boost immune response
• Pain medications, such as codeine or meperidine (Demerol)
• Pergolide (Permax), prescribed for symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
Again, don’t suffer in silence. Get yourself to a doctor as soon as possible and open a discussion.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
BABY TALK YOUR BABY TO ENCOURAGE LEARNING
“Learning a language is one of the most critical things an infant has to do, because communication with other people is tremendously important,” says Carnegie Mellon University Psychology Professor Erik Thiessen.
I baby talked my little ones when they were still around. But I didn’t do it because I thought I was helping
them learn to speak, I did it because cute little critters bring that component of my personality to the surface. Even nowadays, with the kids grown and out the door, I baby talk my pets who do stand-in duty for the kids who used to fill the house. As a matter of fact, the reigning school of thought in those days was that I might be doing harm by speaking to my infants in baby talk, but my mother’s instinct told me that just couldn’t be so and I continued to do so as long as it seemed appropriate.
So now the latest studies seem to show that I was doing the right thing after all. Most adults speak to infants using so-called infant-directed speech: short, simple sentences coupled with higher pitch and exaggerated intonation. Researchers have long known that babies prefer to be spoken to in this manner. Thiessen’s research has revealed that infant-directed speech also helps infants learn words more quickly than normal adult speech does.
In a series of experiments, he and his colleagues exposed eight-month-old infants to fluent speech made up of nonsense words. The researchers assessed whether, after listening to the fluent speech for less than two minutes, infants had been able to learn the words. The infants who were exposed to fluent speech with exaggerated intonation contour characteristic of infant-directed speech learned to identify the words more quickly than infants who heard fluent speech spoken in a more monotone fashion.
This study may also explain why many adults struggle to learn a second language even though they are able to use their own language effortlessly. Children, after all, learn to speak practically from scratch, and most experts believe infants are more adept than adults at language learning.
The study was published in the March 2008 issue of the journal Infancy. Thiessen is the director of Carnegie Mellon’s Infant Language and Learning Lab, which studies how children are able to learn so much so quickly during their first few years of life. For more information, go to www.psy.cmu.edu/~thiessen/labpage.html
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Photo credits: baby close-up, Melissa King; baby and mom with apple, NiDerLander, both on LuckyOliver.com
WHY DO WE LOVE BABIES?
When I was younger, I was not very interested in babies. I was so focused on developing my career that I couldn’t envision myself as a mother and neither could I connect with other females who would oh and ah over newborns who were proudly trotted into the office by their glowing (but usually worn-out) mothers.
Then I had my own.
Like the born-again Christian or the reformed smoker, I was converted. The mothering instinct had been awakened and I found the whole experience of the developing fetus, the birthing and the caring for children to be a holy, elevating experience. As is my way, I embraced the role with enthusiasm and became a rabid nurturer who sought out only the best for my children and protected them fiercely from harm. Also, an aspect of parenting that many of us may not connect with when we’re starting this odyssey is that “once a parent, always a parent.” In other words, even as our children grow up and leave the nest, we still want the best for them and do everything in our power to support their own odysseys as they go off into the world. As an extension of the learning experience I had as a parent, I have now come to realize how important our children are and how, in the bigger picture, they represent the future of humankind.
Now a group of researchers led by Morten Kringelbach and Alan Stein report that there is a possible brain basis for parental instinct. The hormone oxytocin is partially responsible for us bonding with our own young, but now their seems to be an area of the brain called the medial orbitofrontal cortex, which becomes highly specifically active within a seventh of a second in response to (unfamiliar) infant faces, but not to adult faces.
The investigators were searching for answer to the question of
why we almost instinctively treat babies as special, protecting them and enabling them to survive. Darwin originally pointed out that there is something about infants that prompts adults to respond to and to care for them, which allows our species to survive. Nobel-Prize-winning zoologist Konrad Lorenz proposed that it is the specific structure of the infant face, including a relatively large head and forehead, large and low-lying eyes and bulging cheek region, which serves to elicit these parental responses. But the biological basis for this has remained elusive.
Using a neuroimaging method called magnetoencephalography (MEG), at Aston University, UK, the research team found a key difference in early brain activity of normal adults when they viewed infant faces compared to adult faces. A wave of activity occurred within a seventh of a second upon presentation of an infant image, was to fast to be controlled by conscious mind, so therefore deduced to be instinctive.
The clinical application of this research is in the area of post-partum depression. There is evidence linking depression to the nearby subgenual cingulated cortex, which is strongly connected with the medial orbitofrontal cortex. This lends support to the possibility that changes to activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex, secondary to depression may adversely affect parental responsivity. Postpartum depression occurs in approximately 13 percent of mothers after birth. The present findings could eventually provide opportunities for early identification of families at risk.
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Photo credits: mother & baby, aldomurrillo-iStockphoto.com; loving family, dolgachev-iStockphoto.com
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
COOKING HEALTHFULLY IS A COMPONENT OF OVERALL HEALTH
Cooking well and healthfully is as important to good health as all the other components, such as exercise, not smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation and so forth. Nowadays this information applies to men as well as women. All the men I know cook and one way for a guy to lose my
respect in an instant is to say he depends on the significant female in his life to feed him and that he would starve without her. I raised two sons and had them help me in the kitchen from a very tender age. They were making cookies at 4 and 5 years old, then by 8 years old they were helping me make meals. They're grown now and do much of the cooking in their own households. I know they don't regret knowing how to cook and neither do their women.
Following are some tips collected from across the United States and published in Backyard Living magazine www.BackyardLivingmagazine.com to help you on the lifelong road of cooking adventure:
• For more volume in egg whites, let stand in room temperature before beating. Use a glass or metal bowl (not plastic) with a tapered bottom and wide top. (Egg whites expand six times when beaten, so make sure bowl is large enough). C. Liska, Maplewood, Ohio
• Lemon juice may be substituted for vinegar in many salad and vegetable
recipes. Just a squeeze makes vegetables taste livelier too! P. Reed, Conyers, Georgia
• Here’s how to keep corn on the cob garden fresh for up to a week. Immediately husk the corn and remove silk. Then, place cobs in zip top plastic bags in between layers of paper towels that you have soaked in cold water. Refrigerate. When ready to cook, remove as many cobs as you need. M. Flory, Elkhart, Indiana
• Make super-fine sugar by whirling granulated sugar in a blender or food processor until powdery. B. Wood, Glenview, Illinois
• Pancakes will brown just beautifully if you add 1 tablespoon of molasses to your butter. L. Gauthier, St. Didace, Quebec
• Melt chocolate squares for recipes right in their wrappers in the microwave oven. (Be sure the wrappers are paper, not foil.) Then, just scrape the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl. N. Mauser, Klingerstown, Pennsylvania
• Whenever I cook cabbage, I put a piece of celery in the kettle to kill the cooking odor. No cabbage smells in the house! E.T. Bangert, Waco, Texas
• Before opening a canned ham, run hot tap water over the container for a few minutes—the ham will slip out easily. P. Steenbock, Shoshoni, Wyoming
• For quick baked potatoes, first cook 3 minutes in the microwave, then 20 minutes at 375F degrees in a conventional oven to crisp the skins. (Remember to pierce the skins before microwaving!) B. Maschke, Young America, Minnesota 
• When I mix ground meat with other ingredients, I put the meat and ingredients in a plastic bag and zip it shut. Then, I knead the mixture in the bag. This way, I don’t have to wash either a bowl or my hands afterward. I can also freeze whatever I don’t use right in the bag. H. O’Key, Litchfield, Connecticut
• Dip fresh strawberries into sour cream or yogurt and roll in strawberry-flavored gelatin granules for a tasty treat. A. Krawezyk, North Providence, Rhode Island
• For a refreshing snack, combine 1-1/2 cups orange juice, a peeled banana and a tray of ice cubes in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. K. Young, Chico, California
• When celery loses it’s crispness, place it in a pan of cold water along with a sliced raw potato. Let it stand for a while and the celery will again be crunchy. L. White, Akron, Ohio
• For fresh tasting frozen raspberries, thaw one pint of frozen berries in a syrup solution of 2 cups water to 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Drain and use immediately. R. Dyck, Forest, Ontario
• Freeze whole strawberries on a cookie sheet until firm: transfer to heavy plastic bags or 5-quart ice-cream pails for storing. E. Plaster, Cushing, Washington
• If pancake syrup is too sweet to suit you, make a fruit topping for pancakes, waffles, or french toast. Place 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries in small saucepan, mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/3 cup water and pour over berries. Cook over medium heat until thick and clear. Sweeten to taste, using artificial sweetener if desired. J. Page, Edenville, Michigan.
• Tie serving-size bunches of asparagus stalks together with kitchen twine and cook, covered, in boiling water for 8–10 minutes. Each bunch can be easily lifted from the water, then just snip the twine and serve. L. Spadoni, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Enjoy!
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Photo credits: Little boys cooking-Olga Solovei; couple in kitchen-Fred Goldstein; guy checking chicken-Phillip Holland.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
RELATIONSHIPS ARE DICEY THINGS
One of the most important skills one needs to learn in life is how to get along with others. You may be the most brilliant genius, but if your knowledge about how to build and keep relationships is lacking, I guarantee you most likely will limit your own development because of it. Kindness and diplomacy usually win out, but sometimes we need a little help. Following are some methods for handling different situations.
RESPONSES TO VERBAL ATTACKS
Advice from Nando Pelusi, PhD, psychologist in private practice, New York City:
➢ Ask the person what he/she is upset about. This shows that you want
to communicate, not argue—and it puts the responsibility back on them.
➢ Concede one kernel of truth, if there is one, but deny the generalization. For example, if your brother calls you a screw-up, admit to one specific error but say that it does not represent everything you do.
➢ Take a guess at what you think the person is feeling. “You sound angry. I’m sorry you feel that way.” Do not blame.
➢ Resist the urge to win. Instead, listen and ask questions, which will ultimately help the other person independently arrive at a workable solution.
BETTER WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
From Justin Kruger, PhD, psychologist and associate professor of marketing at Stern School of Business, New York University, New York City, comes this advice: Be very careful with written communication, such as e-mail. It’s very easy for these messages to be misunderstood. Humor and sarcasm often fall flat, or worse, are taken literally as offensive statements. E-mail doesn’t convey tone of voice. The sender may have a tone in mind that conveys humor when composing the message, but that tone won’t be conveyed to recipients. One trick: Read a humorous or sarcastic memo out loud in a flat, nonhumorous tone. If it doesn’t sound like what you’re trying to convey, rewrite it.
CONVERSATION WITH THE HEARING IMPAIRED
Let’s face it. As the population grays, more and more of us will suffer from various degrees of hearing loss. It can be very frustrating to not know for sure if you’re being heard totally or to wonder if you’ve been misunderstood and it sometimes can have devastating effects. LifeLedger Tips, which assists caregivers via the Internet, www.lifeledger.com, gives some techniques to smooth the communication process.
➢ Eliminate background noise. Turn off the radio or television for the length of the conversation. You can always turn it back on when you’re finished.
➢ Sit at eye level in their line of vision. Look them in the eye when speaking. Facial expression goes a long way to enhance understanding.
➢ Ask if they can hear you. If not, change the pitch of your voice, not just the volume. Refrain from shouting, that is upsetting to both of you and it doesn’t improve communication at all.
➢ Show that you are listening in return. Look at them when they are speaking.
➢ Allow extra time for the hearing impaired person to respond.
HOW TO ENCOURAGE COOPERATION
We often encounter people who are reluctant to do what we ask them to do, whether when dealing with a recalcitrant child or teenager, or with a member of the staff at work who resents your authority. Eric Knowles, professor of psychology at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, chief scientist at www.omegachange.com and co-editor of Resistance and Persuasion offers this advice. Say, “I know you may not want to do this, but ….” People are 29 percent more likely to grant a favor when the person asking uses this phrase. The reason is because you’ve shown that you understand that someone is reluctant empowers them to feel that they have a choice. They then can decide that it might not be such a bad thing to grant your request.
For more relationship tips, try www.bottomlinesecrets.com.
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Photo credits: angry couple-Jason Stitt; pouting girls-Elena Elisseevva
_______________________________________________________ Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
BRAIN FOOD
Be sure to eat your veggies to stay sharp suggests a study that tracked more than 3,700 men and women and was reported in Environmental Nutrition. Researchers assessed what the participants ate and then tested their mental acuity three years and six years later. The result? Subjects who ate three vegetables daily (particularly the green leafy type) retained their mental abilities 40 percent longer than those who ate less than one veggie a day.
You might like to try the following recipe.
ille_ingr_lechatmachinLAVONNE'S RATATOUILLE
Olive oil (enough to cover bottom of a large frying pan
2 onions, peeled, cut in about ½-inch pieces
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 bell peppers, one red, one green, seeded, cut in about ½-inch pieces
3 or 4 zucchini, cut into 1-inch thick rounds
1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, cut into eighths
¼ teaspoon of thyme*
¼ teaspoon of oregano*
1 bay leaf*
½ cup of chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in heavy skillet; sauté onions and garlic gently until they become translucent (about 2 minutes). Add peppers; sauté a few more minutes. Add zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes (adding a little more oil, if necessary); cook about 5 more minutes. Add thyme and oregano. Simmer gently, uncovered, 30 to 40 minutes, until all vegetables are just tender. Add salt and pepper. Baste often; do not scorch. Stir in chopped parsley and top with Parmesan cheese. Place under a broiler for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned around the edges. May be served hot or cold.
*These herbs may be omitted, or added lightly to taste.
Note: Other vegetables may be added. I often use carrots and potatoes in the mix. Also to make it a complete meal, you can add 1-inch chunks tofu or serve ratatouille as a side dish with meat.
This is a very healthy recipe because it contains so many vegetables, which release their juices that turn into a delicious vegetable gravy during cooking. The gentle sautéing also enhances some of the phytochemicals, such as lycopene in the tomatoes. If you include carrots in the recipe, the olive oil helps the digestive system absorb their carotenoids.
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Photo Credits: ingredients for ratatouille-LeChat Machine; cooked ratatouille-Corinne Matusiak
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
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