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Let us know in your donation letter
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We will open
the world
for you
To delay may mean to forget
- Your help will ease human suffering and save lives -
Donation instructions: see below & Home Page
__________________________
STAF, Inc - until every family is doing well©
We at STAF, Inc. want to know how this advice website has improved your & your family's life
Let us know in your donation letter
___________________________
We will open
the world
for you
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.
- not-for-profit -
- the leading new organization in all family & life success topics -
* Nationwide - Worldwide *
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World's # 1 free advice website Successo-Pedia©
for all family matters, success, health, wealth
& for the good life
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with
Free Question & Answer service
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Quotation
The things you are passionate about
are not random
They are your calling
Fabienne Frederickson
Click: Fabienne
The things you are passionate about
are not random
They are your calling
Fabienne Frederickson
Click: Fabienne
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STAF, Inc.'s mission for your family's best:
Less suffering - more life™
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STAF, Inc. saves lives
To inspect STAF, Inc.'s first 4 pages in its original founding acceptance documents
provided by the State of New York:
click: mission - STAF, Inc.'s purpose and its mission statements are in those 4 pages
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STAF, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization & needs your donations - donation instructions, see: Home page
As its name indicates, SAVE THE AMERICAN FAMILY - STAF, Inc. is helping families in all their challenges nationwide
in The U.S. and in addition, STAF Inc.'s services are worldwide.
As a not-for-profit we do need your donations as cash funds and/or as your volunteer services.
For cash funds donations see the contact information in the home page.
Volunteering your time to serve people together with us - communicate via email (info in home page).
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USE these 2 keys:
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in your computer to connect in this tab site, below, to the full resume of Dr. Christian von Christopehers, the President, CEO of STAF, Inc. - the resume can be copied for your view.
Dr. Christian will be available for your organization to give high-level seminars in all topics in this STAF, Inc.'s website.
The seminars can be of any length, your location can be anywhere in the USA or in any other country in the world.
In addition, your organization may hire for any length Dr. Christian for all business related counseling.
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., is regarded nationwide & worldwide as one of the leading professionals in his fields and topic areas.
Quotation
"Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
_______________________________
USE these 2 keys:
CTRL END
in your computer to connect in this tab site, below, to the full resume of Dr. Christian von Christopehers, the President, CEO of STAF, Inc. - the resume can be copied for your view.
Dr. Christian will be available for your organization to give high-level seminars in all topics in this STAF, Inc.'s website.
The seminars can be of any length, your location can be anywhere in the USA or in any other country in the world.
In addition, your organization may hire for any length Dr. Christian for all business related counseling.
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., is regarded nationwide & worldwide as one of the leading professionals in his fields and topic areas.
Quotation
"Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
_______________________________
Quotation
"Whether you think you can or
whether you think you can't
you are right"
Henry Ford
click: Henry Ford
Henry Ford did not invent the automobile. He didn’t even invent the assembly line. But more than any other single individual, he was responsible
for transforming the automobile from an invention of unknown utility into an innovation that profoundly shaped the 20th century and continues to affect our lives today.
Innovators change things. They take new ideas, sometimes their own, sometimes other people’s, and develop and promote those ideas until they become an accepted part of daily life. Innovation requires self-confidence, a taste for taking risks, leadership ability and a vision of what the future should be. Henry Ford had all these characteristics, but it took him many years to develop all of them fully. Click: The Life of Henry Ford
______________________________
Success building formula
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.
Click: ― Mahatma Gandhi
_____________
When someone asks how you are doing, answer:
I am blessed
and highly favored,
strongly energized
(then you will and so will the other person or group)
________
"Whether you think you can or
whether you think you can't
you are right"
Henry Ford
click: Henry Ford
Henry Ford did not invent the automobile. He didn’t even invent the assembly line. But more than any other single individual, he was responsible
for transforming the automobile from an invention of unknown utility into an innovation that profoundly shaped the 20th century and continues to affect our lives today.
Innovators change things. They take new ideas, sometimes their own, sometimes other people’s, and develop and promote those ideas until they become an accepted part of daily life. Innovation requires self-confidence, a taste for taking risks, leadership ability and a vision of what the future should be. Henry Ford had all these characteristics, but it took him many years to develop all of them fully. Click: The Life of Henry Ford
______________________________
Success building formula
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.
Click: ― Mahatma Gandhi
_____________
When someone asks how you are doing, answer:
I am blessed
and highly favored,
strongly energized
(then you will and so will the other person or group)
________
"STAF, Inc. is your STAFF for your NEW life"
* health * family happiness * financial freedom
________________________________________________
Important information
for every person involved in College entering plans
How to Help College Students Graduate
CUNY's ASAP program
click: CUNY - The City University of New Yorkwww.cuny.edu/
CUNY - The City University of New York - the nation's leading urban public university serving more than 480000 students at 23 colleges and institutions in New York City
Plus:
Other important information for this year's decision making
Detailed info in the article below and other recent information for improving College education
E.g. ASAP (details below) -isn’t cheap — the program costs, on average, $3,900 per student each year — it’s a solid investment for New York City’s taxpayers. Dr. Levin and Dr. García calculate that the total lifetime benefits — from increased tax revenues as well as savings in crime, welfare and health costs — are a whopping $205,514 per associate degree graduate.
Click green & colored areas below for further info
AMERICAN students are enrolling in college in record numbers, but they’re also dropping out in droves. Barely half of those who start four-year colleges, and only a third of community college students, graduate. That’s one of the worst records among developed nations, and it’s a substantial drain on the economy. The American Institutes for Research estimates the cost of those dropouts, measured in lost earnings and taxes, at $4.5 billion. Incalculable are the lost opportunities for social mobility and the stillborn professional careers.
There’s a remedy at hand, though, and it’s pretty straightforward. Nationwide, universities need to give undergraduates the care and attention akin to what’s lavished on students at elite institutions.
If that help is forthcoming, graduation rates more than double, according to several evaluations of an innovative program at the City University of New York’s community colleges.
Over the past month, click: Search Result Welcome to CUNY - The City University of New York
CUNY’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) click Accelerated Study In Associate Programs
has garnered hosannas in the media for its package of comprehensive financial resources, student support systems and impressive graduation rates. The social policy leader MDRC click: MDRC is conducting a multiyear random-assignment study of ASAP and, in a just-released click: report, describes it as “unparalleled in large-scale experimental evaluations of programs in higher education to date.”
Nearly 90 percent of students who attend a top-ranked university earn a bachelor’s degree in four years. While these undergraduates may well be among the best and brightest, they also get kid-gloves treatment. If they run into trouble, an army of helpmates stands at the ready. “From moving day as a freshman through graduation and beyond,” Harvard assures its students, “our advisers are here to help and support you at every step.”
The situation is entirely different for most undergraduates, especially poor and minority students. All too often they’re steered to schools where they receive little if any support in mastering tough courses, decoding arcane requirements for a major, sorting out life problems or navigating the maze of institutional requirements. Graduation rates at these so-called dropout factories, especially those in urban areas that largely serve low-income, underprepared minority populations, are as abysmal as 5 percent.
Where a student goes makes all the difference. Consider a Chicago public high school graduate with a grade-point average of 3.5. If she enrolls at Chicago State University, click: The Washington Monthly a Washington Monthly click: investigation shows, the odds against her finishing are high — the school’s six-year graduation rate hovers at 20 percent. Her chances measurably improve if she attends the University of Illinois at Chicago, where the completion rate is 57 percent. And if she goes to Northwestern, just a few miles away, 93 percent of her classmates will graduate.
Six years ago, CUNY decided to confront the high dropout rate at its community colleges with the ASAP initiative. The results are stunning: 56 percent of the first two cohorts of more than 1,500 students have graduated, compared with just 23 percent of a comparable group that didn’t have the same experience. What’s more, most of those graduates are currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
The program for community-college students addresses money issues, which are typically students’ top concern, by covering tuition that’s not paid for by federal and state grants, as well as paying for public transit and giving students free use of textbooks, saving them upward of $900 a year. To help balance the demands of college with work, life and family obligations, students take their classes in a consolidated course schedule (morning, afternoon or evening).
While the added dollars make a big difference, students consistently report in individual profiles found on the CUNY ASAP website that the personal touch — biweekly seminars and one-on-one advising — is crucial. The ASAP adviser for Desiree Rivera, a LaGuardia click: LaGuardia Community College student, became her life coach. “I am completely able to let my guard down around her and discuss both personal and academic struggles,” Ms. Rivera wrote on her profile. “Her support has played a major role in my success as an ASAP student.”
An evaluation last year by click: Henry M. Levin the economist Henry M. Levin, a co-director of Teachers College, Columbia University’s Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education click: Centers & Institutes - Teachers College Columbia University www.tc.columbia.edu/epsa/centers.asp Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education. The Center conducts economic research on the benefits and costs of alternative educational policies and ..., and Emma García, an economist at Emma García | People | Economic Policy Institute the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. click: Economic Policy Institute concludes that although ASAP isn’t cheap — the program costs, on average, $3,900 per student each year — it’s a solid investment for New York City’s taxpayers. Dr. Levin and Dr. García calculate that the total lifetime benefits — from increased tax revenues as well as savings in crime, welfare and health costs — are a whopping $205,514 per associate degree graduate.
These results have persuaded CUNY to triple the size of the community college program to 4,000 students by fall 2014, and the system is considering expanding ASAP to its other schools. But this strategy merits a nationwide rollout, for it promises a significant increase in the number of educated workers that the nation badly needs.
Source:
(1) click: David L. Kirp, a professor of public policy at the University of California, Berkeley, is the author, most recently, of “Improbable Scholars: The Rebirth of a Great American School System.”
(2) STAF, Inc.
__________________________________
Can The Colleges Fill Today's Educational Needs?
In 1970, less than 1% of taxi drivers had college degrees - Four decades later, more than 15% do
Click green for further info
The American political class has long held that higher education is vital to individual and national success. The Obama administration has dubbed college "the ticket to the middle class," and political leaders from Education Secretary Arne Duncan to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke click: Federal Reserve have hailed higher education as the best way to improve economic opportunity. Parents and high-school guidance counselors tend to agree.
Yet despite such exhortations, total college enrollment has fallen by 1.5% since 2012. What's causing the decline? While changing demographics—specifically, a birth dearth in the mid-1990s—accounts for some of the shift, robust foreign enrollment offsets that lack. The answer is simple: The benefits of a degree are declining while costs rise.
A key measure of the benefits of a degree is the college graduate's earning potential—and on this score, their advantage over high-school graduates is deteriorating. Since 2006, the gap between what the median college graduate earned compared with the median high-school graduate has narrowed by $1,387 for men over 25 working full time, a 5% fall. Women in the same category have fared worse, losing 7% of their income advantage ($1,496).
A college degree's declining value is even more pronounced for younger Americans. According to data collected by the College Board, for those in the 25-34 age range the differential between college graduate and high school graduate earnings fell 11% for men, to $18,303 from $20,623. The decline for women was an extraordinary 19.7%, to $14,868 from $18,525.
Meanwhile, the cost of college has increased 16.5% in 2012 dollars since 2006, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' higher education tuition-fee index. Aggressive tuition discounting from universities has mitigated the hike, but not enough to offset the clear inflation-adjusted increase. Even worse, the lousy economy has caused household income levels to fall, limiting a family's ability to finance a degree.
This phenomenon leads to underemployment. A study I conducted with my colleague Jonathan Robe, the 2013 Center for College Affordability and Productivity report, found explosive growth in the number of college graduates taking relatively unskilled jobs. We now have more college graduates working in retail than soldiers in the U.S. Army, and more janitors with bachelor's degrees than chemists. In 1970, less than 1% of taxi drivers had college degrees. Four decades later, more than 15% do.
This is only partly the result of the Great Recession click: Great Recession and botched public policies that have failed to produce employment growth. It's also the result of an academic arms race in which universities have spent exorbitant sums on luxury dormitories, climbing walls, athletic subsidies and bureaucratic bloat. More significantly, it's the result of sending more high-school graduates to college than professional fields can accommodate.
In 1970, when 11% of adult Americans had bachelor's degrees or more, degree holders were viewed as the nation's best and brightest. Today, with over 30% with degrees, a significant portion of college graduates are similar to the average American—not demonstrably smarter or more disciplined. Declining academic standards and grade inflation add to employers' perceptions that college degrees say little about job readiness.
There are exceptions. Applications to top universities are booming, as employers recognize these graduates will become our society's future innovators and leaders. The earnings differential between bachelor's and master's degree holders has grown in recent years, as those holding graduate degrees are perceived to be sharper and more responsible.
But unless colleges plan to offer master's degrees in janitorial studies, they will have to change. They currently have little incentive to do so, as they are often strangled by tenure rules, spoiled by subsides from government and rich alumni, and more interested in trivial things—second-rate research by third-rate scholars; ball-throwing contests—than imparting knowledge. Yet dire financial straits from falling demand for their product will force two types of changes within the next five years.
First, colleges will have to constrain costs. Traditional residential college education will not die because the collegiate years are fun and offer an easy transition from adolescence to adulthood. But institutions must take a haircut. Excessive spending on administrative staffs, professorial tenure, and other expensive accouterments must be put on the chopping block.
Second, colleges must bow to new benchmarks assessing their worth. With the advent of electronic learning—including low-cost computer courses and online courses that can reach thousands of students around the world—there is more market competition than ever. New tests are being devised to assure employers that individual students are vocationally prepared, helping recruiters discern which institutions deliver superior academic training. Purdue University, for example, has joined with the Gallup Organization click: Gallup to create an index to survey alumni, providing universities and employers with detailed information, including earnings data.
This educational entrepreneurship offers hope that creative destruction is coming to higher education. Many poorly endowed and undistinguished schools may bite the dust, but America flourished when buggy manufacturers went bankrupt thanks to the automobile. The cleansing would be good for a higher education system still tied to its medieval origins—and for the students it's robbing.
Source:
(1) Mr. Vedder, an adjunct scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, is the director of Center for College Affordability and Productivity and a teacher at Ohio University, where (2) Mr. Denhart is a student, (3) STAF, Inc.
(1) click: AEI - The American Enterprise Institute is a think tank with more than 50 scholars and experts engaged in public policy research promoting freedom, opportunity and ...Events - Policy Studies - Find a Scholar - For Students
(2) click: The Center for College Affordability and Productivity
(3) click: Ohio University
_____________________
In 1970, less than 1% of taxi drivers had college degrees - Four decades later, more than 15% do
Click green for further info
The American political class has long held that higher education is vital to individual and national success. The Obama administration has dubbed college "the ticket to the middle class," and political leaders from Education Secretary Arne Duncan to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke click: Federal Reserve have hailed higher education as the best way to improve economic opportunity. Parents and high-school guidance counselors tend to agree.
Yet despite such exhortations, total college enrollment has fallen by 1.5% since 2012. What's causing the decline? While changing demographics—specifically, a birth dearth in the mid-1990s—accounts for some of the shift, robust foreign enrollment offsets that lack. The answer is simple: The benefits of a degree are declining while costs rise.
A key measure of the benefits of a degree is the college graduate's earning potential—and on this score, their advantage over high-school graduates is deteriorating. Since 2006, the gap between what the median college graduate earned compared with the median high-school graduate has narrowed by $1,387 for men over 25 working full time, a 5% fall. Women in the same category have fared worse, losing 7% of their income advantage ($1,496).
A college degree's declining value is even more pronounced for younger Americans. According to data collected by the College Board, for those in the 25-34 age range the differential between college graduate and high school graduate earnings fell 11% for men, to $18,303 from $20,623. The decline for women was an extraordinary 19.7%, to $14,868 from $18,525.
Meanwhile, the cost of college has increased 16.5% in 2012 dollars since 2006, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' higher education tuition-fee index. Aggressive tuition discounting from universities has mitigated the hike, but not enough to offset the clear inflation-adjusted increase. Even worse, the lousy economy has caused household income levels to fall, limiting a family's ability to finance a degree.
This phenomenon leads to underemployment. A study I conducted with my colleague Jonathan Robe, the 2013 Center for College Affordability and Productivity report, found explosive growth in the number of college graduates taking relatively unskilled jobs. We now have more college graduates working in retail than soldiers in the U.S. Army, and more janitors with bachelor's degrees than chemists. In 1970, less than 1% of taxi drivers had college degrees. Four decades later, more than 15% do.
This is only partly the result of the Great Recession click: Great Recession and botched public policies that have failed to produce employment growth. It's also the result of an academic arms race in which universities have spent exorbitant sums on luxury dormitories, climbing walls, athletic subsidies and bureaucratic bloat. More significantly, it's the result of sending more high-school graduates to college than professional fields can accommodate.
In 1970, when 11% of adult Americans had bachelor's degrees or more, degree holders were viewed as the nation's best and brightest. Today, with over 30% with degrees, a significant portion of college graduates are similar to the average American—not demonstrably smarter or more disciplined. Declining academic standards and grade inflation add to employers' perceptions that college degrees say little about job readiness.
There are exceptions. Applications to top universities are booming, as employers recognize these graduates will become our society's future innovators and leaders. The earnings differential between bachelor's and master's degree holders has grown in recent years, as those holding graduate degrees are perceived to be sharper and more responsible.
But unless colleges plan to offer master's degrees in janitorial studies, they will have to change. They currently have little incentive to do so, as they are often strangled by tenure rules, spoiled by subsides from government and rich alumni, and more interested in trivial things—second-rate research by third-rate scholars; ball-throwing contests—than imparting knowledge. Yet dire financial straits from falling demand for their product will force two types of changes within the next five years.
First, colleges will have to constrain costs. Traditional residential college education will not die because the collegiate years are fun and offer an easy transition from adolescence to adulthood. But institutions must take a haircut. Excessive spending on administrative staffs, professorial tenure, and other expensive accouterments must be put on the chopping block.
Second, colleges must bow to new benchmarks assessing their worth. With the advent of electronic learning—including low-cost computer courses and online courses that can reach thousands of students around the world—there is more market competition than ever. New tests are being devised to assure employers that individual students are vocationally prepared, helping recruiters discern which institutions deliver superior academic training. Purdue University, for example, has joined with the Gallup Organization click: Gallup to create an index to survey alumni, providing universities and employers with detailed information, including earnings data.
This educational entrepreneurship offers hope that creative destruction is coming to higher education. Many poorly endowed and undistinguished schools may bite the dust, but America flourished when buggy manufacturers went bankrupt thanks to the automobile. The cleansing would be good for a higher education system still tied to its medieval origins—and for the students it's robbing.
Source:
(1) Mr. Vedder, an adjunct scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, is the director of Center for College Affordability and Productivity and a teacher at Ohio University, where (2) Mr. Denhart is a student, (3) STAF, Inc.
(1) click: AEI - The American Enterprise Institute is a think tank with more than 50 scholars and experts engaged in public policy research promoting freedom, opportunity and ...Events - Policy Studies - Find a Scholar - For Students
(2) click: The Center for College Affordability and Productivity
(3) click: Ohio University
_____________________
CIU - Christophers International University
_________________
The University and College concentrating on
Lifestyle Sciences & Successological™ Sciences
CIU was founded in 1966 in Europe as the Nordic College which became Europe's largest College in its geographical area.
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., the founding President of STAF, Inc., was the founder of Nordic College.
The first department in Nordic College was the Education & Language Dept.
Even though Dr. Christian was the youngest College President in Europe, he successfully guided the College to become in the 1970's the largest and one of the leading Colleges in Europe.
Dr. Christian is also the founder of Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. -not-for-profit.
CIU continues with the plans becoming the world's largest College & University. CIU concentrates on the modern, new sciences and leaves most of the traditional sciences to the other higher institutes of learning. CIU program will prepare its students to earn high income either as F/T or P/T careers in professions that the modern society needs but the traditional Colleges & Universities are not handling so largely. Most of the CIU programs will also knowledge wise improve your and your family's and your children's quality of life and provide solutions to have a healthier, happier, longer, richer, and more satisfying life.
CIU is reorganizing its operations and starts taking students worldwide latest in 2014.
All degree levels
Create a p/t or f/t profession that commands a high income level. Add a Ph.D. level degree in your resume and learn to substantially increase your income. At the same time improve your and your family quality of life in all aspects. Additional information in our Radio/TV Shows (see the Radio/TV page). The University and College accept students worldwide - see the above information in smaller print.
CIU will accept the College/University/CEU credits you can earn free just by listening to the STAF, Inc. radio show original recordings available on the internet 24/7.
You need to register as the achiever of the free credits - see info in Radio/TV shows tab. See the link info to then original recording on the internet in Radio/TV shows tab.
Additional information will be posted in this page when it becomes available .
Articles to study
click: Benefits of a College Degree - The benefits of a college education go beyond salary. Find out more... If any of these links have expired, search the web using the article title
click: Six Figure Government Salaries | Salary.comwww1.salary.com/Six-Figure-Income-Government-Salaries.html - The Government job titles listed on this page pay salaries that fall over $100,000. These are considered to be six figure income jobs in the Government category
- Starting salaries have exceeded $100,000 for half of recent federal hires.
____________________________
======================================================================================
PART A (PART B next below)
YOUR own kitchen & plenty of Raw Food
is the secret to eternal youth & good health
The holiest ingredient to eternal youth, good health & long life is YOUR very own kitchen
not the kitchen in the fast-food = "bad-food" eatery (= killery)
Raw food = fruit & vegetables should be at least minimum 50 % of your daily food, preferable up to 80 + %
Cooked food is correct nutrition also when it is prepared using correct ingredients and cooked in a safe manner to save the nutrients. All "HOW-TO & WHAT" info is in this website - learn more in STAF, Inc.'s seminars & boot camps available throughout the U.S. and step-by-step throughout the world. Your health is your most important matter.
Every boot camp also includes a brief but substantial introduction to investments and how YOU can become a millionaire (starting with $50 or more a month). The "Automatic Millionaire" principle is introduced. You do not invest in STAF- you'll learn how to find competent & safe investment counselors nationwide & worldwide and how to take action from there.
As one of the worldwide leaders in Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition and as the developer of the new related programs for the U.S. government & for other governments worldwide, Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. and its worldwide leading specialists agree with the title statement as do many other worldwide leading healthy nutrition specialists.
The PART B article below gives you details about the programs developed by STAF, Inc.'s worldwide research team.
These 4 quotations are the road signs to eternal youth, good health & long life
Quotation "To stay healthy and have a long life you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.'s founding President)
Quotation "Eat food, not too much, mostly fruit & vegetables" (Michael Pollan, click: Michael Pollan)
Quotation "If it came from a plant eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't" (Michael Pollan, click: Michael Pollan)
Quotation "Knowledge is no power, only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.'s founding President)
Below additional road signs for your daily traveling towards good health & eternal youth
Teach your children do the same things as you do as their parent (children do what they see their parents doing).
Have a weekly family meeting (every week one, 1 - 2 h) handling the topics taken from this website the whole family has studied during the week, discuss the reading and apply the information in your daily life (every family member). Have also the babies & toddlers participating in the weekly meeting. The children are happy to participate and they will learn the facts for a healthy, long, successful life.
Step by step go through this whole website with your whole family - (may take years - it's worth your time - it is about your health, success & happiness in life & decide what articles are fit only for adults).
All material in this website is also build to be used in the College & University teaching in every degree level including the Ph.D. level.
Some key points for a lasting good health
#1 key: drink plenty of water daily = the oz. amount that equals your normal weight (not overweight or obese weight), e.g., if your normal weight is 130 lbs, drink 130 oz of water daily, during the day. If you use liters in your country, search & find the internet calculator giving you the numbers in your system.
The first thing every morning: fresh 1/2 - 1 lemon + fresh 1/2 - 1 lime juice with 32 oz. of water (hot) - cleans you inside
#2 key: eat a big breakfast (but: watch what kind of a breakfast: not commercially made, dry "cereal", it is made in a plant, does not come from a plant (see: one quotation above), to call it cereal is misleading, it is a deadly mixture of processed,non-natural elements & harmful chemicals - that's why the majority of our children in the world have mental health challenges in school
The 2nd thing every morning eat a big breakfast - this helps you to eat less calories every day = experience and monitor this statement and you'll recognize it is true. This is one step to avoid getting overweight. Also your children: big breakfast before going to school - you children start their morning also with fresh lemon/lime with the suitable amount fit for their age. In your own kitche prepare real cereal, oat meal, barley, brown rice, etc. - cook larger portions for several days or for whole week and refrigerate. Is your family's health worth the effort?
Q: How much food to eat each time you eat?
A: Eat maximum your stomach 80 % full or less.
Q: How do you know how big your stomach is?
A: Make a fist of your hand - look at that fist - that is the size of your stomach - quite small.
Your stomach is full 80 % when it takes the volume of 80 % of the size of your fist. The stomach sack does expand but the long-term result will be an enlarged waistline and a real risk of serious, deadly sicknesses . Apply this information to restore and to maintain your good health, to avoid sickness and to live a long, pain free life.
When you over-eat your stomach is not capable of handling the food amount in a healthy manner - you miss nutrients because your digestive process is not capable of doing its work well. Then the only partially digest food start rutting and turns to toxic elements circulating to every part and every cell of your body.
The results: sicknesses of all kinds & suffering and a shorter life.
If you are overweight and think the stomach is the same as your whole waist - it is not. Large waistline has much stored unhealthy, toxic fat causing all possible sicknesses in your system.
Good health is never the result of overeating and feeding your body with material NOT meant for humans (as most people do).
How to know what to eat? See the above 4 quotations at the beginning of this article
How to restore you possibly lost health?
How to know what else to do to maintain your health and to live pain free?
(1) Study this extensive website and apply the information. The 4 quotations at the beginning of this article will appear here and there in this huge website as the reminder of the basic eating rules based on the most modern science.
(2) Take STAF, Inc.'s boot camps & seminars available in the USA in different locations and step by step worldwide. Travel to a boot camp in the U.S. - your health & life is worth it.
(3) Participate in STAF, Inc.'s webinars and other Web events
(4) Read the books STAF, Inc. guides you to study & apply the info (buy or visit your library) Study first the book: The China Study - click: The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever ...www.amazon.com › Books › Health, Fitness & Dieting › Nutrition
(5) Study systematically this website (may take several years - your health is worth it) and apply the knowledge.
This STAF, Inc.'s extensive website - World's # 1 free advice website Successo-Pedia© - has all info and full guidance what you will need to know to restore your possibly lost health and how to maintain your good health.
Apply the information - the good health results will come and stay.
All material in this website is also fit for College & University education for all degree levels including for Ph.D. level.
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A story from Europe
UK - Scotland- For a 29-year-old raw food diet entrepreneur, the secret ingredient to eternal youth is in her very own kitchen. Susan Reynolds from Edinburgh, U.K., is often confused for a 16-year-old teenager after only consuming raw food for the past seven years.
The slim and slender 29-year-old businesswoman eats nothing but raw fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds every day. She believes that her diet is what keeps her looking so young and in good health.
Reynolds decided to become a vegetarian and train to be a yoga teacher at the age of 21 during a six-month trip to India. Her journey-inspired lifestyle took a turn when she went to eat at Red Sugar — a café that serves raw food.
“The owners told me a bit about it so I went home, read up on it and decided to give it a go. The difference I felt in a day was incredible so I've done it ever since. I haven't had a hot meal in seven years,” Reynolds told the Daily Mail.
She claims that some of the benefits of the raw food diet include “[mental] clarity, positivity, health, energy, radiance and the ability to make choices," the Daily Mail reports.
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The raw food dieter admits that her current lifestyle is a far cry from her days at university. In those days Reynolds would indulge in Chinese buffet dinners, McDonalds McChicken Sandwiches, and even enjoy downing shots of vodka jelly when she was a teenager.
Now, Reynolds begins her day with a liter of green juice made from blended spinach, lettuce, and herbs — the primary focus of her raw food diet.
“I focus on a very high liquid diet with lots of green juice, smoothies, soups and 'elixirs.' I try to get as much leaf green veggies in to my diet as possible. I eat fruits for energy and sparingly eat fats from nuts, seeds and coconut,” she said.
While her raw food diet may sound like a tough regime to follow, Reynolds strong affirmed that she doesn’t desire cooked food and abides by the diet through her own technique. According to her, once a person is able to sort out the emotional attachment to cooked food, he or she will no longer crave it anymore.
STAF, Inc.'s comment: any food heated over 132 F (= 55 celcius) will lose at least half or more of its vitamins, enzymes & other life-sustaining micro-elements
click Enzyme
To let others in on her youthful secrets, Reynolds has started her own business called Twist and Sprout, which offers healthy retreats where people are taught how to incorporate the raw food diet into their own lives.
Reynolds’s mom, Marion, doesn’t see her daughter’s diet as unusual as she has tried healthy diets herself. Marion was bedridden for years with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) — a condition that causes severe and debilitating fatigue, painful muscles and joints, and disordered sleep, according to the ME Association. She was able to cure the condition herself by going on a sugar-free diet, which inspired her daughter.
Check out Reynolds' daily plan below
NOTE: Tha't Ms. Reynold's plan - a good plan - get hints from it
but STAF, Inc. does not endorse it (it is healthy but there is a better solution).
STAF, Inc. has developed the most advanced Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program - STAF, Inc.'s program is more ecnomical and covers more necessary nutrients in a natural form
- see Article PART B below
6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.: Yoga practice. COMMENT: STAF, Inc. has developed a 7-minute morning yoga program
Yes, you did see correctly: only a 7 (seven) minutes every morning.
10 a.m.: A liter (= (Am.) quarter) of green juice made from blending a whole lettuce, a bag of spinach, and bunch of herbs. -
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Snacks, including whole fruit (figs, mangoes, berries, etc.), raw (= no added sugar) dark chocolate (with at least 70 % cocoa - one bite is better than nothing if you must count your dimes), green juice, and superfoods like bee pollen and berries.
6 p.m.: Large salad and/or green soups, or another raw dish created from fruit and vegetables, and soaked nuts and seeds, depending on what she feels she needs that day.
To learn more about Reynolds and her journey on the raw food diet, visit her click: website.
Ms. Reynolds hosts 1-3 or 7 -days Retreats
So does STAF, Inc. in the U.S. nationwide and also worldwide. STAF-retreats are mostly called "Boot-Camps" and are from 1 to 7 days long depending on the topic.
STAF, Inc.'s Boot Camps trains among other things in
(1) nutrition & natural weight loss & avoid gaining weight (= fits for overweight & not-overweight individuals);
(2) in all family matters: (1) Conquer Marriage Challenges & How to Maintain Heavenly Happiness in your Earthly Marriage, (3) Raising Healthy, Successful Children, Teen-age Challenges & Parents - avoid teen-drug use, smoking, drinking, pill-popping - and other necessary boot camp topics.
STAF, Inc. gives to certain programs a unique life-time result guarantee and offers many other benefits.
Details in separately published web information, emailed presentations or in separately mailed printed brochures.
Every boot camp also includes a brief but substantial introduction to investments and how YOU can become a millionaire (starting with $50 or more a month). The "Automatic Millionaire" principle is introduced.
You do not invest in STAF, Inc. - you'll learn how to find competent & safe investment counselors nationwide & worldwide and how to take action with their guidance.
Click green for further info
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PART B (PART A next above)
- Below one of the articles STAF, Inc. places daily as a comment to suitable internet articles
Study this article to learn about the new leading Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program
- a must-to-read article - for everyone in the U.S. and everyone in the world
World's # 1 free advice website Successo-Pedia©
for all family matters, success, health, wealth & for the good life - built by
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.
& by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
- Free Q & A service - see our website: Home page
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America & everyone worldwide must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quotation "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want" (Dr. Christian)
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's & for every nation's use worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & 7 years to modify it for everyone's needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to the world's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced worldwide & to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers & (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
In the same manner as Wikipedia, the non-profit internet Encyclopedia, Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future. Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., P.O. Box 1555, New York, NY 10163, USA. Inside the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt. 100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle worldwide.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. Visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website - search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
STAF, Inc.'s President
Founder of Successology ® (Reg.U.S.Pat.Off.1991) - The new science for the GOOD LIFE
Source: STAF, Inc.
__________________________________________________________
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Broth Is Beautiful & Healthy
Click green for for further info
"Good broth will resurrect the dead,” says a South American proverb.
to resurrect = raise from the dead
Broth provides calcium and other nutrients in a form that the human body an easily assimilate.
To assimilate = use, absorb = to consume and incorporate (nutrients) into the body after digestion = to transform (food) into living tissue by the process of anabolism; metabolize constructively.
Anabolism= the synthesis of complex molecules in living organisms from simpler ones together with the storage of energy; constructive metabolism.
Until our diners and carry-outs become places that produce real food, Americans and every family worldwide can make broth in their own kitchens. It’s the easy way to produce meals that are both nutritious and delicious—and to acquire the reputation of an excellent cook.
Instructions HOW TO PREPARE HEALTHY BROTH in your own kitchen
below towards the end of this article
Broth, also called stock, is made of different ingredients, e.g. using the animal bones which, traditionally, are boiled in a cooking pot for long periods to extract the flavor and nutrients. The bones may or may not have meat still on them.
Stock is the magic elixir for making soul-warming soups and matchless sauces.
Stock = broth = liquid in which meat, fish, or vegetables have been simmered (not boiled) that is used as a basis for soup, gravy, or sauce.
When it is necessary to clarify, i.e., purify, or refine a broth, e.g. for a cleaner presentation, egg whites may be added during simmering – the egg whites will coagulate (= change to a solid or semisolid state), trapping sediment and turbidity into a readily strained mass. Not allowing the original preparation to boil will increase the clarity.
Roasted bones will add a rich flavor to the broth but also a dark color.Click: Wikipedia
But: there is much more to broth
“Good broth will resurrect the dead,” says a South American proverb.
Good broth could also "resurrect" the fast-food industry products
The broth also could give more life to the fast-food (= bad-food) industry - How? See below.
All this low quality in the traditional fast-food (= bad-food) products could easily be improved by using broth/stock added in their "food" to provide more healthy nutrients to the customers. It would not cost much additional to the "bad-food" industry and the product quality could be made much more nutritious and healthy.
What America and the whole world needs is healthier fast- food (it still would be "bad-food"). The only healthy & cheap way to provide this is to add the all natural (not chemicalized) broth/stock in the hamburgers and other "bad-food" products. It would still be "bad-food" but with the broth it would provide substantially more healthy nutrients, cheaply.
The traditional, industrialized "fast-food = bad-food" is not food.
E.g. an average hamburger only has as little as 2 % real meet - fast-food-eaters are badly mislead.
Study a related article in this same advice website titled:
"Truly The Shocking Facts" in tab: Services, sub-tab: Natural Weight Loss.
Read more important information below
All info is based on the most modern, latest science
“Indeed, stock (= broth) is everything in cooking. Without it, nothing can be done,” said Auguste Escoffier, the gourmet chef famous for popularizing traditional French cooking. Click: Auguste Escoffier
A cure-all in traditional households and the magic ingredient in classic gourmet cuisine, stock or broth made from the bones of chicken, fish, and beef builds strong bones, assuages (= ease) sore throats, nurtures the sick, puts vigor in the step and sparkle in love life — so say grandmothers, midwives, and healers.
For chefs, stock is the magic elixir for making soul-warming soups and matchless sauces.
Meat and fish stocks play a role in all traditional cuisines—French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, African, South American, Middle Eastern, and Russian. In America, stock went into gravy, soups, and stews. That was when most animals were slaughtered locally, and nothing went to waste. Bones, hooves, knuckles, carcasses, and tough meat went into the stockpot and filled the house with the aroma of love.
Today we buy individual filets and boneless chicken breasts or grab fast food on the run, and stock has disappeared from the American tradition.
Benefits of Bone Broths
Science validates what our grandmothers have long known. Rich homemade chicken broths help cure colds.
Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily — not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur, and trace minerals. It contains the broken-down material from cartilage and tendons—stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.
Fish stock, according to traditional lore, helps boys grow up into strong men, makes childbirth easy, and cures fatigue. “Fish broth will cure anything” is another South American proverb. Broth and soup made with fish heads and carcasses provide iodine and thyroid-strengthening substances.
Gelatin
When broth is cooled, it congeals due to the presence of gelatin. The use of gelatin as a therapeutic agent goes back to the ancient Chinese.
Gelatin was probably the first functional food, dating from the invention of the “digestor” by the Frenchman Papin in 1682. Papin’s digestor consisted of an apparatus for cooking bones or meat with steam to extract the gelatin.
Just as vitamins occupy the center of the stage in nutritional investigations today, 200 years ago, gelatin held a position in the forefront of food research. Gelatin was universally acclaimed as a most nutritious foodstuff, particularly by the French, who were seeking ways to feed their armies and vast numbers of homeless in Paris and other cities.
Although gelatin, which contains only the amino acids arginine and glycine in large amounts, is not a complete protein, it acts as a protein sparer, helping the poor stretch a few morsels of meat into a complete meal.
During the siege of Paris, when vegetables and meat were scarce, a doctor named Guerard put his patients on gelatin bouillon with some added fat, and they survived in good health.
The French were the leaders in gelatin research, which continued up to the 1950s. Gelatin was found to be useful in the treatment of a long list of diseases, including peptic ulcers, tuberculosis, diabetes, muscle diseases, infectious diseases, jaundice, and cancer. Babies had fewer digestive problems when gelatin was added to their milk.
The American researcher Francis Pottenger pointed out that gelatin is a hydrophilic colloid, which means that it attracts and holds liquids, it facilitates digestion by attracting digestive juices to food in the gut.
Even the epicures (= a person who cultivates a refined taste, especially in food and wine; connoisseur. 2. Archaic. a person dedicated to sensual enjoyment) recognized that broth-based soup did more than please the taste buds. “Soup is a healthy, light, nourishing food, good for all of humanity”; it pleases the stomach, stimulates the appetite and prepares the digestion,” Brillant-Savarin said.
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin was a French lawyer and politician, and gained fame as an epicure and gastronome: "Grimod and Brillat-Savarin. Between them, two writers effectively founded the whole genre of the gastronomic essay."
Click:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brillat-Savarin
Why Broth Disappeared
Research on gelatin came to an end in the 1950s because food companies discovered how to induce Maillard reactions and produce meat-like flavors in the laboratory. In a General Foods Company report issued in 1947, chemists predicted that almost all natural flavors would soon be chemically synthesized.
Following World War II, food companies also discovered monosodium glutamate (MSG), a food ingredient the Japanese had invented in 1908 to enhance food flavors, including meat-like flavors.
Humans have receptors on the tongue for glutamate. It is the protein in food that the human body recognizes as meat.
Any protein can be hydrolyzed to produce a base containing free glutamic acid or MSG. When the industry learned how to make the flavor of meat in the laboratory, using inexpensive proteins from grains and legumes, the door was opened to a flood of new products, including bouillon cubes, dehydrated soup mixes, sauce mixes, TV dinners, and condiments with a meaty taste.
“Homemade” soup in most restaurants begins with a powdered soup base that comes in a package or can, and almost all canned soups and stews contain MSG, often found in ingredients called hydrolyzed proteins.
The fast food industry could not exist without MSG and artificial meat flavors to make “secret” sauces and spice mixes that beguile the consumer into eating bland and tasteless food.
Shortcuts mean big profits for producers, but the consumer is shortchanged. When homemade stocks were pushed out by cheap substitutes, an important source of minerals disappeared from the American diet. The thickening effects of gelatin could be mimicked with emulsifiers, but the health benefits were lost.
Most serious, however, were the problems posed by MSG, problems the industry has worked very hard to conceal from the public.
In 1957, scientists found that mice became blind and obese when MSG was administered by feeding tube. In 1969, MSG-induced lesions were found in the hypothalamus region of the brain. Other studies all point in the same direction: MSG is a neurotoxic substance that causes a wide range of reactions, from temporary headaches to permanent brain damage.
Why do consumers react to factory-produced MSG and not to naturally occurring glutamic acid found in food? One theory is that the glutamic acid produced by hydrolysis in factories contains many isomers in the right-handed form, whereas natural glutamic acid in meat and meat broths contains only the left-handed form.
L-glutamic acid is a precursor to neurotransmitters, but the synthetic form, d-glutamic acid, may stimulate the nervous system in pathological ways.
A Broth Maker in Every Town
Peasant societies still make broth. It is a necessity in cultures that do not use milk because the dairy products and stock made from bones provide calcium in a form that the body can easily assimilate. (The dairy products can have negative side effects to some people). Notice, that calcium is also easily available in vegetables & fruits in a safe manner.Question: where do you think the cows get their calcium? From the grass & other produce they eat.
It is also a necessity when meat is a luxury item, because gelatin in properly made broth helps the body use protein in an efficient way.
Thus, broth is a vital element in Asian cuisines—from the soothing long-simmered beef broth in Korean soups to the foxy fish broth with which the Japanese begin their day. Genuine Chinese food cannot exist without the stockpot that bubbles perpetually. Bones and scraps are thrown in, and mineral-rich stock is removed to moisten stir-fries.
Broth-based soups are snack foods from Thailand to Manchuria. Asian restaurants in the United States are likely to take shortcuts and use a powdered base for sweet and sour soup or kung pau chicken, but in Japan, China, Korea, and Thailand, mom-and-pop businesses make broth in steamy back rooms and sell it as soup in storefronts and on street corners.
And broth makers will come when Americans recognize that the food industry has given itself to shortcuts and huge profits, shortcuts that cheat consumers of the nutrients they should get in their food and profits that skew the economy toward industrialization in farming and food processing.
Until our diners and carry-outs become places that produce real food, Americans and every family worldwide can make broth in their own kitchens. It’s the easy way to produce meals that are both nutritious and delicious—and to acquire the reputation of an excellent cook.
How to Prepare Broth - Instructions
Stock or broth begins with bones, some pieces of meat and fat, vegetables, and good water. For beef and lamb broth, the meat is browned in a hot oven to form compounds that give flavor and color—the result of a fusion of amino acids with sugars, called the Maillard reaction.
Then all goes in the pot—meat, bones, vegetables, and water. The water should be cold, because slow heating helps bring out flavors.
Add vinegar to the broth to help extract calcium—remember those egg shells you soaked in vinegar until they turned rubbery.
Heat the broth slowly, and once the boil begins, reduce heat to its lowest point, so the broth just barely simmers.
Scum will rise to the surface. This is a different kind of colloid, one in which larger molecules—impurities, alkaloids, large proteins called lectins—are distributed through a liquid.
One of the basic principles of the culinary art is that this effluvium should be carefully removed with a spoon. Otherwise the broth will be ruined by strange flavors.
Besides, the stuff looks terrible. “Always Skim” is the first commandment of good cooks.
Two hours simmering is enough to extract flavors and gelatin for fish broth. Larger animals take longer—simmer all day for broth made from chicken, turkey, or duck and overnight for beef broth.
Broth should then be strained. The leavings, picked over, can be used for terrines, tacos, or casseroles. Perfectionists will want to chill the broth to remove the fat. Stock will keep several days in the refrigerator or may be frozen in plastic containers. Boiled down, it concentrates and becomes a jellylike fumée or demi-glaze that can be reconstituted into a sauce by adding water.
Source:
(1) Sally Fallon Morell, M.A.
She is the author of “Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats” and “The Nourishing Traditions"
(2) STAF, Inc.'s Nutrition & Health Collections
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Millionaires on Medicaid
Expanding Medicaid coverage to an estimated nine million more Americans—as mandated by the Affordable Care Act—reinforces the idea that Medicaid only serves the poor. That perception is not accurate. And it distracts from a looming budgetary threat to the program: long-term care.
More than two-thirds of annual spending on long-term care for the elderly is paid by state and federal governments, $60 billion of which flows from Medicaid. With 10,000 baby boomers reaching retirement age every day for the next 19 years, the Congressional Budget Office projects that spending on long-term care will more than double by 2050—to 3% of GDP from 1.3%.
We might accept these rising costs if benefits flowed only to the elderly poor, as originally intended. But that is not the case. Significant long-term care benefits flow to individuals in the top 20% of retirement earnings, enabled by Medicaid's generous asset-exclusion limits.
In many states, an elderly person may own a home valued at $802,000, plus home furnishings, jewelry and an automobile of uncapped value while receiving long-term Medicaid support. In addition, they are allowed to have various life-insurance policies, retirement accounts with unlimited assets, $115,920 in assets for a spouse, income from Social Security, and a defined-benefit pension plan. By most standards, such a household would be considered wealthy.
Despite these generous rules, some individuals even game the system further by arranging complex asset transfers or insurance transactions that sidestep congressional efforts to curb fraud.
The rules wouldn't matter if wealthy individuals shunned Medicaid long-term care benefits. But with Medicaid crowding out private alternatives, many don't. In fact, 15% of elderly individuals in the middle-income quintile, 8% in the upper-middle quintile, and 5% in the top quintile receive Medicaid benefits.
Even these numbers don't capture the burden wealthy individuals place on Medicaid because they live much longer than the poor. Beneficiaries in the top income quintile receive, on average, double the lifetime payouts of those that are less well-off. And because Medicaid lowers reimbursement rates to providers and restricts benefits to contain costs, the poor are tied to lower-quality care and enjoy far less provider flexibility.
Funds for Medicaid are disbursed to the states by the federal government through complicated formulas. States in turn administer Medicaid and long-term care to state residents. While the rules for each state vary, state governments are mandated by law to pursue the estates of wealthy residents to recoup the costs incurred by their use of long-term care programs. Yet the most recent study by Health and Human Services found that most states recoup less than 2% of total long-term care spending. Four states—Alaska, Georgia, Michigan and Texas—even reported no reimbursements whatsoever.
Tightening eligibility rules is the first step toward a solution. Before receiving Medicaid payouts, for example, wealthier households should first be asked to draw down the value of their home through a reverse mortgage to help pay for long-term care. Wealthier households could also be asked to meet long-term care expenses through life annuity payouts from their retirement accounts. Such changes would help ensure that Medicaid benefits flow to the financially needy.
Clearly, alternatives to Medicaid long-term care are needed for those with means, while the safety net for the elderly poor remains intact. Four key policy changes would help transform the system into a more equitable and sustainable one that better serves America's seniors:
First, provide a tax preference for long-term care insurance policies through retirement and health accounts. Allowing tax-free withdrawals from existing 401(k), IRA, or Section 125 accounts to pay for private long-term care insurance would have minimal budget implications. Lower tax revenues would be offset by cost savings provided by wealthier seniors drawing on private resources—rather than public funds—to pay for care.
Second, promote innovative products, such as "life-care" annuities, which marry life annuities to long-term care insurance, allowing individuals to finance their care as well as their retirement. Combining long-term care insurance and life annuities would decrease their combined costs and considerably ease underwriting standards, enabling more seniors to afford long-term care coverage.
Third, foster long-term care partnership programs already operating in most states. These public-private partnerships allow residents to purchase long-term care insurance and still qualify for Medicaid if their insurance is exhausted—without depleting all of their assets. That combines the benefits of private insurance with the backing and safety net of the government.
Fourth, allow a Medicaid "buyout." Upon retirement, individuals should have the choice of receiving a lump-sum payment from the government for a significant portion of the expected value of their Medicaid benefits. Retirees would be obliged to use the payment to purchase private, permanent long-term care insurance in place of Medicaid coverage. This would further reduce Medicaid's future liabilities.
The current Medicaid long-term care program is neither equitable nor fiscally sustainable. If we want Medicaid to cover those who truly need it, we must design an efficient system that leans more heavily on private-sector innovation—such as life-care annuities—and relies on responsible household planning to finance the care of wealthier American retirees.
Source: Mr. Warshawsky, an adjunct scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, is a former vice chairman of the federal Commission on Long-Term Care, appointed by Congress and the president last year.
_____________________
Expanding Medicaid coverage to an estimated nine million more Americans—as mandated by the Affordable Care Act—reinforces the idea that Medicaid only serves the poor. That perception is not accurate. And it distracts from a looming budgetary threat to the program: long-term care.
More than two-thirds of annual spending on long-term care for the elderly is paid by state and federal governments, $60 billion of which flows from Medicaid. With 10,000 baby boomers reaching retirement age every day for the next 19 years, the Congressional Budget Office projects that spending on long-term care will more than double by 2050—to 3% of GDP from 1.3%.
We might accept these rising costs if benefits flowed only to the elderly poor, as originally intended. But that is not the case. Significant long-term care benefits flow to individuals in the top 20% of retirement earnings, enabled by Medicaid's generous asset-exclusion limits.
In many states, an elderly person may own a home valued at $802,000, plus home furnishings, jewelry and an automobile of uncapped value while receiving long-term Medicaid support. In addition, they are allowed to have various life-insurance policies, retirement accounts with unlimited assets, $115,920 in assets for a spouse, income from Social Security, and a defined-benefit pension plan. By most standards, such a household would be considered wealthy.
Despite these generous rules, some individuals even game the system further by arranging complex asset transfers or insurance transactions that sidestep congressional efforts to curb fraud.
The rules wouldn't matter if wealthy individuals shunned Medicaid long-term care benefits. But with Medicaid crowding out private alternatives, many don't. In fact, 15% of elderly individuals in the middle-income quintile, 8% in the upper-middle quintile, and 5% in the top quintile receive Medicaid benefits.
Even these numbers don't capture the burden wealthy individuals place on Medicaid because they live much longer than the poor. Beneficiaries in the top income quintile receive, on average, double the lifetime payouts of those that are less well-off. And because Medicaid lowers reimbursement rates to providers and restricts benefits to contain costs, the poor are tied to lower-quality care and enjoy far less provider flexibility.
Funds for Medicaid are disbursed to the states by the federal government through complicated formulas. States in turn administer Medicaid and long-term care to state residents. While the rules for each state vary, state governments are mandated by law to pursue the estates of wealthy residents to recoup the costs incurred by their use of long-term care programs. Yet the most recent study by Health and Human Services found that most states recoup less than 2% of total long-term care spending. Four states—Alaska, Georgia, Michigan and Texas—even reported no reimbursements whatsoever.
Tightening eligibility rules is the first step toward a solution. Before receiving Medicaid payouts, for example, wealthier households should first be asked to draw down the value of their home through a reverse mortgage to help pay for long-term care. Wealthier households could also be asked to meet long-term care expenses through life annuity payouts from their retirement accounts. Such changes would help ensure that Medicaid benefits flow to the financially needy.
Clearly, alternatives to Medicaid long-term care are needed for those with means, while the safety net for the elderly poor remains intact. Four key policy changes would help transform the system into a more equitable and sustainable one that better serves America's seniors:
First, provide a tax preference for long-term care insurance policies through retirement and health accounts. Allowing tax-free withdrawals from existing 401(k), IRA, or Section 125 accounts to pay for private long-term care insurance would have minimal budget implications. Lower tax revenues would be offset by cost savings provided by wealthier seniors drawing on private resources—rather than public funds—to pay for care.
Second, promote innovative products, such as "life-care" annuities, which marry life annuities to long-term care insurance, allowing individuals to finance their care as well as their retirement. Combining long-term care insurance and life annuities would decrease their combined costs and considerably ease underwriting standards, enabling more seniors to afford long-term care coverage.
Third, foster long-term care partnership programs already operating in most states. These public-private partnerships allow residents to purchase long-term care insurance and still qualify for Medicaid if their insurance is exhausted—without depleting all of their assets. That combines the benefits of private insurance with the backing and safety net of the government.
Fourth, allow a Medicaid "buyout." Upon retirement, individuals should have the choice of receiving a lump-sum payment from the government for a significant portion of the expected value of their Medicaid benefits. Retirees would be obliged to use the payment to purchase private, permanent long-term care insurance in place of Medicaid coverage. This would further reduce Medicaid's future liabilities.
The current Medicaid long-term care program is neither equitable nor fiscally sustainable. If we want Medicaid to cover those who truly need it, we must design an efficient system that leans more heavily on private-sector innovation—such as life-care annuities—and relies on responsible household planning to finance the care of wealthier American retirees.
Source: Mr. Warshawsky, an adjunct scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, is a former vice chairman of the federal Commission on Long-Term Care, appointed by Congress and the president last year.
_____________________
New Profession P/T or F/T
or just a professional for your own and for your family's better life quality
Health-coach
Click green below for further info
Institute for the Psychology of Eating
in Boulder, Colo. - psychologyofeating.com
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Obamacare Penalties: 3 Things to Know
America, get ready for some "shared responsibility."
That's the rather benign-sounding term used by the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, to describe the financial penalties that millions of individuals in the U.S. could face if they don't purchase health insurance. Here are three important things you need to know about the Obamacare penalties before 2014.
1. Do the penalties apply to you?
If you already have health insurance through your employer, you're off the hook. If you don't, you could be subject to Obamacare penalties if you don't have health insurance for most of next year.
Even if you aren't insured for most of 2014, there's still a reasonable chance that the penalties won't apply to you. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that of the 30 million Americans who likely won't have coverage in 2016, only 6 million or so will be subject to financial penalties.
Several groups of people are exempted by law from paying the Obamcare penalties. If the lowest-cost insurance plan is more than 8% of your income, for example, you won't be stuck with a fine if you don't obtain coverage. You can also apply for economic hardship exemptions.
If receiving insurance benefits runs counter to your religious beliefs (provided you belong to a religious group recognized by the federal government), no penalties are applicable for you. If you opt to join a federally recognized health care sharing ministry, you can be exempted from paying the penalties.
You're not subject to Obamacare penalties if you're a Native American or if you're not an American citizen. In prison? Don't worry -- at least about paying financial penalties for failing to obtain health insurance.
2. When must you have insurance to avoid the penalty?
While the open enrollment period for the Obamacare health insurance exchanges extends through March 31, 2014, there's a catch. If you don't purchase a plan by the end of February, you'll get stuck with a penalty.
Obamacare mandates that individuals who go without coverage for three consecutive months must pay a penalty. Enrolling in an insurance plan during the first half of March gets you an effective date of April 1. Signing up in the latter part of March pushes that effective date out to May. Either way, you would go three months in a row without coverage -- and therefore face the penalty.
3. How much will the penalty cost if you didn't have coverage?
The calculations can get a little confusing, but here goes. For 2014, the minimum penalty will be $95 per uninsured adult and $47.50 per child, up to $285 for a family. You could pay more, though, depending on how much money you make.
Take your household income, then subtract $20,000 if you have a family and $10,000 if you don't. Multiply that number by 1%. You'll owe the greater of the resulting amount and the minimum penalty mentioned above. Probably. The exception to this rule is that no one will be required to pay more than the average annual premium for a bronze plan (lowest-cost option) in Obamacare.
There's still some good news and bad news. The good news is that if you have insurance for part of the year, your penalty will be prorated. The bad news? Penalties increase annually through 2016.
Penalty, shmenalty?
You might also want to know about one other minor detail about the Obamacare penalties: The IRS can't go after taxpayers who don't pay up. That's right -- the Affordable Care Act didn't include any provisions for the tax agency to enforce collection of the penalties.
2014 tax returns, which aren't due until April 2015, will include a spot for taxpayers to provide information about health insurance. If any penalties apply, the IRS will subtract the penalty amount out of any refund owed. If you don't get a refund or the penalty is greater than your refund, the agency will want you to mail a check to them or send funds electronically.
What happens if you decide not to send the money? The IRS could take it out of any future tax refunds. If your taxes are withheld through your employer, the agency could also get the money through that route. However, it can't press criminal charges or assess further financial penalties for not paying. The IRS also can't place a lien on property as it can when seeking payment of overdue taxes.
Source: U.S. gov. site
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The Social Security information in this article is A-MUST-TO-STUDY for every person in America
The U.S. Social Security’s Real Retirement Age Is 70
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0IB#13-15The brief’s key findings are:
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from the Center for Retirement Research at click: Boston College
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Protecting Children From Toxic Stress
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Imagine if scientists discovered a toxic substance that increased the risks of cancer, diabetes and heart, lung and liver disease for millions of people. Something that also increased one’s risks for smoking, drug abuse, suicide, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, domestic violence and depression — and simultaneously reduced the chances of succeeding in school, performing well on a job and maintaining stable relationships? It would be comparable to hazards like lead paint, tobacco smoke and mercury. We would do everything in our power to contain it and keep it far away from children. Right?
Well, there is such a thing, but it’s not a substance. It’s been called “toxic stress.” For more than a decade, researchers have understood that frequent or continual stress on young children who lack adequate protection and support from adults, is strongly associated with increases in the risks of lifelong health and social problems, including all those listed above.
In the late 1990s, Vincent Felitti and Robert Anda conducted a landmark study that examined the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — including abuse, neglect, domestic violence and family dysfunction — on 17,000 mainly white, predominately well-educated, middle class people in San Diego. They found a powerful connection between the level of adversity faced and the incidence of many health and social problems. They also discovered that ACEs were more common than they had expected. (About 40 percent of respondents reported two or more ACEs, and 25 percent reported three or more.) Since then, similar surveys have been conducted in several states, with consistent findings.
In the years since, advances in biology, neuroscience, epigenetics and other fields have shed light on the mechanisms behind this phenomenon. “What the science is telling us now is how experience gets into the brain as it’s developing its basic architecture and how it gets into the cardiovascular system and the immune system,” explains Jack P. Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, where the term toxic stress was coined. “These insights provide an opportunity to think about new ways we might try to reduce the academic achievement gap and health disparities — and not just do the same old things.”
First, it’s important to note that toxic stress is not a determinant, but a risk factor. And while prevention is best, it’s never too late to mitigate its effects. It’s also critical to distinguish between “toxic stress” and normal stress. In the context of a reasonably safe environment where children have protective relationships with adults, Shonkoff explains, childhood stress is not a problem. In fact, it promotes healthy growth, coping skills and resilience. It becomes harmful when it is prolonged and when adults do not interact in ways that make children feel safe and emotionally connected.
This distinction is critical, because it opens the way to new opportunities to prevent a cascade of health problems. It is exceedingly difficult to alter the environments that produce major stress for families, particularly poverty. However, children can be shielded from the most damaging effects of stress if their parents are taught how to respond appropriately. “One thing that is highly protective is the quality of the relationship between the parent and the child,” explains Darcy Lowell, an associate clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicine and the founder of Child First, a program based in Shelton, Conn., that has marshaled strong evidence demonstrating the ability to intervene early, at relatively low cost, to reduce the harm caused by childhood stress in extremely high-need families. “Early relationships, where adults are responsive and attentive, are able to buffer the damaging effects on the brain and body,” she says.
Child First, initially developed at Bridgeport Hospital in Connecticut, now works in partnership with community-based agencies in 15 locations across the state, where staff members deliver its program of home-based parent guidance and child-parent psychotherapy. In a well-controlled study, children served by Child First were compared with those receiving usual social services and were found to be significantly less likely to have language problems and aggressive and defiant behaviors. Their mothers had markedly less depression and mental health problems, and the families were less likely to be involved with child protective services even three years later.
Consider Ana Sophia, who is 5 years old. Her mother, Ana Patricia, emigrated to the United States from Guatemala to escape domestic violence. (Their surnames have been omitted.)
When Ana Sophia was 2, she was sexually abused by the husband of her child care provider. Before, she had been a “pleasant and affectionate child,” her mother said. After, she began having frequent outbursts of rage. “She would explode into tantrums, throwing chairs, throwing her cot, screaming, crying,” recalled Ana Patricia, who works as a housekeeper. She didn’t know what to do. She felt hurt and guilty; her instinct was to allow the tantrums and hug Ana Sophia. But the tantrums also triggered her own feelings of helplessness and fear and she would often react angrily.
This is the kind of pattern that, if uninterrupted, would have only gotten worse. And although problems like this are common, clinical services targeting young children remain few and far between. Indeed, Ana Sophia’s experience needs to be considered in the context of the epidemic of preschool expulsions in the United States today, which studies have found to be three to 13 times as commonplace as K-12 expulsions.
And they can be prevented. At the Village for Families and Children, a social service agency in Hartford, 25 percent of the 100 families with a preschooler being served by Child First had a child who had been expelled from a preschool or was at imminent risk of being expelled, observed Kimberly Martini-Carvell, senior director at the agency. “Since Child First began working with those families, we’ve seen a dramatic reduction in expulsions,” she added, with only two children being expelled.
“Ana Patricia was allowing her daughter to do what she wanted to do,” explained Loretto Lacayo, a mental health and developmental clinician who delivers the Child First program. “That doesn’t feel safe to a child, especially after the loss of control of being abused.” Lacayo and her team partner, Sarah Rendon, helped Ana Patricia learn how to interact with her daughter in a sensitive but protective manner.
Through her work with Child First, Ana Patricia said she has learned how to recognize how Ana Sophia is feeling, and listen to her better, and this has helped her daughter control her strong emotions and express her feelings without hurting people. “I was taught that it was embarrassing to talk about feelings,” she said. “This is very different from what my mother did.”
By developing the ability to read a child’s cues, and by being emotionally available on a daily basis, parents can provide buffers that reduce the harmful physiological effects of high stress. “I feel like I enjoy my daughter more now,” Ana Patricia said. “And she enjoys me as a mother.”
Child First, whose funders include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ home visitation program, attributes its success to a number of factors. It is preventive, focusing on children under the age of 6. It works through teams, bringing a mental health professional into the home alongside a care coordinator who helps the family gain access to basic services.
Both pieces are necessary. Lowell recalled an ‘aha moment’ years before she started Child First in 2001 when she was consulting with an agency about a child who had a language delay. “The family didn’t come to a speech therapy appointment,” she recalled. “When we investigated, we found out Mom didn’t bring her out in the winter because she had no shoes for the child. It made me realize that we have to look at problems in the context of the whole family and their challenges.”
Child First teams visit families once a week for six to 12 months, or longer, with the goal of stabilizing the family. They begin by establishing trust, listening and understanding the family’s priorities. If the first thing a mother says is, “I want beds for my children,” then that’s step one. The engagement is guided by an evidence-based methodology called Child-Parent Psychotherapy, which is grounded in collaborative problem solving.
In this process, “the therapist does not present herself as the expert, but as a partner in seeking solutions together,” explains Alicia Lieberman, director of the Child Trauma Research Program at the University of California, San Francisco, who led the development of this practice. It’s essential that the therapist responds in a caring and nonjudgmental manner. “Many parents worry that something is basically wrong with them,” says Lieberman. “It brings tremendous relief to hear that they are not ‘bad.’ And when they see the therapist believing in them and joining in their efforts to overcome problems, a different attitude gets established about themselves and their child.”
Almost all of the parents that Child First works with (mostly single mothers, but sometimes fathers or grandparents) have experienced trauma themselves. They’ve grown up with limited models for understanding their children’s behavior. “What often gets missed,” observes Judy Adel, one of Child First’s clinical directors, “is that every mother says, ‘I want something better for my children.’ They just don’t know what it looks like.”
A big goal is to help parents develop “reflective capacity” so they can respond with greater awareness about – and bring more wonder to – the meaning of their children’s behavior every day. Another is to help parents become more effective problem solvers – exercising their “executive functioning” capabilities, which can be impaired by traumatic childhood experiences.
Teams do this by asking respectful questions that guide parents to their own insights, rather than imposing solutions. They also use video to capture the power of everyday moments. One time, for instance, a team was with a mother and her child in a mall with a play space. The baby started crawling through a tunnel and the mother said, “I bet I can get through that.”
“Later, the video showed how the baby squealed with excitement at the interaction,” recalled Judy Adel. “It was like her brain went on fire.” For a mother with a history of loss, trauma or neglect, seeing how much she matters to her baby can be an “aha moment,” explains Lowell. “Many mothers don’t feel that what they do has any impact on their child’s development or that their child even loves them. So seeing a child’s delight when they look up at their mother’s face is a very powerful communication. It can begin to change the trajectory of the relationship.”
“There are millions of times that children are doing things that parents are missing or misreading,” she adds, “and there’s no joy or delight in their parenting. We want delight! Delight is protective. When a child feels loved and valued by a parent, it buffers the circumstances. We can’t fix poverty but we can buffer the stresses.”
Child First has struck a chord. It has received invitations to bring its model to 24 states. Among high-risk families, the need is dramatic. But the science around toxic stress has much bigger implications. With the growing knowledge about the effects of ACEs, there are implications for pediatricians, day care policies, public schools, the justice system – just about anyone who engages with children, youths or adults with behavior problems. One big take-away is to change the question from: What’s wrong with the person? To: What happened to the person? And: What’s the best response? (Hint: punishment is usually not.)
“This new knowledge calls for a population-based public health response — like what was done for smoking, seatbelts and drunk driving,” notes Kristin B. Schubert, a former health policy analyst who directs the Vulnerable Populations program at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The stakes? “To my mind,” comments Robert Anda, “it’s the most important opportunity for the prevention of health and social problems and disease and disability that has ever been seen.”
In my next column, I’ll look at how the research on ACEs and toxic stress is being used around the country to improve the way different systems work.
David Bornstein is the author of “How to Change the World,” which has been published in 20 languages, and “The Price of a Dream: The Story of the Grameen Bank,” and is co-author of “Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs to Know.” He is a co-founder of the Solutions Journalism Network, which supports rigorous reporting about responses to social problems.
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Source: NYT
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For Diabetics, Healthy Habits Trump Medicine
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How are you doing with exercising and healthy eating at work, school or home?
Take this YCMA quiz here click: to determine your own diabetes risk.
Against the backdrop of a government shutdown precipitated by healthcare issues and the rollout of the insurance exchanges mandated by the Affordable Care Act, a conference called Diabetes + Innovation 2013 took place in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. The gathering, organized by The Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School, focused on prevention and treatment of this devastating disease, one of the costliest in economic and human terms. It attracted leaders from medicine, public health, academia and the business and nonprofit worlds. Unfortunately, several government officials scheduled to speak did not participate because of the shutdown.
Who’s in charge: Patients themselves
Unanimity seemed to prevail regarding the idea that the greatest weight of the management of diabetes falls squarely on the shoulders of patients. Many speakers stressed that diabetes can overwhelm a person, leaving them feeling different, scared and alone, emotional reactions that can reduce the person’s ability to take care of themselves. Hadley George, age 15 and a speaker at the conference, said, “The hardest thing about having diabetes is that you never get away from it.”
George created the online group Type One Teens as a place for other kids with diabetes to connect both online and through face-to-face social activities. Her group exemplifies a trend described by Larry Weber, the chief executive officer of a digital marketing agency called the W2 group, as “a quick evolution to microsegmented social media.” This trend, Weber said, offers huge value to patients, who need and can find advice and support instantly.
There are two main types of diabetes. type 2 diabetes is the most common, affecting 90 percent of those with diabetes. In the past, type 2 diabetes, in which the body become insensitive to insulin and therefor has trouble regulating blood sugar, generally arose in people older than 30 years. Today alarming numbers of people are developing this disorder in childhood and adolescence, mostly because they are obese. Although genetics do play a part in the development of type 2 diabetes, the greatest risk factor is obesity.
Type 1 diabetes, which results from an autoimmune reaction that destroys insulin-making cells, tends to occur in young, lean people under the age of 30, although sometimes, older people also develop the disease. Of all people with diabetes, only about 10 percent have type 1 diabetes; the other 90 percent have type 2 diabetes.
A public health problem of epic proportions
Diabetes patients face heightened risks for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and the loss of limbs. In 2011, 26 million Americans, or 8.3 percent of the U.S. population, had the disease, but 7 million didn’t know, having received no diagnosis. Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that 79 million American had prediabetes, a reversible condition that greatly heightens a person’s risk of developing the full disorder. John E. Anderson, president, medicine and science, of the American Diabetes Association, said at the meeting that “only 7 to 12 percent of patients with prediabetes know that they have it.”
If current trends persist, 53.1 million Americans will have diabetes by 2025, Novo Nordisk reports. By then the disease will be costing the U.S. $514 billion, a 72 percent uptick from the cost in 2010.
Some other countries have an even worse diabetes problem. Bandar Hamooh, CEO of the Al-Nahdi Medical Company, a large chain of Saudi Arabian pharmacies now in a partnership with Joslin Diabetes Center, stated that if present trends continue 50 percent of Saudis will be diabetic in 2030. Among other efforts, Al-Nahdi is bringing diabetes screening centers to public transportation sites.
Key themes of the meeting
Many speakers emphasized that primary care physicians, with appropriate help from other members of a care team such as nurses and social workers, ought to be able to manage the medical side of caring for diabetics and prediabetics without lots of referrals to specialists. But the U.S. healthcare system makes it hard for them to do so, and it often leads primary care doctors to refer patients to specialists when specialty care is not really necessary. Several speakers cited data that most diabetics see their primary care physician only once or twice a year for visits that last about 7 to 12 minutes because of insurance company practices. The insurance companies limit how much time a primary care doctor can spend with a patient for which the doctor will be compensated.
Traditional fee-for-service models pay physicians for time spent with patients and for tests or treatments administered. This approach fails to reward doctors for providing high-quality care or for improving patients’ health outcomes. Currently though “there’s huge experimentation now for paying for things differently,” according to Susan Manzi, a professor at the Temple University medical school also with the Allegheny Health Network. At the meeting much discussion centered on telephone calls and video visits becoming means of providing compensable care. The ACA encourages experimentation to pay for quality and outcomes. Under some of the new approaches, both doctors and patients receive direct cash rewards for measurable improvements in patients’ health indicators or status.
Even if primary care doctors had more time, helping patients make lasting behavioral changes falls outside their area of expertise. They have generally received little or no training in nutrition or behavior change in medical school, conference speakers emphasized. Clearly, multiple speakers said, patients need to learn and practice new habits with help from sources besides physicians.
Blowing up the usual approach to primary care
Although most participants on panels at the conference said that a shift away from fee-for-service would be both complex and gradual, a few disagreed. “Let’s just stop doing fee-for-service and start doing something else,” said Rushika Fernandapoulle, the CEO of Iora Health, a company that has set out to overhaul traditional primary care in part by pairing member patients with both a personal physician and health coach. Fernandapoulle said that Iora has doubled the usual 5 percent funding for primary care and seen “amazing results.” These, he said, include having 90 percent of diabetic patients under control, cutting emergency room visits in half, and decreasing hospitalization by 40 percent.
Grace Emerson Terrell, the CEO of Cornerstone Health Care, reported that her company “blew up the physician-centered model” and the brief primary care visit, redesigning patient care and financial incentives. “We’ll give compliant diabetics free medications if they work with wellness coaches,” she said, adding that their data “is starting to look good.”
Full implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) should bring about many positive changes, a lot of the speakers said. Today, one can say that “too late, too much, last minute is where the money is” in American healthcare, said Michelle J. Lyn. She’s a professor of community and family medicine working with the Duke Translational Medicine Institute. Soon primary care will be more generously compensated, and quality will be rewarded. In fact, Fernandopulle said, “The big elephant in the room [is the fact that] we will need a lot fewer specialists than we have now.”
The ACA supports preventive medicine, speakers said. It will authorize payment for care providers, such as trained peers serving as community health workers, who did not usually qualify in the past for insurance reimbursement. These kinds of workers have often proved especially able at helping patients make lifestyle changes in low-income areas heavily populated with African-American or Hispanic residents that are especially hard hit by the diabetes epidemic. These trained neighborhood residents with backgrounds just like the patients, have often been able to forge trusting, ongoing, hands-on relationships that it’s not a clinician’s job to provide.
“Health Ambassadors” making a great difference
Osagie Ebekozien, who runs the Whittier Street Health Center, a “comprehensive health and social services center,” in Boston has seen the value of trained peers. In Roxbury, a low-incomeneighborhood of Boston, 50 percent of the residents are African-American, 5 percent are Hispanic and the diabetes rate is twice Boston’s as a whole. Such health disparities are common. Diabetes disproportionately strikes people who belong to ethnic minorities and to those without many resources, in terms of income or education.
Osagie Ebekozien of the Whittier Street Health Center speaking in early October. Credit: Panoramic Visions/Abbas Shirmohammad © Joslin Diabetes Center, used with permission.
Ebekozien’s team recruited local women who themselves had type 2 diabetes and trained them as “health ambassadors” to reach out to their neighbors by telling tgeir own stories. “One of our health ambassadors had lost 80 pounds. Another had lost her mother to diabetes. Another used to think that the ER doctor was her primary care physician,” Ebekozian said. Whittier also organized a sort of bookmobile for fresh food called the Fresh Truck Mobile Food Market.
The Health Ambassadors sometimes helped their neighbors learn to shop and cook nutritious food. Sometimes they accompany them to doctor’s appointments. Efforts like these can have special importance in areas where residents of color may feel downright wary of medical professionals, several speakers said. “Trusted voices make the most effective messengers,” said Anne Filipic, president of Enroll America, a nonprofit created to help Americans sign up for insurance through the new exchanges.
Food and exercise trump drugs
In an instant survey conducted among the meetings attendees, 77 percent of them stated that a treatment for a diabetic should emphasize healthy eating at work and at home along with ample exercise as a first line of action, before medications came into play. The next morning, a representative of Sermo, an online community of about 125,000 physicians, reported to the group that the Sermo physicians surveyed on the same issue agreed.
To Gail Christopher, the vice president for program strategy at the WW Kellogg Foundation, “Food is the critical factor in diabetes.” She added that “the person’s self perception and their relationship to food” also matters immensely. With food deserts so common, though, people often lack access to healthy, affordable food. Growing up in our “obesigenic food environment,” as many speakers called it, even those with access to wholesome food often lack the knowledge, skills and support to buy and prepare healthy meals.
Is obesity a social disease?
People generally struggle to change their lifestyles and often need lots of support. The behaviors involved are almost always social ones, reflecting influences of family and community. Patrica Doykos, director of the Together on Diabetes initiative at Bristol-Myers Squibb, called for a “radical rethink” about diabetes and asked, “Is diabetes a social disease?”
Complicating the process of forming new habits, many people with diabetes or prediabetes have mental health issues before they receive a diabetes diagnosis, as several speakers noted. For other individuals, the diagnosis can trigger mental health problems including depression. “Primary care is most effective where there is true integration of behavioral health, not parallel play,” said Bruce Goldberg, MD, director of the Oregon Health Authority. Lisa Whittemore concurred: She said that her organization BlueCross BlueShield of Massachusetts requires that a clinical social worker be part of every diabetes care team.
To make and maintain new behaviors, people with diabetes or prediabetes often need lots of outside reinforcement. Some people find this at bricks-and-mortar setting like the YMCA, which is now deeply involved in diabetes prevention. With funding from the CDC and the UnitedHealth Group, the YMCA has rolled out a yearlong, evidence-based diabetes prevention program to 24 states. The program costs less than $300 per person, according to John Anderson.
At the YMCAs, participants join in 16 weekly classes that teach behavior change strategies around food and exercise, followed by monthly classes. The YMCA receives additional payments if participants reach the goals of a 5-7 percent weight reduction, the level that research has shown can keep a prediabetic person from becoming diabetic. “Five-to-seven percent weight loss leads to fabulous results in preventing conversion [of prediabetics] to diabetes,” said Tom Beauregard. He serves as the executive director of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform and Modernization. Beauregard noted that 30 large employers are directing interested employees to the YMCA’s program and said, “We couldn’t do this alone.”
Women tend to gravitate towards in-person classes, several speakers said, while men tend to find them less appealing. For men and for others not able to or inclined to attend classes, an online community and digital tools may work better. Of course, many people will access both types of support.
Varied technologies magnify patient power
Several speakers described sophisticated technological projects underway to empower patients to better care for themselves. One such effort, CollaboRhythm from the MIT Media Lab, has the goal of equipping patients to lead in disease management with help from doctors, health coaches, relatives and friends. Patients have easy access to all relevant data on their own devices and to frequent, detailed advice from coaches. They start out as “apprentices” learning how to manage their own diabetes and advance to become “masters” who can coach other patients.
Television is also becoming involved. Beauregard reported that UnitedHealth’s Center for Health Reform and Modernization worked with Comcast on a research project, called Project Not Me, which involved having participants watch an entertaining, educational reality TV show. The reality program, available to study participants on demand, had 16 episodes that paralleled the experiences of people in the YMCA’s program. The show featured six appealing prediabetic people of different ages, genders and ethnicities, working with a friendly health coach.
“The average participant watched each episode 1.4 times and we know that other relatives watched with them,” said Beauregard. He described the show’s impact as “remarkable,” saying that participants lost weight to a degree that “replicated the weight loss” experienced by participants at brick-and-mortar Ys. “Viewers really relate to the people” on the show, he said, adding that it won an Emmy.
How are you doing with exercising and healthy eating at work, school or home?
Take this YCMA quiz here click: to determine your own diabetes risk
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Source: Scientific American
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This whole website,
World's # 1 free advice website Successo-Pedia©
for success, health & wealth _______________________________
has all info you need
(1) to avoid sickness, (2) to stay healthy, (3) to have your lost health back, (4) to maintain your good health and (5) to live happily ever after with financial success and loving your family and loving your life.
All material in this website is based on the most recent science and is used in College & University teaching in all degree levels: Associate. B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
To avoid ANY sickness, including
RA = Rheumatic Arthritis (handled in this article)
or to avoid any other type of arthritis or any sickness, (1) adopt a healthy lifestyle and (2) feed your body & mind with correct, healthy food to (3) avoid toxicity accumulating first in your immune system, then (4) in your joints and (4) finally in your whole body.
95 % of all sicknesses are caused by unhealthy lifestyle & wrong nutrition.
Four quotation given below have the basic info for healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition - start from these quotations and (1) do what they state - then:
(2) start studying with your whole family, including all your children (of all age), this whole website (will take 5 years but it gives 50 more healthy years to everyone in your life). Then:
(3) In a weekly meeting with all your family members handle the material you decided in the previous week's meeting to study and all together apply the information to get the desired results. Have also the babies and toddlers in the weekly meeting (even though they may not read, yet - but it will teach them a healthy lifestyle idea for the rest of their lives = the best gift you can give to your family,to yourself & to your children
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.'s CEO)
Quotation: "In order to stay healthy and have long life you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.'s CEO)
Quotation: "Eat food, not too much, mostly fruit & vegetables" (Professor Michael Pollan)
Click: Michael Pollan & click: Michael Pollan
Quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't" (Professor Michael Pollan)
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The Article
About Hypertension and RA
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Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher risk for heart disease, yet research suggests that high blood pressure — a risk factor for heart disease — often goes undiagnosed in these patients. So researchers set out to see if rheumatologists were talking about high blood pressure with their patients.
Video Overview: Talking About Hypertension and RA
A recent study showed that many rheumatologists and RA patients could be having more conversations about high blood pressure (hypertension).
"Get your blood pressure checked regularly."
This study was led by Christie M. Bartels, MD, who is on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison.
The study was based on electronic health record searches from 2004 to 2011 that identified RA patients who had uncontrolled or undiagnosed hypertension and who had visited one of three rheumatology clinics.
Undiagnosed hypertension was defined as three or more blood pressure readings of 140/90 or more or two readings of 160/100 or more. Controlled blood pressure was considered having three or more consecutive blood pressure readings under 140/90.
Out of 1,267 patients, 501 had uncontrolled hypertension and 232 weren’t diagnosed as hypertensive.
The average patient age was 62 years. A total of 76 percent of patients were female, 11 percent were current smokers and 35 percent were former smokers. Less than 20 percent had prior heart conditions.
More: Hypertension News & Articles
This study included 2,677 rheumatologist visits.
Normal blood pressure was defined as systolic blood pressure under 120. Prehypertension was defined as a systolic blood pressure of 120 to less than 140. Stage I hypertension was a systolic pressure of 140 to less than 160. And Stage II was a systolic pressure equal to or greater than 160.
Systolic pressure, which is the top number in a blood pressure reading, is the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats.
Of these 2,677 visits, 20 percent of the systolic readings were normal, 45 percent were prehypertensive, 32 percent qualified as Stage I and 11 percent qualified as Stage II.
A total of 23 percent of RA visits talked about hypertension. Even in patients with systolic readings of 160 or more, only 25 percent discussed hypertension during their visit with a rheumatologist.
Having Stage II hypertension did not significantly increase the likelihood of a discussion about hypertension during a rheumatology visit compared to having Stage I hypertension. However, the likelihood of talking about hypertension at a rheumatology visit was higher for both Stage I and Stage II readings than for those people who had normal blood pressure or prehypertension.
Active tobacco users were least likely to have hypertension discussions.
The researchers wrote that these findings reveal lost opportunities for identifying and managing cardiovascular disease risks.
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Source: This study was presented at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting. The authors disclosed no conflicts of interest.
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The bacteria growing on a traditional Japanese pickle that has amazing flu-fighting benefits.
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Probiotic =denoting a substance that stimulates the growth of microorganisms, esp. those with beneficial properties (such as those of the intestinal flora) or e.g. increases production of flu-specific antibodies etc.
Human clinical trials have been launched after researchers found that an immune-boosting probiotic from Suguki (a pickled turnip popular in Japan) blocked transmission of the H1N1 virus in mice who were exposed to it, according to a new study published in the SfAM journal - click: Letters in Applied Microbiology
Society for Applied Microbiologywww.sfam.org.uk/
Welcome to SfAM - The oldest microbiology society in the UK ... Journal highlight - prebiotics, faecal transplants and microbial network units for gut health.
The probiotic bacterium, called Lactobacillus brevis, increases production of flu-specific antibodies, the scientists report, and may also help ward off other viral infections, including the deadly H7N9 flu, which has recently emerged in China.
This pickled treat isn’t the only new superfood on the horizon—let’s take a closer look at the latest research on six other foods that may soon bear the “super” title.
Notice: Penicillin as a medicine is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi
click: Penicillin
The discovery of penicillin is attributed to Scottish scientist and Nobel laureate Alexander Fleming in 1928. He showed that, if Penicillium rubens were grown in the appropriate substrate, it would exude a substance with antibiotic properties, which he dubbed penicillin. This serendipitous observation began the modern era of antibiotic discovery. The development of penicillin for use as a medicine is attributed to the Australian Nobel laureate Howard Walter Florey, together with the German Nobel laureate Ernst Chain and the English biochemist Norman Heatley.
Jicama Cuts Cancer Risk And Keeps You Looking Young - also called Mexican yam or water chestnut
click: Pachyrhizus erosus
This tasty root vegetable is being hailed as the “next big superfood,” due to its bounty of health benefits. It’s a good source of a prebiotic called inulin, a belly-flattening fiber that helps raise levels of “friendly bacteria in the gut and may reduce risk for colon cancer.
Also known as the Mexican yam or water chestnut, the crunchy vegetable may also combat wrinkles by increasing collagen. What’s more, Japanese researchers reported earlier this year that an extract of jicama fiber appears to have beneficial effects on the immune system in animal and lab tests.
Please study 20 Disturbing Facts About Cosmetics
Chia Seeds Reduce Triglycerides and Blood Sugar
click: Triglycerides - American Heart Association
An ancient healing food whose name is derived from the Mayan word for “strength,” these super-seeds have similar benefits to flax seeds, including heart-protective Omega fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, and protein.
A 2012 randomized clinical trial reports that people whose diet included a beverage containing Chia seeds, nopal (prickly pear), oats, and soy protein had striking improvements in triglycerides, levels of C-reactive protein (an inflammatory marker), blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, compared to those given a placebo beverage.
All the participants had metabolic syndrome and followed a reduced-calorie diet for two months, resulting in loss of weight and belly fat.
Tart Cherries: Ultimate Antioxidant and Natural Painkiller
This tangy fruit may be the ultimate antioxidant, as well as a natural painkiller, with a 2012 study reporting that it has “the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food.”
The researchers found that when osteoarthritis sufferers drank tart cherry juice twice a day for three weeks, their inflammatory markers fell significantly.
“With millions of Americans looking for ways to naturally manage pain, it's promising that tart cherries can help, without the possible side effects often associated with arthritis medications," said Kerry Kuehl, MD, Dr.PH., M.S., Oregon Health & Science University, principal study investigator, in the press release.
"I'm intrigued by the potential for a real food to offer such a powerful anti-inflammatory benefit,” adds Dr. Kuehl.
Chocolate Wards Off Belly Fat and Obesity
While this may sound too good to be true, the more chocolate teens eat, the less total fat and belly fat they are likely to have, a surprising new study published in Nutrition reports.
What’s more, this association held true even when exercise, total energy (calorie) intake, and a variety of dietary factors were taken into account. The study included 1,458 kids ages 12 to 17, and may the largest of its kind to date.
Lead study author Magdalena Cuenca-García, PhD, explains in a statement that while chocolate is high in calories, sugar and fat, “recent studies in adults suggest chocolate consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disorders.” Another recent study from the University of California on adult participants also linked chocolate consumption to lower body mass index (BMI).
The sweet treat is high in flavonoids—especially catechins—which have many health perks, Cuenca-García adds. “They have important antioxidant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive effects and can help prevent ischemic heart disease.”
Bradley Bale, MD, medical director of the Heart Health Program for Grace Clinic in Lubbock, Texas, actually “prescribes” dark chocolate for patients who have heart disease or are at high risk for it. However, he cautions that it’s possible to get too much of a good thing. “A square or two a day is all you need for heart health.”
Wild Blueberries Fight Heart Disease and Diabetes
Also hot off the presses is a brand new study on the health benefits of wild blueberries, coming out of the University of Maine and published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.
Click: Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism
The researchers found that eating two cups of wild blueberries regularly can improve or prevent metabolic syndrome, a deadly gang of metabolic thugs that double risk for heart attack and quintuple it for type 2 diabetes,
as explained in a recent article.
Fifty million Americans, many of them undiagnosed, suffer from metabolic syndrome, marked by such disorders as high triglycerides, low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and a large waistline.
The study was conducted on rats with metabolic syndrome. Another recent study on human participants, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, found that wild blueberry juice is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent damage to DNA. European Journal of Nutrition -
Blueberries of the non-wild variety are packed with benefits, too. As reported, the Nurses’ Health Study—which included more than 90,000 women—revealed that blueberries may help prevent heart attacks and preserve memory in older adults.
Tree Nuts May Help Prevent Deadly CancerWomen who eat one ounce of tree nuts—including almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts—two or more times a week have a significantly lower risk for pancreatic cancer, according to a new study published in British Journal of Cancer. The study included more than 75,000 participants in the Nurses Health Study.
Pancreatic cancer ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer death, yet has few modifiable risk factors. In fact, the main one identified in earlier research is obesity. And while nuts are relatively high in calories, the researchers report that in the study, women who ate the most tree nuts had a lower rate of weight gain and obesity than those who ate the least.
Tree nuts have also been linked to lower threat of diabetes, a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Additionally, as I recently reported, eating nuts, along with a Mediterranean diet, reduces stroke risk by 46 percent.
A food item could give the flu shot a powerful run for its money. But it's not the food, exactly—it's the bactergrowing on a traditional Japanese pickle that has amazing flu-fighting benefits. No wonder: (penicillin is from the same type of a source: fungus)
Human clinical trials have been launched after researchers found that an immune-boosting probiotic from Suguki
(a pickled turnip popular in Japan) blocked transmission of the H1N1 virus in mice who were exposed to it, according to a new study published in the SfAM journal, Letters in Applied Microbiology.
click: Letters in Applied Microbiology
Notice: Penicillin as a medicine is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi
Penicillin
The discovery of penicillin is attributed to Scottish scientist and Nobel laureate Alexander Fleming in 1928. He showed that, if Penicillium rubens were grown in the appropriate substrate, it would exude a substance with antibiotic properties, which he dubbed penicillin. This serendipitous observation began the modern era of antibiotic discovery. The development of penicillin for use as a medicine is attributed to the Australian Nobel laureate Howard Walter Florey, together with the German Nobel laureate Ernst Chain and the English biochemist Norman Heatley.
The probiotic bacterium, called Lactobacillus brevis, increases production of flu-specific antibodies, the scientists report, and may also help ward off other viral infections, including the deadly H7N9 flu, which has recently emerged in China.
This pickled treat isn’t the only new superfood on the horizon—let’s take a closer look at the latest research on six other foods that may soon bear the “super” title.
Jicama Cuts Cancer Risk And Keeps You Looking YoungThis tasty root vegetable is being hailed as the “next big superfood,” due to its bounty of health benefits. It’s a good source of a prebiotic called inulin, a belly-flattening fiber that helps raise levels of “friendly bacteria in the gut and may reduce risk for colon cancer.
Also known as the Mexican yam or water chestnut, the crunchy vegetable may also combat wrinkles by increasing collagen. What’s more, Japanese researchers reported earlier this year that an extract of jicama fiber appears to have beneficial effects on the immune system in animal and lab tests.
20 Disturbing Facts About Cosmetics
Chia Seeds Reduce Triglycerides and Blood SugarAn ancient healing food whose name is derived from the Mayan word for “strength,” these super-seeds have similar benefits to flax seeds, including heart-protective Omega fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, and protein.
A 2012 randomized clinical trial reports that people whose diet included a beverage containing Chia seeds, nopal (prickly pear), oats, and soy protein had striking improvements in triglycerides, levels of C-reactive protein (an inflammatory marker), blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, compared to those given a placebo beverage.
All the participants had metabolic syndrome and followed a reduced-calorie diet for two months, resulting in loss of weight and belly fat.
Tart Cherries: Ultimate Antioxidant and Natural PainkillerThis tangy fruit may be the ultimate antioxidant, as well as a natural painkiller, with a 2012 study reporting that it has “the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food.”
The researchers found that when osteoarthritis sufferers drank tart cherry juice twice a day for three weeks, their inflammatory markers fell significantly.
“With millions of Americans looking for ways to naturally manage pain, it's promising that tart cherries can help, without the possible side effects often associated with arthritis medications," said Kerry Kuehl, MD, Dr.PH., M.S., Oregon Health & Science University, principal study investigator, in the press release.
"I'm intrigued by the potential for a real food to offer such a powerful anti-inflammatory benefit,” adds Dr. Kuehl.
Chocolate Wards Off Belly Fat and ObesityWhile this may sound too good to be true, the more chocolate teens eat, the lesstotal fat and belly fat they are likely to have, a surprising new study published in Nutrition reports.
What’s more, this association held true even when exercise, total energy (calorie) intake, and a variety of dietary factors were taken into account. The study included 1,458 kids ages 12 to 17, and may the largest of its kind to date.
Lead study author Magdalena Cuenca-García, PhD, explains in a statement that while chocolate is high in calories, sugar and fat, “recent studies in adults suggest chocolate consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disorders.” Another recent study from the University of California on adult participants also linked chocolate consumption to lower body mass index (BMI).
The sweet treat is high in flavonoids—especially catechins—which have many health perks, Cuenca-García adds. “They have important antioxidant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive effects and can help prevent ischemic heart disease.”
Bradley Bale, MD, medical director of the Heart Health Program for Grace Clinic in Lubbock, Texas, actually “prescribes” dark chocolate for patients who have heart disease or are at high risk for it. However, he cautions that it’s possible to get too much of a good thing. “A square or two a day is all you need for heart health.”
Tomato-Rich Recipes to Lower Your Risk of Stroke
Wild Blueberries Fight Heart Disease and DiabetesAlso hot off the presses is a brand new study on the health benefits of wild blueberries, coming out of the University of Maine and published in the journalApplied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.
The researchers found that eating two cups of wild blueberries regularly can improve or prevent metabolic syndrome, a deadly gang of metabolic thugs that double risk for heart attack and quintuple it for type 2 diabetes, as I explained in a recent article.
Fifty million Americans, many of them undiagnosed, suffer from metabolic syndrome, marked by such disorders as high triglycerides, low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and a large waistline.
The study was conducted on rats with metabolic syndrome. Another recent study on human participants, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, found that wild blueberry juice is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent damage to DNA.
Blueberries of the non-wild variety are packed with benefits, too. As I reported in August, the Nurses’ Health Study—which included more than 90,000 women—revealed that blueberries may help prevent heart attacks and preserve memory in older adults.
Tree Nuts May Help Prevent Deadly Cancer
Women who eat one ounce of tree nuts—including almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts—two or more times a week have a significantly lower risk for pancreatic cancer, according to a new study published in British Journal of Cancer. The study included more than 75,000 participants in the Nurses Health Study.
Pancreatic cancer ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer death, yet has few modifiable risk factors. In fact, the main one identified in earlier research is obesity. And while nuts are relatively high in calories, the researchers report that in the study, women who ate the most tree nuts had a lower rate of weight gain and obesity than those who ate the least.
Tree nuts have also been linked to lower threat of diabetes, a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Additionally, as I recently reported, eating nuts, along with a Mediterranean diet, reduces stroke risk by 46 percent.
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World’s First GMO Apple Easy to Spot … Or Not
Date: December 2013
Arctic Apple growers want to stand out in the marketplace
In a few months regulators are poised to approve the first genetically modified apple. The new fruit is expected in grocery stores as early as 2014.
Made by Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF), the Arctic Apple comes in Golden and Granny Smith varieties, with Fuji, Gala, and others to follow. Unlike conventional apples, Arctic does not brown when sliced or bruised.
The Arctic Apple differs from other genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in a very important way: consumers will be able to identify it.
All fresh fruit will be labeled with an Arctic sticker, and processed foods containing more than 5 percent of Arctic Apples will bear the Arctic logo. Only pasteurized products such as juice and sauce will not be labeled.
As big food manufacturers and bioengineering companies spend millions to squash campaigns aimed at identifying GMOs, Okanagan wants its product to stand out in the marketplace.
In a series of videos addressing questions of safety and science, OSF owner, orchardist, and bioresource engineer Neal Carter said that unlike other GMO crops that are designed with traits that only benefit the farmer such as built-in pest control or pesticide resistance, Arctic Apples are designed with the consumer in mind.
Flavr Savr a Failure
OSF is not the first to try this business model. The Flavr Savr tomato, introduced in 1994, was the first commercialized GMO. Initially popular, the tomato was never profitable. Consumer concerns put an end to production of all products containing the tomato by 1998.
But Carter explained that farmers, retailers, and consumers alike can all find appeal in a non-browning apple.
“This is going to have something for everybody,” he said.
Arctic’s non-browning feature promises to preserve nutrients including vitamin C, phenolics, and antioxidants lost in the browning process. It may also reduce food waste and save money. A nationwide poll found that a vast majority of apple eaters liked the idea.
“We wanted to do something like the baby carrot model. We could stimulate apple consumption by having something that’s convenient and easy to eat,” said Carter.
Leaves, Antibiotics, and a PathogenLaboratory modification turns off the enzyme that produces browning. This trait is created with tiny pieces of apple leaves, a medium containing the antibiotic kanamycin, and Agrobacterium tumefaciens—an important plant pathogen in bioengineering due to its ability to transfer a defined segment of DNA into a plant to generate a desired effect.
“All of these elements are found in nature, and carefully put together by scientists with lots of initials after their names,” states the Arctic Apple website.
Grown in Washington state and New York field trials for over a decade, Arctic is probably the most researched apple in history, but the new fruit already has critics. The Cornucopia Institute warns that because Arctic tree cells are resistant to a common antibiotic, it could contribute to antibiotic resistance beyond the orchard.
In a Dec. 14 statement, the organic advocacy group urged regulators to reject the Arctic apple: “There is no proof that Arctic Apples are harmless, but there is certainly reason to suspect that they may be harmful to humans, wildlife, and the soil environment.”
OSF is convinced its product is safe, and explained that since no resistance genes are found in the fruit; no such resistance is transferred to humans.
Source: The Epoch times - STAF, Inc. endorses The Epoch Times
click: The Epoch Times
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
Reasons You May Feel Tired "All the Time"
Common But Less Known by Non-Medical Individuals
_______________
Important information for every person - study & apply
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. CEO)
Click green for further info
You stayed up late last night. Then you woke up extra early to be on time in an important meeting. Some days, there's no mystery as to why you need an extra shot of espresso and if you can't sleep no matter what you try. .
The article 2 of 2 next below will handle several sleep myths and give you a natural, no negative side effect solution to a better sleep.
But sometimes, the root of your fatigue isn't so obvious, and everything from a hidden health issue to your gym habits could be to blame. "It's like asking a pediatrician why a baby is crying; the answer could be any number of things," says Tanvir Hussain, MD, a preventive cardiologist in Los Angeles.
click: Dr. Tanvir Hussain, MD - Phone & Address Info – CA ...www.healthgrades.com › ... › California (CA)
A challenging puzzle, yes, but your fatigue is a mystery you can solve. Here are 7 reasons you could be dragging--and how to regain more energy than you ever remember having.
You're dehydrated
Healthy women who failed to replace a mere 1.5% of their water weight experienced mood swings and low energy levels, according to a 2012 study in The Journal of Nutrition. click: Journal of Nutritionjn.nutrition.org/
The study authors suspect neurons in your hypothalamus--the brain region responsible for controlling things like hydration and body temperature--send mood-altering messages to the rest of your brain as an early warning to drink more water.
Your fix: Drink up - daily the amount in liquid ounces as your normal weigh would be (no soda sugary or artificially sweetened; coffee, tea counts as water), and and ditch that 8-glasses-a-day guideline: A one-size-fits-all water measurement won't work since your hydration needs vary based on things like the weather and your workouts. In general, you should have to pee at least once every three hours and your urine should have a light lemonade-colored tint, says Gina Sirchio, DC, CCN, a chiropractic physician and nutritionist click: Gina Sirchio DC, CCN
at the LaGrange Institute of Health in Chicago click: LaGrange Institute of Health Ltd.
You're low on B12
Your body needs vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and keep neurons functioning properly. Deficiency decreases the amount of oxygen your blood can carry through your body, leaving you with that sleeping-with-your-eyes-open feeling. As you age, you produce less of a protein called intrinsic factor click: Intrinsic factor, which helps you process the nutrient.
Because only animal foods naturally contain B12, vegetarians and vegans face an elevated risk of running low, as do people who've had stomach or intestinal surgeries (these procedures often alter the tissue where B12 absorption takes place, Dr. Sirchio says). Even low or borderline levels--not necessarily full-blown deficiency--can wear you down.
Your fix: If your fatigue comes along with forgetfulness, restless legs, or numbness and tingling, consider B12 deficiency as a potential culprit. click: Vitamin B12 Benefits
Ask your doctor or nutritionist for a blood test of your levels. If you're low, you may need supplements. Your doctor will tell you how much to take, but typical doses range from 100 to 500 mcg. Choose a formula labeled "methylcobalomin" instead of "cyanocobalamin," Dr. Sirchio Gina Sirchio DC, CCN
says--it's easier for your body to use. Note that supplements will only boost your energy if you're low to begin with; unlike caffeine, B vitamins won't give you an added oomph if you already have ample stores.
Which vitamins can give you more energy, relieve PMS symptoms, and even help prevent cancer? Find out in Prevention's 100 Best Supplements
You're overwhelmed with stress
Trying to do it all comes with a huge downside. Normally, your levels of the stress hormone cortisol Cortisol run highest in the morning and dip down at night, helping you maintain a normal daily rhythm. But chronic stress throws this pattern out of whack in either direction, says Marc Bubbs, ND, CSCS, founder of Naturopathic Sports Medicine in Toronto. If your body remains on constant alert, yourcortisol levels may never fall off at night, disrupting your sleep. Or, your adrenal glands may eventually fall behind in cortisol production, leaving you sleepwalking through your morning.
Your fix: You can't always control the sources of stress, but you can change your reaction. Mindfulness practices have been shown to ease stress and fatigue in people with chronic medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, and they work for healthy people, too. Can't spare 15 minutes a day to meditate? No problem. Click here to find the best style of meditation for you (it's simpler than you think!)
You have hidden heart disease
In a study in the journal Heart & Lung, Heart & Lung - The Journal of Acute and Critical Care - Elsevier
half of women who had heart attacks said they had trouble sleeping and felt unusually fatigued in the weeks beforehand. Weariness and shortness of breath when you exercise, climb stairs, or otherwise exert yourself should also raise a red flag, Dr. Hussain says. Blocked arteries or a weak heart muscle reduce blood flow, preventing your muscles and tissues from getting the oxygen they need to function properly.
Your fix: Get to the doctor, especially if you've suddenly lost your get-up-and-go or if you have other strange symptoms, such as chest pain, anxiety, or trouble concentrating. He or she may recommend a stress test or an echocardiogram to screen for heart disease, Dr. Hussain says.
You've probably heard to eat fish for your heart, but not all fish is healthy.
Click here for 12 Fish To Never, Ever Eat.
All 12 fishes in that link are not suitable food for us humans - all correct info
STAF, Inc. additional, easy advice: eat ONLY fish from the nature (oceans, rivers - all more or less polluted anyway) AND NEVER FARM-RAISED fish; the farm-raised fish (1) contain too many artificial chemicals, (2) they literally swim & grow in their own elimination and (3) they are made "fast-grow" with toxic feed and unnatural medical mixtures dangerous for us humans and for our pets.
Eat fish that has backbone & scales (when they still swim around).
Lobsters, shrimps, oysters are not fish even though they are often called as such - once more: they are NOT fish at all. They all are eating (as their food) naturally poisonous "food" in their elements - their duty in the ecology is to eat the toxins because the nature gave them the capability to digest the toxic material - by eating the toxic elements they keep the originally clean oceans, rivers and lakes clean for other living creatures and clean for us humans. By eating these "toxicity cleaners" we humans get the toxins that our human system cannot handle. Then we burden your own immune system (= the "cleaning lady" of the human body) and the more our "cleaning lady" is burdened the less effective it gets. The results: a toxic body. Any toxic human body WILL create sicknesses of all types, shortens the life span and gives much suffering for us humans and to our pets. Same principle when you eat toxic-food (= fast-food = bad-food, processed food = dead food) the heating projects kills all enzymes at F132 - enzymes = life giving elements; see the link below
click: Enzyme - Wikipedia, the freeencyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyme Enzymes /ˈɛnzaɪmz/ are large biological molecules responsible for the thousands of metabolic processes that sustain life. They are highly selective catalysts, ...Catalysis - List of enzymes - Substrate - Enzyme inhibitor
Your iron levels are too low--or too high
Most educated humans may know anemia leads to fatigue. But don't assume popping iron supplements will pep you up. Yes, low iron levels lead to poorly formed red blood cells that deprive your body of refreshing oxygen. However, getting too much iron can wear you down as well. Your body uses vitamins, minerals, and energy to rid your system of the excess iron, leaving you with little left to run on in a healthy manner and the next sickness is near, says Dr. Sirchio.
Your fix: Consider your risk factors: Iron deficiency often strikes vegetarians and vegans, people with digestive diseases or thyroid problems, women on hormonal birth control, and those with a very heavy menstrual flow. On the flip side, high levels can run in families or result from taking supplements, and often cause other signs that include feeling cold, thinning hair and nails, or dizziness when you stand up. Striking the right balance is important, so don't take iron pills on your own, Dr. Sirchio warns--talk with your doctor about yearly blood tests to check your levels. If they're abnormal, have them checked monthly until they level off, then every three to six months until you steadily see normal readings.
You're not working out
Especially when paired with chronic stress, too much time spent sedentary drains your fuel tank even though you're merely idling, Dr. Bubbs says. Picture it: A stressful day at work cranks up your cortisol Cortisol and blood glucose levels click: Blood sugar, triggering your knee jerk reaction to fight or flee. But when you spend your afternoon and evening barely moving between your computer screen and your couch, you never release that energy and tension. This can keep your engine revved and disrupt your sleep at night--or burn out your body's cortisol factory so much that you're dragging the next morning click: Blood Glucose Control - American Diabetes Association
Your fix: Start moving if you're sedentary. Walk 20 - 25 000 steps daily (use a pedometer -click: Pedometer a
device that counts each step a person takes...)
People who get the government-recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week report less fatigue and more energy and vigor than those who don't, according to a recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise click: ACSM | Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ACSM = click: American College of Sports Medicinewww.acsm.org/Promotes fitness, health and quality of life through research, education and practical applications of sports medicine
If you're using exercise to help you sleep better, give your new regimen time to take hold-another study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found you'll need to move consistently for a few weeks or even months to reap the restful benefits. Download our 14 Walking Workouts That Burn Fat And Boost Energy for a plan to get started (if there is a commercial first, click 2nd time the (x) to ge to the article).
You're exercising too much
On the flip side, you can have too much of a good thing. If you're sweating every day or doing heavy-duty training for an event like a triathlon click:Triathlon, fatigue and trouble sleeping can serve as a sign that you're pushing your body beyond its limits. Workouts--and especially endurance sports like long-distance running and cycling--also cause a spike in cortisol. If you're not striking the right balance between activity and rest, you can overload your system with physical stress just as you can with emotional or mental pressure, Dr. Bubbs points out.
Your fix: If you're exercising regularly but suddenly tire more easily, you may be overreaching. Try taking a few days of complete rest. Then ease back into your routine, doing about 25% of your usual activity for a week and adding another 25% each week until you're back up to speed, a0dvises Tom Holland, MS, CSCS, 21-time Ironman Triathlete and author of The Marathon Method.
You have a urinary tract infection = UTI
If you've had a UTI before, you know the burning urgency that comes when you pee. But about half of individuals who show up with UTIs also report fatigue and a general sense of illness, and the rate increases among those 40 or older, says Ashley Carroll, MD, click: Ashley Carroll, MD an assistant professor of urogynecology click: Urogynecology
at Virginia Commonwealth University. click: Virginia Commonwealth Universitywww.vcu.edu/
"Basically, it's your body's way of forcing you to rest in order to focus energy on fighting the infection," Dr. Carroll says.
Your fix: Head to the doctor if you suspect a UTI. Prescription antibiotics can banish the bacteria. All your symptoms, including fatigue, should subside within seven to 10 days of completing treatment. As you're healing, get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and eat a healthy diet, Dr. Carroll advises. If you're prone to frequent UTIs (more than a couple per year) talk with your doctor--long-term prophylactic antibiotics can ward off future infections.
Click green for further info
Source:
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
For every person the must-to-apply info
Sleep Myths And Real Solutions For Better Sleep
12 Reasons You Can't Sleep Well
Busting the top sleep myths of how to get a great night's rest
and the real ways to get the shut-eye you need
to bust =to bring an end to (STAF website is for the U.S. and the worldwide use - thus some words are explained to a better understanding of the information)
By BSM: Faculty and Staff: Michael Perlis, PhDwww.med.upenn.edu/bsm/faculty_perlis.html
ADDITIONAL information at the end of this article
1
You'd think Michael Perlis would know better. A Ph.D. and one of the nation's preeminent sleep researchers, Dr. Perlis didn't get 8 hours of sleep last night. Nor the night before. In fact, the most sleep Perlis ever gets is 7 hours. Now and then, when he has a pressing work deadline, he gets 5. But you won't find him napping over his computer keyboard at 3:00 in the afternoon. That's because Dr. Perlis, director of the University of Rochester's Sleep and Neurophysiology Research Lab, knows something you don't. He knows that the “Everyone needs at least 8 hours of sleep” maxim is about as bona fide as Bigfoot. “Certain popular beliefs, like the 8-hour rule, are misconceptions,” says Dr. Perlis, who wakes well rested after 7 hours. “In fact, some of these misconceptions can actually contribute to sleep problems like chronic insomnia.”
If you're one of the 60 to 70 million Americans with a sleep problem, there's a good chance a misconception or two may be keeping you up at night. Before you invest in a $1,500 mattress or spend a couple of nights wired with electrodes in a sleep disorders center, follow our truly soporific suggestions for a good night's rest every night. And see if you can trace your sleep problems to one of these 10 popular myths.
2
Myth: Everyone needs 8 hours of sleep a night
Think most experts agree on this one? Wrong! “Asking how much sleep a healthy adult needs is like asking how many calories a healthy adult needs,” says Perlis. “It depends.” Since our sleep requirements are partly inherited, some of us need more, or less, than others.
But how much more or less sleep we should be getting is one of the most contentious issues in sleep research today. At a conference in 2002, when sleep researcher Daniel Kripke, MD, from the University of California, San Diego, argued that getting less than 8 hours a night might be beneficial, “it practically started a food fight,” recalls Phil Eichling, MD, an eyewitness at that conference and a sleep researcher at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
Dr. Kripke has good reasons for giving the thumbs-down to the 8-hour rule. He conducted one of three studies that found that people who slept either 8 hours or more or 6 hours or less ran significant risks of dying of heart disease, stroke, or cancer. The highest risk was found among those who slept the longest. On the other hand, critics of the less-sleep-is-better school argue that getting too much sleep probably isn't hastening the Big Sleep. It's more likely that people who are dozing so long have underlying health problems that cause their fatigue. (It's a symptom of many conditions, including depression, heart disease, and cancer.)
What you should do: Let the sleep researchers argue this one out. For now, the consensus is that the amount of sleep people need varies considerably. It ranges from as little as 5 hours to as much as 11 hours a night, says Gary Zammit, PhD, director of the Sleep Disorders Institute at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. Some people are 5-hours-a-night types who may be able to stay up to watch Letterman and still wake refreshed at 6 am. Others are 9-hour snoozers who should be asking, “Who's Letterman?” They just can't stay up that late.
To figure out how much sleep you need, keep a diary for the next week or two, logging how much snooze time you get at night and how alert you feel the next day—without the use of stimulants such as coffee or a splash of cold water on the face in the afternoon. If you need stimulants to keep you awake, you're not getting enough sleep. And while you experiment, give these 6 essential tools for a good night's sleep a try.
3
Myth: Nodding off in the afternoon is normal
It's normal to feel slightly less energetic in the afternoon, due to your circadian rhythms of sleepiness and wakefulness. But nodding off during a boring lecture, meeting, or your daughter's recital—especially in the midafternoon—isn't normal. It's a sign that you're not getting enough sleep if your head starts drooping while your boss is going over last month's figures or your adorably earnest preschooler is explaining why Superman bests Batman. The difference between less energetic and downright drowsy? If your eyelids feel heavy, you're tired, says William C. Dement, PhD, the Stanford University scientist known as the father of sleep research.
In fact, if you feel drowsy during the day—for example, you fall asleep on Sunday afternoon while reading a page-turner such as The Da Vinci Code—you may be running a significant “sleep debt.” That's sleep research lingo for the total hours of sleep you've lost, one sleep-deprived night after another. Here's how it happens: If you need 8 hours of sleep and get only 7, after a week you've lost the equivalent of almost one night's sleep. That's your sleep debt. And it's cumulative. One expert estimates that the average sleep debt among Americans is 500 hours a year.
After losing only the equivalent of one night's sleep over the course of a week, however, your body will respond as if you'd pulled an all-nighter: You may experience waves of extreme fatigue; itchy, burning eyes; emotional fragility; loss of focus; even hunger as your body tries to find a way (“Aha! Twinkies!”) to become energized and stay upright. Sleep debt can also cause serious health problems down the line. Some recent studies suggest that decades of chronic sleep deprivation may increase your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Additional research suggests that repeated lack of sleep may also boost your risk of diabetes by speeding age-related changes in the way your body uses glucose (check out the 5 ways lack of sleep can make you gain weight).
What you should do: First, determine what's causing your sleep debt; the remedy for it will depend on the right diagnosis. Do you have insomnia? To find out, ask yourself:
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Sleep advice for people who don't have insomniaNot an insomniac? Lots of things could be keeping you up or interrupting your sleep occasionally: worry, a child with nightmares, a pet hogging the pillow, a snoring spouse, even tree branches brushing against your house. Or if you're like millions of time-starved Americans, you could be regularly stealing from sleep time to finish the work you didn't get done at the office, to answer e-mails, to pay bills, to do laundry, or to just have some quiet time for yourself. In fact, says Carl E. Hunt, MD, director of the National Institutes of Health National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, this bad habit is the number one cause of daytime sleepiness in the United States.
If your sleep is interrupted once in a while, one good night's sleep will help you feel refreshed. Chronic problems—worry, the snoring spouse, the snuggling pet, the noisy crab-apple branch outside your window—will require specific solutions (a visit to the doctor, a bed in the hallway for Fluffy, a skilled arborist). But if you're cheating yourself of sleep time “to get things done,” or if you just don't realize how much sleep you need, you have a “sleep phase disorder” of your own making. To remedy it, you're going to have to adjust your bedtime.
Take a week or so to experiment. Keep your rising time the same but move your bedtime back an hour for 3 or 4 days—say, from midnight to 11 o'clock. If you're still waking up tired and lurching to Starbucks in midafternoon, move your bedtime another 45 minutes to an hour earlier. Staring at the ceiling for 30 minutes before you drift off? Shift your new bedtime later in 15-minute increments until you hit your magic hour. How will you know? You'll wake up refreshed, you'll feel in top form at work, and decaf will do.
How To Prevent Snoring
5
Myth: If you have insomnia, you need to go to bed earlier, nap, or sleep more
Step away from the bed! If you suffer from insomnia, all three of those “remedies” could make your tossing and turning much worse, says Kimberly Cote, PhD, a sleep researcher at Brock University in Ontario.
Blame it on something called the sleep homeostat. click:Sleep homeostasis
Sleep homeostasis denotes a basic principle of sleep regulation. A sleep deficit elicits a compensatory increase in the intensity and duration of sleep, while excessive sleep reduces sleep propensity.
Slow waves in the electroencephalogram (EEG), a correlate of sleep intensity, serve as an indicator of sleep homeostasis in non REM sleep, also referred to as slow-wave sleep in animals.
REM - click: Rapid eye movement sleep
A hardwired system controlled by brain chemicals, it's not unlike your appetite. You know that the longer you go between meals and the more active you are, the hungrier you become. Likewise, your homeostat builds up a hunger for sleep based on how long you've been awake and how active you've been. The more sleep hungry you are, the faster you nod off and the more soundly you doze. But just as you're not eager for a big meal at night if you pig out all day or snack too close to dinner, you're not going to feel tired if you go to bed earlier or nap. When you have insomnia, experts recommend that you let your sleep homeostat adjust itself naturally, without trying to compensate with different bedtimes and catnaps.
Many things can keep you from falling or staying asleep: for example, consuming alcohol or caffeine, or feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed. But insomnia often takes on a life of its own. After a few nights of tossing and turning, what's likely to keep you up is worrying about getting to sleep, says Cote. Eventually, you start associating going to bed with worrying about falling asleep, so instead of easing you into slumber, your nervous system goes on high alert, anticipating—and bringing on—another sleepless night.
What you should do:
Only a specialist sleep Doctor can diagnose and treat any contributing health problems or refer you to a sleep center.
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Myth: Napping will ruin your night's sleep
This is true only if you have insomnia. Otherwise, “napping can help to improve performance later in the day,” says Cote. “In fact, more employers should not only recommend napping but also facilitate it, especially for people working the night shift.”
What you should do Nap as early in the day as possible, so your homeostat can build up the necessary hunger for sleep that will propel you into slumber come nightfall. And snooze for no more than 30 minutes. (Set an alarm clock.) If you nap longer, you'll be more likely to awaken from deep sleep and feel groggy. Nap less, and you won't feel refreshed.
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Myth: You have to miss a lot of sleep before it affects youLosing even 90 minutes of sleep for just one night can reduce your daytime alertness by as much as 32%. That's enough to impair your memory, your thinking ability, and your safety on the job and on the road. One Australian study found that volunteers who stayed awake just 6 hours past their normal bedtime for a single day performed as poorly on tests gauging attentiveness and reaction time as those who were legally drunk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that each year at least 100,000 crashes, and more than 1,500 deaths, are the direct result of driver fatigue.
What's worse, sleep deprivation also impairs your ability to recognize that you're not running on all cylinders. In other words, you really shouldn't be operating heavy machinery (or much else), but you don't realize it. “The ability to judge how well you're doing is probably one of the first things to go when you don't get enough sleep,” says Cote. “That's why you need to take preventive measures.”
What you should do If you miss several hours of sleep one night, consider calling in sick the next day. Or ask if you can work from home. That way, you won't have to drive. And you may even be able to take a half-hour nap during your “lunch hour” at your home office. If you have to go in and public transportation is an option, take it. Or call a coworker and ask if she can give you a lift to the office. If you're nodding off at your desk, take a brisk walk up and down the stairs or hall. Exercise helps you snap to, in part because the accompanying rise in body temperature appears to boost alertness for a time. If possible, set aside half your lunch hour for a nap—in the lounge (if it includes a couch), in your (locked) car, or even on your desk (clear it off first). Remember to set an alarm, or ask a buddy to wake you (your brain will thank you for it).
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Myth: You can catch up on sleep on the weekend
Unless you have insomnia, it's theoretically possible to make up for some lost sleep by dozing longer on the weekend. But it's not realistic. With Saturday morning Little League and all those inevitable weekend odd jobs, chances are you won't really be able to make up for the sleep you missed, says Dement. You'll end up finishing the week in the red, with an ever-bigger sleep debt.
What you should do: It's always better to get a good night's sleep every night. But if you do rack up a sleep debt during the workweek, try to sleep in on the weekend or take a nap so you can pay at least part of it down, Dement says. You may need to invest in a white-noise machine unless you're able to sleep through the din of power lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and your kids' afternoon games in the backyard.
9
Myth: Exercising before bed keeps you from sleeping
That's not true for everyone. In fact, research shows that even vigorous exercise right before bedtime doesn't affect sleep for many people (and in some cases it may help). This is good news if your busy schedule gives you a short window of time between dinner and bedtime to squeeze in some activity
(here are click: 25 ways to fit in 10 minutes of exercise).
One exception: If you're a sedentary and overweight postmenopausal woman, a new study indicates that you'll sleep better if you exercise earlier in the day; exercising later can interfere with your sleep.
People who have trouble sleeping can probably exercise about an hour before bed without problems. “But we don't have hard data, so people really have to do their own testing,” says Dr. Perlis.
What you should do: Experiment. If you exercise at night and suspect that your workout may be keeping you up, reschedule it for earlier in the day for several days to see whether you sleep better. Keeping a sleep diary for those days—noting when you exercise and how well you sleep—can help. If you find you do sleep better when you exercise earlier, make the switch permanent.
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Myth: You have to have insomnia to take sleeping pills
Actually, sleeping pills are most helpful if you take them before insomnia becomes chronic, says Dr. Hunt. They can help correct your off-kilter sleep homeostat. Unlike older meds, newer prescription sleeping pills, such as Sonata (zaleplon) and Ambien (zolpidem), can help you drift off to sleep within minutes and stay asleep, thus breaking the cycle of sleeplessness and anxiety that can turn a few nights of insomnia into chronic sleeplessness.
These newer pills act on areas of the brain that promote wakefulness. They also wear off faster than older meds, so you're not semicomatose in the morning. “If you take one at 2 am, you can get up for work at 6 or 7 am, and the effect is gone,” Dr. Hunt says. The new generation medications also more closely replicate natural sleep. In contrast, the older drugs stinted users on the deepest and most restorative phases of sleep. These phases normally occur four or more times a night.
Pills are still controversial. Like all medicines, they can cause side effects (dizziness, headache, agitation), and they're not meant for long-term use.
What you should do: Talk to your doc about the pros and cons of medication. If you'd prefer a drug-free alternative, consider cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Studies suggest it has a better outcome than pills. Similarly designed to break the cycle of sleepless, anxious nights, CBT trains insomniacs to avoid detriments such as counterproductive worry about lost sleep. Usually the therapy runs from four to eight sessions, but some patients find relief with as few as two. The downside of CBT: It costs about $300 per session and, unlike pills, is not always covered by insurance. To find a board-certified therapist, contact the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Another natural option: these 7 herbal sleep inducers.
11
Myth: You'll get addicted to sleeping pills
At one time, sleeping pills were addictive barbiturates. (Remember poor Neely in Valley of the Dolls?) But the newer drugs, known as nonbenzodiazepines, are unlikely to leave you hooked.
Because they don't make you high, the drugs don't pose the same abuse potential, says Dement. “And contrary to another popular belief, they won't lose effectiveness over time, so you won't have to keep taking a higher and higher dose.” Getting off sleeping pills, however, can be tricky, he acknowledges. Stopping abruptly can trigger a recurrence of insomnia, so it's important that your doctor gradually taper your dose.
What you should do: Rest assured: A short course of sleeping pills won't turn you into a junkie.
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Myth: If you have work to do, it's better to get up early than stay up late
Do just the opposite. If you have only 4 hours to spare for sleep, snoozing in the early morning (2 am to 6 am) will benefit you more than will late-night sleep (10 pm to 2 am), a recent Stanford University study suggests. You'll still function worse than you would with a full night's sleep, but you'll function better than you would had you gone to bed at 10.
What you should do: Work until 2 am. By then your sleep homeostat will have you so tired, it'll catapult you into a particularly restful sleep, Perlis says. You'll probably wake up feeling groggier than usual, so allow time for a shower and cup of coffee before heading out. The early-morning sleep you get will carry you only through late morning, so if that presentation is scheduled for the afternoon, try to sneak in a 30-minute nap during your lunch hour. Splash your face with water and sip your favorite stiff coffee when you wake up.
Source:
Faculty and Staff
Michael Perlis, PhD
Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Associate Professor, School of Nursing (secondary appointment)
Visiting Professor/Adjunct Faculty University of Glasgow
Visiting Professor/Adjunct Faculty University of Freiburg
Visiting Professor/Adjunct Faculty Northumbria University
Dr. Perlis is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and the Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program.
His areas of expertise include sleep in psychiatric disorders and neurocognitive phenomena in insomnia, the cognitive and behavioral mechanisms of action of sedative hypnotics & placebos, and the development of alternative treatments for insomnia. His clinical expertise is in the area of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (BSM) and he is the principle author of the first text book in this field (Treating Sleep Disorders: The Principles and Practice of Behavioral Sleep Medicine, Wiley & Sons) and is the Senior author of two textbooks on Behavioral Sleep Medicine Interventions for sleep disorders (Springer and Academic Press).
He has also authored or co-authored a variety of papers and chapters on the assessment and treatment of sleep disorders and published more than 90 empirical or theoretical papers and commentaries and chapters on sleep related topics. He is on the editorial boards of the journal Sleep, The Journal of Sleep Research, the Journal of Sleep Medicine Research, and the journal of Behavioral Sleep medicine.
In addition to his academic endeavors, he has served as
Source:
BSM: Faculty and Staff: Michael Perlis,PhD www.med.upenn.edu/bsm/faculty_perlis.htmlBSM
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6 Health Problems To Never Ignore
Lurking behind these conditions may be other, scarier illnesses
Here's what to look out for
Click green for further info
In others, troublesome genes or poor health behaviors, such as smoking or lack of exercise, trigger one problem, then the other. Being alert to the following ...
"Shadow diseases" that strike together
Experts aren't sure why some illnesses travel in pairs, but knowing your risk will help you stay safe.
For years, doctors have observed that patients with one illness may be stricken by another condition that's seemingly unrelated and sometimes more serious, known as a "shadow disease." One of the most well-known is the connection between migraines and heart attack or stroke. Now researchers are uncovering even more linked ailments and zeroing in on why they appear to travel in pairs.
Studies show that these couplings occur for different reasons. In some cases, one disease creates damage that causes the second illness. In others, troublesome genes or poor health behaviors, such as smoking or lack of exercise, trigger one problem, then the other. Being alert to the following dangerous connections can help you avoid the shadow disease or get early diagnosis and treatment, leading to a better outcome.
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1. Migraine
Its shadow: Stroke or heart attack
If you regularly suffer from migraine pain (especially if you develop auras, which are visual or sensory phenomena that accompany the headache), your doctor has probably warned you about your susceptibility to heart attack or stroke. Now, thanks to recent findings, experts better understand which cardiac ailment is more likely to occur for any given migraine sufferer.
Frequency matters. If you have fewer than one migraine a month, you're 50% more likely to have a heart attack than nonsufferers. If migraines strike at least weekly, you have 3 times the risk of stroke, compared with those who don't have this problem, says study coauthor Tobias Kurth, MD, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.
Protect yourself: Unfortunately, existing research has not yet found that preventing migraines has the effect of lowering stroke or heart attack odds. However, by keeping your cardiovascular system as healthy as possible, you diminish your chance of a cardiac event, according to the National Stroke Association. To do this, control known hazards, such as high cholesterol and obesity, via diet and exercise. You should also quit smoking and limit alcohol intake (no more than one 1-2drinks a day, according to the American Heart Association.) (Read Problem Solved: Migraines for more causes and cures.)
2. Endometriosis
Its shadow: melanoma
Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. It is the leading cause of death from skin disease. Melanoma can also involve the colored part of the eye. Click green for further info
Causes - Symptoms - Tests - Treatment - Prognosis - Prevention National Library of Medicine
In 2007, a huge, 12-year French study confirmed that women with endometriosis (in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the womb) are 62% more likely to suffer from melanoma. Researchers are unsure why endometriosis and the deadly skin cancer sometimes travel together, but one possibility is a genetic defect that triggers both conditions.
Protect yourself: If you have endometriosis, ask your doctor to scan your skin for melanoma, advises Jeffrey P. Callen, MD, a professor of dermatology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. You can also do a self-check of your moles. If anything suspicious turns up, be sure to have it biopsied. Don't panic, though. "When diagnosed very early, melanoma is nearly 100% curable," Dr. Callen says. (Don't know what to look for?
Check our list of skin cancer warning signs.) Click green for further info
Endometriosis is a gynecological condition in which cells from the lining of the uterus (endometrium) appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity, most commonly on the membrane which lines the abdominal cavity, the peritoneum. The uterine cavity is lined with endometrial cells, which are under the influence of female hormones. Endometrial cells in areas outside the uterus are also influenced by hormonal changes and respond in a way that is similar to the cells found inside the uterus. Symptoms of endometriosis are pain and infertility. The pain often is worse with the menstrual cycle and is the most common cause of secondary dysmenorrhea. Endometriosis was first identified by Baron Carl von Rokitansky in 1860.
Endometriosis is typically seen during the reproductive years; it has been estimated that endometriosis occurs in roughly 6–10% of women. Symptoms may depend on the site of active endometriosis. Its main but not universal symptom is pelvic pain in various manifestations. Endometriosis is a common finding in women with infertility.
Endometriosis has a significant social and psychological impact.
There is no cure for endometriosis, but it can be treated in a variety of ways, including pain medication, hormonal treatments, and surgery.
3. High blood pressure
Its shadow: diabetes
Doctors have long wondered how high blood pressure and diabetes are related, because the two often appear together, especially in obese patients. Now, after following 38,000 midlife women for 10 years, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School report that constantly elevated blood pressure, or hypertension, doubles your risk of developing diabetes, regardless of your BMI. More surprising, the risk of diabetes goes up if your blood pressure increases over time—even if it stays under the hypertension threshold.
The two problems may have a common cause, says study author David Conen, MD, a research fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Potential culprits include high levels of inflammation in the body, he says, or a malfunction in the blood vessels' inner lining, allowing blood cells to leak into surrounding tissue and damage it.
Protect yourself: If you have mild hypertension or are at risk for this problem, get tested for diabetes. You can help prevent onset of diabetes with lifestyle changes: Increase your physical activity, lose excess weight, limit salt, and stub out those cigarettes for good, suggests Dr. Conen.
4. Psoriasis
Its shadow:heart attack
The rough, itchy patches of psoriasis are more than uncomfortable and unsightly: They may increase your odds of a heart attack, concludes a study that followed half a million people for 5 years. The risk of a cardiac emergency was related to the severity of the psoriasis, the researchers determined; serious cases of the skin ailment could mean a more than doubled heart attack risk.
"The out-of-whack immune system that triggers the psoriasis may also cause inflammation that infiltrates the arteries of the heart," explains study author Joel M. Gelfand, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Protect yourself: Will controlling the skin disease diminish the inflammation that can cause a heart attack? The idea makes sense but must be confirmed with further research, says Gelfand. You can also consider talking with your doctor about new psoriasis medications, including Amevive (generic name alefacept). They're made from living sources, much as vaccines are. They may work, even if past treatments failed. In the meantime, Dr. Gelfand suggests keeping your heart healthy with diet and exercise. (And also with these 12 DIY Psoriasis Solutions)
5. Metabolic syndrome
Its shadow: kidney stones
Metabolic syndrome is a serious health condition associated with coronary heart attacks, diabetes, and even early death. You have it if you've got at least three of these five traits: excess abdominal fat, high blood triglycerides, low HDL (which is the good cholesterol), high blood pressure, and impaired glucose tolerance.
HDL Click High-density lipoprotein
Now research reveals that metabolic syndrome could also be behind the rising rate of kidney stones. Your odds of developing them go up by 54% if you have two of the above traits; with three symptoms, your risk hits 70%, says the research.
Protect yourself: Obesity is a key player in both metabolic syndrome and kidney stones, perhaps because overweight people are likely to consume excess protein and sodium, which may cause the painful crystals to develop, says study coauthor Bradford Lee West, MD. Trimming your waistline reduces one of the metabolic syndrome traits and may diminish your chances of getting kidney stones, he says.
6. Asthma
Its shadow: depression and anxiety disorders
Studies reveal a striking connection between asthma and psychological problems, including depression and anxiety. In 2004, the CDC announced that 18% of patients with asthma report mental distress. "This link has been debated by scientists for about 20 years, but in the last half decade it has become more accepted," says Bruce G. Bender, PhD, who is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
Research on military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder also confirmed the connection. Veterans with the greatest number of PTSD symptoms were more than twice as likely to have asthma as those with the mildest cases, reports study coauthor Renee D. Goodwin, PhD, an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University. Speculates Bender: "One condition may lead to the other. Breathing difficulties may cause anxiety or even depression. Or psychological problems may make asthma worse."
Protect yourself: If you know you have either asthma or mental health problems and suspect you have the other, get tested for it. Seek help for any confirmed illnesses so you don't find yourself in a downward spiral, with each condition exacerbating the other one.
Your Guide To Adult Asthma
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Source:
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Dentistry Gone Digital
By Andrew Koenigsberg, DDS, DDS | November 2013
In the last few years, dentistry has gone digital with significant benefits for patients. New technologies allow for better treatment and an improved patient experience.
A rapidly growing digital technology, Computer Aided Design (CAD), also called Computer Aided Manufacturing, (CAM), has revolutionized the experience of getting crowns, onlays, veneers, bridges, and implants. These machines allow most single tooth restorations to be completed from start to finish, in a single visit.
For patients, this means no more temporaries coming loose, no more second trips and no more second injections!
An additional benefit is that the restorative materials used with CAD/CAM are metal free which are more esthetic and may require less drilling away of the tooth. Virtual molds, (or duplicates of the teeth), are captured with a digital scanner so the messy, annoying trays filled with goop are eliminated. Offices that have a CAD/CAM lab, may even be able to do full smile makeovers in one day.
More Convenience, Less Radiation, Fewer Chemicals Orthodontics has also gone digital. Tooth movement can be planned on CAD software and then using 3D printers, clear aligners are manufactured. This has been very popular with adults who want to straighten their teeth but don’t want traditional braces.
X-rays have transitioned from film to digital sensors with the majority of offices now using digital systems. The newest digital sensors are more accurate than film and expose patients to less radiation. In fact, the typical dose for checkup x-rays is now at the level of daily background levels. Digital sensors are also better for the environment as there are no chemicals used in their processing. The picture is available instantly which means fewer x-rays and they can be easily emailed if you move or switch dentists.
New 3-D digital scans are quickly gaining acceptance and the extra dimension can provide significantly more information. This feature is especially useful in planning implant placement as it allows the surgeon to know the exact shape of the bone. This results in the best final implant position and can also minimize the surgery and recovery. 3-D digital imaging can also be helpful for wisdom tooth extractions, airway evaluation and other diagnostic challenges.
When it comes to patient convenience, the digital office can’t be beat. Online registration can be a big time saver. Not only can you fill out forms at your own schedule, you also have access to all your personal information so you can complete the registration process accurately. This saves time as well as extra trips as the doctor can review your history in advance and front desk can schedule your appropriately. Many dental websites contain valuable health information and some offer appointment confirmation and on-line bill payment.
Some offices have incorporated fully digital records though this is not as common as in medical practices. With these systems, doctors and staff no longer have to sift through loose papers and x-rays to get your information. The records are easily transferable if you move or switch practices. Digital records also make it easy to save photos which can be helpful in monitoring changes in the mouth.
Source:
Dr. Koenigsberg has been in practice since 1980 and is a partner at Gallery57Dental. G57D is a showcase for Sirona, the world’s largest dental equipment manufacturer. The office is fully digital and has been featured in Modern Dentistry as a prototype of the dental office of the future.
Rejuvenating the Aging Smile
We are all aware of the many changes our bodies and specifically our faces go through as we age. We notice lines, wrinkles, blemishes, and loss of tone, and are aware of the various procedures available to reverse these conditions.
On some level, we are also aware that the smile ages but often are not aware of the specific changes that occur over time. So, what are those changes and to what extent can they be reversed?
Color
Teeth get darker as we age. Though tooth enamel is hard, wear and micro-cracks allow stain to be absorbed into teeth. Whitening is very effective for reversing this color change. It can be done in the dental office or at home. There are many over-the-counter products available in drug stores that work well and are less expensive than professional whitening.
Their disadvantage is that they take more applications and can be tricky to apply. Dentists use more concentrated, light activated products in their office which give the fastest results and are the most expensive.
Surveys show that most dentists prefer to have the patients’ apply the whitening gel in custom made trays for 30–60 minutes a day for about two weeks. This gives the patient a lot of control over the final result as is easy to maintain as touch ups are easy once the patient has trays.
Shifting
Many people experience shifting of their front teeth over time. Besides being unaesthetic, this also leads to uneven wear, chipping, and increased staining.
Teeth can easily be straightened at any age and often this can be accomplished with clear, removable retainers (Invisalign is the most popular system). Depending on the amount of movement needed, the teeth can be straightened in as little as 10 weeks!
Wear and Cracking
Front teeth are called incisors because they cut through food such as salads and sandwiches. Every time the teeth meet, there is a microscopic amount of wear that accumulates over time.
Often the wear is uneven, causing the smile line to distort and the edges to get thin and translucent. The stress also causes microscopic cracks in the teeth.
The best way of replacing worn, chipped enamel is with porcelain, usually as a veneer or crown. The porcelain is very esthetic and strong and can last for many years. It is a great way of restoring lost tooth structure and taking years off a smile.
Gum Recession, Spaces and Exposed Root
Almost everyone experiences some gum recession over time. It is important to determine that this is not from periodontal (gum) disease. Unfortunately, even slight recession, can expose dark root structure.
Another consequence is what appears to be a “dark triangle” at the gum line between teeth. This is actually empty space where there was once bone and gum. There are surgical procedures to move the gum back but they are often not 100 percent effective. Porcelain veneers or crowns can cover the dark roots but do not replace the missing gum.
If you are concerned that your smile does not project the appearance you want, have your dentist evaluate your specific issues. While not every sign of aging can be reversed, it is often possible to take years off your smile!
Source:
Andrew Koenigsberg, DDS, founded Gallery57Dental in 2006, where he currently practices and is passionate about providing people with the best dental care possible. He is also the co-founder of CAD/CAM Excellence, a continuing education center, where he is clinical director.
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Click the green title or search the topic with the title
Periodontal (Gum) Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
www.nidcr.nih.gov › Oral Health › Topics › Gum (Periodontal) Diseases
Can gum disease cause health problems beyond the mouth? Clinical .... reduces the need for surgery and whether they are effective over a long period of time.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Disease
Craniofacial = of, relating to, or involving both the cranium and the face
Cranium = the skull, head, brain case;
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What is Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity?
People with celiac disease click: Celiac disease - MayoClinic.com experience a variety of gastrointestinal and, occasionally, extraintestinal symptoms when they consume gluten - the primary protein found in wheat. The biological mechanisms behind this autoimmune reaction are rather well understood, and the diagnostic tests for celiac disease are sensitive and specific. Similarly, people who are allergic to wheat experience a local or systemic allergic reaction when they come into contact with wheat-containing foods. The immunological reaction underlying a wheat allergy is the same as for other food allergies, and is similarly very well understood.
What is not well understood is the phenomenon of people who have neither celiac disease nor a wheat allergy, yet nonetheless experience digestive distress or extraintestinal symptoms when they consume wheat. Unlike the case of celiac disease or wheat allergy, proposed mechanisms behind this observed dietary intolerance have not been proven, nor have objective medical tests been identified and scientifically validated to diagnose the condition. Currently, a diagnosis is made by excluding autoimmune or allergic conditions in conjunction with clinical improvement of symptoms when wheat is eliminated from the diet. (Purported diagnostic tests for such sensitivity to gluten - including those with saliva, stool, hair or so-called "applied kinesiology" tests of muscle strength - are not supported by objective, peer-reviewed or replicable scientific data.)
All we can say for sure is that there's a significant number of folks out there who feel lousy when they eat wheat. According to nationally representative data, about half of one percent of all Americans followed a gluten-free diet in 2009 and 2010, but based on the proliferation of gluten-free products in the past several years and what I've seen in my practice, my guess is that number is already higher by now.
Read: What is Gluten, Anyway?
The term used to describe this symptomatic response to wheat, and to possibly other gluten-containing grains such as barley and rye, is "non-celiac gluten sensitivity." Of note, it has been observed that a significant percentage of patients with symptoms of NCGS also has irritable bowel syndrome. This makes me wonder: Is gluten really even the offender in some of these cases?
Wheat, barley and rye, like most foods, contain both protein and carbohydrates. Gluten - the main protein in these grains - gets most of the attention when we consider dietary intolerances. But these grains are also a significant source of a type of carb called a fructan. Fructans are essentially chains of fructose molecules that are very difficult to digest. You may recall meeting them in my previous articles on common triggers of IBS symptoms. They're one of several families of fermentable, poorly digested carbs we refer to as FODMAPs (= FODMAP=Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols)- click: FODMAP - Wikipedia
In addition to wheat, barley and rye, other dietary sources of fructans include onions, garlic, artichokes, sunchokes, jicama and asparagus - all (gluten-free) veggies that are common triggers for gas, bloating and or diarrhea in a subset of patients with IBS. In other words, if you have IBS and have found onions and garlic to disagree with you, there's good reason to believe that fructan-rich grains might trigger symptoms as well, particularly when eaten in large portions.
This raises another question: What if NCGS isn't a gluten sensitivity at all - at least for some people - but rather a fructan sensitivity instead? What if non-celiac gluten sensitivity is really non-celiac fructan sensitivity?
Indeed, a recent study of people with IBS and NCGS suggested this very possibility. The researchers of this small but well-designed study gave participants a low-FODMAP diet, which was both wheat-free and gluten-free, for two weeks and noted an improvement in their digestive symptoms. Then, they challenged half the group daily with several grams of either isolated gluten (without the usual accompanying fructans) or isolated whey protein. There was no difference in symptoms experienced between participants in the respective groups, suggesting that among this set of people with IBS, gluten was no better or worse than another dietary protein in terms of provoking digestive symptoms in the context of an overall low-FODMAP diet. It would be interesting to see whether these results can be replicated in larger studies of people with IBS as well as others without the condition.
Strange (but True) Food Allergies
For most people who don't do well with wheat, the distinction between gluten and fructans may be an academic one, with little bearing on their day-to-day diet. After all, if wheat triggers symptoms, then it should be avoided - regardless of whether those symptoms are caused by a wheat protein or a wheat carbohydrate. Still, thanks to the wonders of modern food science, there are some cases in which a wheat-based food could be gluten-free but still high in fructans, ironically making it tolerable for a person with actual celiac disease but not for someone with NCGS.
For example, consider a new wave of beers that are brewed from malted barley but treated enzymatically to remove gluten. These beers have been testing below a threshold of less than 10 parts per million of gluten, rendering them technically gluten-free. (The Food and Drug Administration's threshold for labeling a food "gluten free" is less than 20 ppm.) But beer often contains some residual fermentable carbohydrates that may be digestively troublesome for sensitive folks even in the absence of gluten. The amount of residual, fermentable carbohydrate varies depending on the type of beer and the brewing process, with ales generally having the most and lagers having the least. The point is that these beers are an example of a food (or beverage, technically) that may be problematic for some patients with NCGS, but possibly not for those with celiac disease. As researchers push the frontiers of food science in an attempt to "detoxify" wheat flour from its gluten, it's possible we may one day encounter examples of gluten-free (but still high-fructan) wheat-based foods on a much more regular basis.
See: Making Sense of the FDA's New Gluten-Free Labeling Law
The state of current knowledge into what we currently call NCGS is just the tip of what promises to be a very large iceberg. (And that iceberg may get a new name at some point as well.) Based on current research, it's possible that NCGS may turn out to be multiple distinct conditions - some resembling celiac disease with an underlying autoimmune cause triggered by gluten, some more typically allergic in nature and many just run-of-the-mill carbohydrate intolerances that got swept up the gluten-free frenzy.
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Foods That Could Become Illegal
With FDA Move to Ban Trans Fats
FDA = The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in November 2013 its preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oil is no longer generally recognized as safe for use in food.
click: U S Food and Drug Administration Home Pagewww.fda.gov/
Definition: Trans fats are a type of fat that has been linked to raising low density lipoproteins ("bad" cholesterol, LDL), lowering high density lipoproteins ("good" cholesterol, HDL), and contributing to heart disease.Trans fats are formed during hydrogenation. Hydrogenation is a process by which unsaturated fats are bombarded with hydrogen. This process introduces hydrogens on opposite sides of a double bond of the chemical structure of the trans fat.
Trans fats do not occur naturally and are solid at room temperature. They are used commercially in foods in order to extend the shelf life of a food and to add texture.
Click:Trans fat: Avoid this cholesterol double whammy - MayoClinic.com
Related Articles - Click green for further info:
5 examples of foods That Become Illegal
With FDA Move to Ban Trans Fats
The move paves the way for a ban, or at the very least, strict limits on the fake fats, which are the primary source of artificial trans fats in the diet.
Artificial trans fats are formed when food makers turn liquid oils into solid fats in a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases a food's shelf life, but the science shows it also pumps the body full of artery-clogging fat.
Although the agency said that the average consumption of trans fats has declined from 4.6 grams per day in 2003 to about 1 gram per day in 2012, FDA commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg said in a statement that further reduction would prevent more than 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 new cases of coronary heart disease each year.
Many food manufacturers have already taken steps to strip their products of artificial trans fats. But according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, hydrogenated culprits still linger in the American diet.
Here's a list of foods called out by CSPI as trans fat offenders that could become illegal if the FDA ban moves forward.
CSPI = Center for Science in the Public Interestwww.cspinet.org/
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is a nonprofit education and advocacy organization that focuses on improving the safety and nutritional ..
Fast Food (= Bad Food says STAF,Inc.)
You already know that fast food isn't exactly a nutritional bonanza, so it's no surprise the drive-through is a likely source of trans fat. Some menu items, like the Burger King Whopper, deliver just 1 gram of artificial trans fat. But Long John Silver's Breaded Clam Strips contain 7 grams per serving, and Popeye's Breakfast Hashbrowns contain 10 grams per serving.
Long John Silver's announced plans in August to switch to trans fat-free cooking oil.
Burger King has been cooking with trans fat-free oils since 2008, according to a company statement that says "all menu ingredients in the United States have zero grams artificial trans fat." Small amounts of naturally occurring trans fats, however, are present in meat and dairy products, the statement reads.
Microwave Popcorn
Some brands of microwave popcorn have successfully removed most traces of trans fats from their recipes, but you have to check the labels to know for sure. CSPI points out that Pop Secret Premium Butter Popcorn still delivers 5 grams per serving and Jolly Time Blast o Butter Popcorn delivers 4 grams per serving. Company websites confirm this.
Frozen Desserts
Many former trans fatties in this category are now free of fake fats, but once again, you should scan nutritional labels to make sure. Two notable examples: One slice of Sara Lee Classic New York style Cheesecake contains 3 grams of trans fats and Marie Callender's Peanut Butter Creme Pie contains 4.
Baking Mixes
Think whipping up your sweet treats from a mix is a safer route to avoiding trans fats? Mixes like Keebler Ready Crust Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crust and Betty Crocker Pie Crust Mix list 2 and 2.5 grams of trans fat per serving respectively. And if you frost your own cake with Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Chocolate Fudge Frosting, you'll add 1.5 grams of trans fats to your semi-homemade dessert.
Margarines
Not so long ago, margarine was considered a healthy alternative to butter. This is one food category where trans fats are still common. Many stick brands of margarine contain at least 1.5 grams of trans fat per serving. Walmart's Great Value Stick margarine has 3 grams per serving.
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Source: FDA
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Important info for everyone worldwide
Modern diseases grown by factory farming
Definition: factory farming = a system of rearing livestock using intensive methods, by which poultry, pigs, or cattle are confined indoors under strictly controlled conditions.
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Industrial agriculture is making us sick. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) (click) Centers for Disease Control and Preventionwww.cdc.gov/
and World Health Organization (WHO), nutritional scientists, and medical professionals warn against the health risks of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Click: World Health Organization: WHO
Definition of (CAFOs) = In the terminology of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) is an animal feeding operation (AFO) that (a) confines animals for more than 45 days during a growing season, (b) in an area that does not produce vegetation, and (c) meets certain size thresholds. The EPA's definition of the term "captures key elements of the transformations" observed in the animal agriculture sector over the course of the 20th century: "a production process that concentrates large numbers of animals in relatively small and confined places, and that substitutes structures and equipment (for feeding, temperature controls, and manure management) for land and labor."
Further CAFO info = click: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) - What is a CAFO?www.epa.gov/region7/water/cafo/
There is a near consensus among experts that
(1) overuse of antibiotics,
(2) crowded and unsanitary livestock conditions,
(3) unnatural feed diets, and
(4) a lack of diversification are responsible for some serious global health risks.
Contracting bugs from animals is nothing new. In fact, zoonoses (= infectious diseases transferred between species
= a disease that can be transmitted to humans from animals) are a natural part of evolutionary biology. But modern industrial farming practices can turn health issues that were once fairly benign into real concerns.
zoonosis, plur.= zoonoses - see further: WHO | Zoonoses and the Human-Animal-Ecosystems Interface
Factory farming creates perfect conditions for the proliferation (= rapid increase in numbers) of super bugs: The stress and unsanitary conditions of CAFOs (= concentrated animal feeding operations weaken animals' immune systems, making them more susceptible to infection; overcrowding allows disease to spread quickly and easily; and over time, antibiotics can cause resistant strains of bacteria to evolve. These conditions, combined with a lack of diversification, create a petri dish for dangerous diseases. [petri dish = a shallow, circular, transparent dish with a flat lid, used for the culture of microorganisms, click: Petri dish
As Dr. Michael Greger, director of public health and animal agriculture for the Humane Society of the United States writes: Dr. Michael Greger, M.D. - The Humane Society of the United Stateswww.humanesociety.org/about/leadership/subject.../michael_greger.html Michael Greger is Director, Public Health and Animal Agriculture.
Unnaturally high concentrations of animals confined indoors in a limited airspace and producing significant quantities of waste may allow for the rapid selection, amplification, and dissemination of zoonotic pathogens.
The Human/Animal Interface = a point where two systems, subjects, organizations, etc., meet and interact
Here are five diseases that have been affected by CAFOs:
1. E. coli
The content of animal feed poses particular health risks. Traditionally, cattle subsisted on a grass-based diet, but government corn subsidies and demand for more fatty, marbled beef motivated farmers to switch over to grain-based feed. Enter E. coli.
Milder strains of the bacteria have always been present in cows' stomachs, but the introduction of a grain-based diet upped the ante, according to a study published by the U.S.'s National Center for Biotechnology Information in 2009. Cows' digestives systems became more acidic in order to tolerate a higher quantity of grain. As a result, more harmful acid-resistant strains of E. coli, like the infamous O157:H7, evolved to survive. This is the dangerous strain that has found its way into our water, produce, and meat in recent years.
Michael Pollan, author of click: The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food explains:
Click: Michael Pollan
"Most of the microbes that reside in the gut of a cow and find their way into our food get killed off by the strong acids in our stomachs, since they evolved to live in the neutral pH environment of the rume*). But the rumen of a corn-fed feedlot steer is nearly as acidic as our own stomachs, and in this new, man-made environment new acid resistant strains of E. coli, of which O157:H7 is one, have evolved. [The Omnivore's Dilemma]
*) rumen = the first stomach of a ruminant*), which receives food or cud from the esophagus, partly digests it with the aid of bacteria, and passes it to the reticulum
*) ruminant = an even-toed ungulate mammal that chews the cud regurgitated from its rumen. The ruminants comprise the cattle, sheep, antelopes, deer, giraffes, and their relatives.
2. MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Styphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is another bacteria that, thanks in part to factory farming, is popping up more than ever before. MRSA can be spread by human or animal carriers. It is abundant in our environment and its resistance to antibiotics can make it difficult to treat. More deaths in the U.S. click: are now attributed to MRSA infections than HIV/AIDS, according to a 2007 report published by the CDC.
No real research has been conducted on the presence of MRSA on animals in the U.S., but European studies show a "strong casual link" between MRSA and factory pig farms. Agriculture scholar Laura Sayre notes that "the bacterium is widely present on pig farms in Canada, which sells millions of live pigs to the United States annually, so it seems pretty likely it's in U.S. pig factories, too."
3. Campylobacter and Salmonella
Campylobactor is a foodborne illness that click: can cause diarrhoea, nausea, fever, and abdominal pain. The infectious intestinal disease afflicts over 1.3 million Americans every year. It is also becoming increasingly drug resistant, click: according to the CDC, growing to almost 25 percent drug resistant in 2011, from 13 percent in 1997.
The bug is usually found on poultry, and a Campylobacter.
The same study also found that 14 percent of chickens were contaminated with Salmonella, a similar but rarer bacterium that's becoming increasingly antibiotic-resistant as well. The CDC estimates that Salmonella is responsible for 450 deaths each year. According to a CDC Threat Report 8 percent of non-typhoidal salmonella and a staggering 67 percent of salmonella typhi are antibiotic resistant.
Fortunately, unlike MRSA and E. coli, these microbes can usually be killed by proper cooking.
4. Mad cow
While much rarer than the infectious bacteria listed above, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) can also be attributed to modern farming practices. Mad cow disease first appeared in the 1980s as a result of offal, a mixture of the organs and entrails of butchered cattle, in feed. Farmers quickly learned that cannibalism can cause infectious neurodegenerative diseases in livestock.
As a report published by the World Health Organization explains:
BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is clearly linked to the practice of recycling bovine carcasses to recover so-called "meat and bone meal" protein, and then feeding this protein back to other cattle. If cattle are not being fed protein derived from the carcasses of ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats), there is virtually no risk of BSE. [WHO]
5. Obesity
In June 2013 The American Medical Association officially recognized obesity as a disease. Unsurprisingly, the nation with the largest industrial food industry also has the highest rates of obesity and diabetes. Every day factory farms in the United States grow 500 more calories per person than they did 25 years ago.SEE ALSO: Watch The Daily Show catalog everyone's lies about ObamaCare
The country's industrial corn farming plays a major role. Government subsidies make production of corn, corn syrup, and corn-based processed foods very attractive to farmers. They also support the aforementioned corn-based diets that can cause a myriad of health issues and increase the fat content of conventionally produced beef.
Many of the changes to our food system brought on by industrial agriculture in the past 20 years are disconcerting, but consumers are beginning to take notice. As Pollan, puts it:
Between the obesity epidemic, food safety issues (like E. coli and mad cow disease), concern about animal welfare, and a growing recognition that the American way of eating is making us sick, people seem ready to take a good hard look, both at the system as a whole and, even more important, at their own approach to food.
Click green for further info
Source: Different U.S. gov. sources, United Nations Statistics and various internet connections
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What Your Skin Says About Your Health
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that 67 million American adults suffer from high blood pressure, which leads to an increased risk for heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure occurs when the heart is forced to pump more blood through a person's arteries, which are typically narrow.
Publishing in the Journals of Gerontology, a team of researchers from Unilever — a food, home, and personal care product supplier — and Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands collaborated to investigate whether a person’s perceived age had any effect on the health of his or her heart. A total of 514 adults, both male and female and 63 years old on average, were part of the sample size in the study.
How Does Smoking Cigarettes Make Your Skin Look Older? (Photos)
First, the researchers separated the 260 women into two groups based on high and low risk of heart disease. The youthfulness of the female participants were then assessed by analyzing the facial appearance and evaluating the wrinkles on their inner arm — the place least likely to show signs of premature aging from the sun, reports Time magazine. Women who were placed in the lowest heart disease risk group were found to look two years younger than those in the other group based on photographs of their face.
“We identified that blood pressure was driving the link between cardiovascular disease risk and perceived age. It is the first time a link between low blood pressure and youthful looks has been proven," said Dr. David Gunn, a Unilever senior scientist, in a news release.
Following the first finding, the researchers then sought to compare the group of women who had a lower cardiovascular disease risk and youthful appearance to a group of men and women from families with long-living members. This comparison would help determine if it was genetics or cosmetics and/or procedures that helped these women look younger. The researchers also noted if women opted for procedures, then they were more likely to also afford the latest drugs and therapies to keep themselves heart-healthy.
The second experiment revealed that men selected from long-living families looked younger when compared to a control group of the same age, and women and men from long-living families overall had less skin wrinkling on their upper arm compared to the same-age control group. The findings show for the first time that youthful appearance is directly linked to familial longevity.
“Our initial findings suggest that families who age healthily are also endowed with slower skin ageing and, for males, a more youthful face. The next stage is to understand what is happening inside the skin of these youthful individuals to find out more about their ageing secrets,” Gunn said.
The researchers hope these results will encourage people to adopt a healthy lifestyle and to remain vigilant when it comes to their health, such as routinely checking their blood pressure.
Grapes Reduce High Blood Pressure and More
In a similar study, researchers found that people who were active by walking to work, taking public transportation, or riding a bike dropped their high blood pressure rates. Those who walked to work lowered their blood pressure levels by 17 percent.
Moderate physical activity can combat the risk of several diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. The CDC recommends adults engage in at least two hours and 30 minutes of aerobic physical activity at a moderate level or one hour and 15 minutes of aerobic physical activity at a vigorous level each week.
More from Medical Daily:
or just a professional for your own and for your family's better life quality
Health-coach
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Institute for the Psychology of Eating
in Boulder, Colo. - psychologyofeating.com
- by Marc David
Learn more about the Institute for the Psychology of Eating's philosophy. ...Featured Speakers – Eating Psychology Conference – Boulder, CO .. - Health-coach training - Blog - Eating ... - Curriculum
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Obamacare Penalties: 3 Things to Know
America, get ready for some "shared responsibility."
That's the rather benign-sounding term used by the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, to describe the financial penalties that millions of individuals in the U.S. could face if they don't purchase health insurance. Here are three important things you need to know about the Obamacare penalties before 2014.
1. Do the penalties apply to you?
If you already have health insurance through your employer, you're off the hook. If you don't, you could be subject to Obamacare penalties if you don't have health insurance for most of next year.
Even if you aren't insured for most of 2014, there's still a reasonable chance that the penalties won't apply to you. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that of the 30 million Americans who likely won't have coverage in 2016, only 6 million or so will be subject to financial penalties.
Several groups of people are exempted by law from paying the Obamcare penalties. If the lowest-cost insurance plan is more than 8% of your income, for example, you won't be stuck with a fine if you don't obtain coverage. You can also apply for economic hardship exemptions.
If receiving insurance benefits runs counter to your religious beliefs (provided you belong to a religious group recognized by the federal government), no penalties are applicable for you. If you opt to join a federally recognized health care sharing ministry, you can be exempted from paying the penalties.
You're not subject to Obamacare penalties if you're a Native American or if you're not an American citizen. In prison? Don't worry -- at least about paying financial penalties for failing to obtain health insurance.
2. When must you have insurance to avoid the penalty?
While the open enrollment period for the Obamacare health insurance exchanges extends through March 31, 2014, there's a catch. If you don't purchase a plan by the end of February, you'll get stuck with a penalty.
Obamacare mandates that individuals who go without coverage for three consecutive months must pay a penalty. Enrolling in an insurance plan during the first half of March gets you an effective date of April 1. Signing up in the latter part of March pushes that effective date out to May. Either way, you would go three months in a row without coverage -- and therefore face the penalty.
3. How much will the penalty cost if you didn't have coverage?
The calculations can get a little confusing, but here goes. For 2014, the minimum penalty will be $95 per uninsured adult and $47.50 per child, up to $285 for a family. You could pay more, though, depending on how much money you make.
Take your household income, then subtract $20,000 if you have a family and $10,000 if you don't. Multiply that number by 1%. You'll owe the greater of the resulting amount and the minimum penalty mentioned above. Probably. The exception to this rule is that no one will be required to pay more than the average annual premium for a bronze plan (lowest-cost option) in Obamacare.
There's still some good news and bad news. The good news is that if you have insurance for part of the year, your penalty will be prorated. The bad news? Penalties increase annually through 2016.
Penalty, shmenalty?
You might also want to know about one other minor detail about the Obamacare penalties: The IRS can't go after taxpayers who don't pay up. That's right -- the Affordable Care Act didn't include any provisions for the tax agency to enforce collection of the penalties.
2014 tax returns, which aren't due until April 2015, will include a spot for taxpayers to provide information about health insurance. If any penalties apply, the IRS will subtract the penalty amount out of any refund owed. If you don't get a refund or the penalty is greater than your refund, the agency will want you to mail a check to them or send funds electronically.
What happens if you decide not to send the money? The IRS could take it out of any future tax refunds. If your taxes are withheld through your employer, the agency could also get the money through that route. However, it can't press criminal charges or assess further financial penalties for not paying. The IRS also can't place a lien on property as it can when seeking payment of overdue taxes.
Source: U.S. gov. site
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The Social Security information in this article is A-MUST-TO-STUDY for every person in America
The U.S. Social Security’s Real Retirement Age Is 70
by click: Alicia H. Munnell
0IB#13-15The brief’s key findings are:
- Due to increases in Social Security’s Delayed Retirement Credit, the effective retirement age is now 70, with monthly benefits reduced for earlier claiming.
- Benefit levels at 70 appear appropriate given that rising deductions for Medicare and greater benefit taxation have reduced Social Security’s net replacement rates.
- The shift to 70 should be feasible for many workers given increases in lifespans, health, and education.
- But vulnerable workers forced to claim early will have low benefits and will be particularly harmed by any further cuts.
- Policymakers need to inform those who can work that 70 is the new retirement age and devise ways to protect those who cannot work.
click: new issue brief
from the Center for Retirement Research at click: Boston College
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Protecting Children From Toxic Stress
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Imagine if scientists discovered a toxic substance that increased the risks of cancer, diabetes and heart, lung and liver disease for millions of people. Something that also increased one’s risks for smoking, drug abuse, suicide, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease, domestic violence and depression — and simultaneously reduced the chances of succeeding in school, performing well on a job and maintaining stable relationships? It would be comparable to hazards like lead paint, tobacco smoke and mercury. We would do everything in our power to contain it and keep it far away from children. Right?
Well, there is such a thing, but it’s not a substance. It’s been called “toxic stress.” For more than a decade, researchers have understood that frequent or continual stress on young children who lack adequate protection and support from adults, is strongly associated with increases in the risks of lifelong health and social problems, including all those listed above.
In the late 1990s, Vincent Felitti and Robert Anda conducted a landmark study that examined the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — including abuse, neglect, domestic violence and family dysfunction — on 17,000 mainly white, predominately well-educated, middle class people in San Diego. They found a powerful connection between the level of adversity faced and the incidence of many health and social problems. They also discovered that ACEs were more common than they had expected. (About 40 percent of respondents reported two or more ACEs, and 25 percent reported three or more.) Since then, similar surveys have been conducted in several states, with consistent findings.
In the years since, advances in biology, neuroscience, epigenetics and other fields have shed light on the mechanisms behind this phenomenon. “What the science is telling us now is how experience gets into the brain as it’s developing its basic architecture and how it gets into the cardiovascular system and the immune system,” explains Jack P. Shonkoff, director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, where the term toxic stress was coined. “These insights provide an opportunity to think about new ways we might try to reduce the academic achievement gap and health disparities — and not just do the same old things.”
First, it’s important to note that toxic stress is not a determinant, but a risk factor. And while prevention is best, it’s never too late to mitigate its effects. It’s also critical to distinguish between “toxic stress” and normal stress. In the context of a reasonably safe environment where children have protective relationships with adults, Shonkoff explains, childhood stress is not a problem. In fact, it promotes healthy growth, coping skills and resilience. It becomes harmful when it is prolonged and when adults do not interact in ways that make children feel safe and emotionally connected.
This distinction is critical, because it opens the way to new opportunities to prevent a cascade of health problems. It is exceedingly difficult to alter the environments that produce major stress for families, particularly poverty. However, children can be shielded from the most damaging effects of stress if their parents are taught how to respond appropriately. “One thing that is highly protective is the quality of the relationship between the parent and the child,” explains Darcy Lowell, an associate clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicine and the founder of Child First, a program based in Shelton, Conn., that has marshaled strong evidence demonstrating the ability to intervene early, at relatively low cost, to reduce the harm caused by childhood stress in extremely high-need families. “Early relationships, where adults are responsive and attentive, are able to buffer the damaging effects on the brain and body,” she says.
Child First, initially developed at Bridgeport Hospital in Connecticut, now works in partnership with community-based agencies in 15 locations across the state, where staff members deliver its program of home-based parent guidance and child-parent psychotherapy. In a well-controlled study, children served by Child First were compared with those receiving usual social services and were found to be significantly less likely to have language problems and aggressive and defiant behaviors. Their mothers had markedly less depression and mental health problems, and the families were less likely to be involved with child protective services even three years later.
Consider Ana Sophia, who is 5 years old. Her mother, Ana Patricia, emigrated to the United States from Guatemala to escape domestic violence. (Their surnames have been omitted.)
When Ana Sophia was 2, she was sexually abused by the husband of her child care provider. Before, she had been a “pleasant and affectionate child,” her mother said. After, she began having frequent outbursts of rage. “She would explode into tantrums, throwing chairs, throwing her cot, screaming, crying,” recalled Ana Patricia, who works as a housekeeper. She didn’t know what to do. She felt hurt and guilty; her instinct was to allow the tantrums and hug Ana Sophia. But the tantrums also triggered her own feelings of helplessness and fear and she would often react angrily.
This is the kind of pattern that, if uninterrupted, would have only gotten worse. And although problems like this are common, clinical services targeting young children remain few and far between. Indeed, Ana Sophia’s experience needs to be considered in the context of the epidemic of preschool expulsions in the United States today, which studies have found to be three to 13 times as commonplace as K-12 expulsions.
And they can be prevented. At the Village for Families and Children, a social service agency in Hartford, 25 percent of the 100 families with a preschooler being served by Child First had a child who had been expelled from a preschool or was at imminent risk of being expelled, observed Kimberly Martini-Carvell, senior director at the agency. “Since Child First began working with those families, we’ve seen a dramatic reduction in expulsions,” she added, with only two children being expelled.
“Ana Patricia was allowing her daughter to do what she wanted to do,” explained Loretto Lacayo, a mental health and developmental clinician who delivers the Child First program. “That doesn’t feel safe to a child, especially after the loss of control of being abused.” Lacayo and her team partner, Sarah Rendon, helped Ana Patricia learn how to interact with her daughter in a sensitive but protective manner.
Through her work with Child First, Ana Patricia said she has learned how to recognize how Ana Sophia is feeling, and listen to her better, and this has helped her daughter control her strong emotions and express her feelings without hurting people. “I was taught that it was embarrassing to talk about feelings,” she said. “This is very different from what my mother did.”
By developing the ability to read a child’s cues, and by being emotionally available on a daily basis, parents can provide buffers that reduce the harmful physiological effects of high stress. “I feel like I enjoy my daughter more now,” Ana Patricia said. “And she enjoys me as a mother.”
Child First, whose funders include the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families and the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ home visitation program, attributes its success to a number of factors. It is preventive, focusing on children under the age of 6. It works through teams, bringing a mental health professional into the home alongside a care coordinator who helps the family gain access to basic services.
Both pieces are necessary. Lowell recalled an ‘aha moment’ years before she started Child First in 2001 when she was consulting with an agency about a child who had a language delay. “The family didn’t come to a speech therapy appointment,” she recalled. “When we investigated, we found out Mom didn’t bring her out in the winter because she had no shoes for the child. It made me realize that we have to look at problems in the context of the whole family and their challenges.”
Child First teams visit families once a week for six to 12 months, or longer, with the goal of stabilizing the family. They begin by establishing trust, listening and understanding the family’s priorities. If the first thing a mother says is, “I want beds for my children,” then that’s step one. The engagement is guided by an evidence-based methodology called Child-Parent Psychotherapy, which is grounded in collaborative problem solving.
In this process, “the therapist does not present herself as the expert, but as a partner in seeking solutions together,” explains Alicia Lieberman, director of the Child Trauma Research Program at the University of California, San Francisco, who led the development of this practice. It’s essential that the therapist responds in a caring and nonjudgmental manner. “Many parents worry that something is basically wrong with them,” says Lieberman. “It brings tremendous relief to hear that they are not ‘bad.’ And when they see the therapist believing in them and joining in their efforts to overcome problems, a different attitude gets established about themselves and their child.”
Almost all of the parents that Child First works with (mostly single mothers, but sometimes fathers or grandparents) have experienced trauma themselves. They’ve grown up with limited models for understanding their children’s behavior. “What often gets missed,” observes Judy Adel, one of Child First’s clinical directors, “is that every mother says, ‘I want something better for my children.’ They just don’t know what it looks like.”
A big goal is to help parents develop “reflective capacity” so they can respond with greater awareness about – and bring more wonder to – the meaning of their children’s behavior every day. Another is to help parents become more effective problem solvers – exercising their “executive functioning” capabilities, which can be impaired by traumatic childhood experiences.
Teams do this by asking respectful questions that guide parents to their own insights, rather than imposing solutions. They also use video to capture the power of everyday moments. One time, for instance, a team was with a mother and her child in a mall with a play space. The baby started crawling through a tunnel and the mother said, “I bet I can get through that.”
“Later, the video showed how the baby squealed with excitement at the interaction,” recalled Judy Adel. “It was like her brain went on fire.” For a mother with a history of loss, trauma or neglect, seeing how much she matters to her baby can be an “aha moment,” explains Lowell. “Many mothers don’t feel that what they do has any impact on their child’s development or that their child even loves them. So seeing a child’s delight when they look up at their mother’s face is a very powerful communication. It can begin to change the trajectory of the relationship.”
“There are millions of times that children are doing things that parents are missing or misreading,” she adds, “and there’s no joy or delight in their parenting. We want delight! Delight is protective. When a child feels loved and valued by a parent, it buffers the circumstances. We can’t fix poverty but we can buffer the stresses.”
Child First has struck a chord. It has received invitations to bring its model to 24 states. Among high-risk families, the need is dramatic. But the science around toxic stress has much bigger implications. With the growing knowledge about the effects of ACEs, there are implications for pediatricians, day care policies, public schools, the justice system – just about anyone who engages with children, youths or adults with behavior problems. One big take-away is to change the question from: What’s wrong with the person? To: What happened to the person? And: What’s the best response? (Hint: punishment is usually not.)
“This new knowledge calls for a population-based public health response — like what was done for smoking, seatbelts and drunk driving,” notes Kristin B. Schubert, a former health policy analyst who directs the Vulnerable Populations program at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The stakes? “To my mind,” comments Robert Anda, “it’s the most important opportunity for the prevention of health and social problems and disease and disability that has ever been seen.”
In my next column, I’ll look at how the research on ACEs and toxic stress is being used around the country to improve the way different systems work.
David Bornstein is the author of “How to Change the World,” which has been published in 20 languages, and “The Price of a Dream: The Story of the Grameen Bank,” and is co-author of “Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs to Know.” He is a co-founder of the Solutions Journalism Network, which supports rigorous reporting about responses to social problems.
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Source: NYT
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For Diabetics, Healthy Habits Trump Medicine
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How are you doing with exercising and healthy eating at work, school or home?
Take this YCMA quiz here click: to determine your own diabetes risk.
Against the backdrop of a government shutdown precipitated by healthcare issues and the rollout of the insurance exchanges mandated by the Affordable Care Act, a conference called Diabetes + Innovation 2013 took place in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. The gathering, organized by The Joslin Diabetes Center at Harvard Medical School, focused on prevention and treatment of this devastating disease, one of the costliest in economic and human terms. It attracted leaders from medicine, public health, academia and the business and nonprofit worlds. Unfortunately, several government officials scheduled to speak did not participate because of the shutdown.
Who’s in charge: Patients themselves
Unanimity seemed to prevail regarding the idea that the greatest weight of the management of diabetes falls squarely on the shoulders of patients. Many speakers stressed that diabetes can overwhelm a person, leaving them feeling different, scared and alone, emotional reactions that can reduce the person’s ability to take care of themselves. Hadley George, age 15 and a speaker at the conference, said, “The hardest thing about having diabetes is that you never get away from it.”
George created the online group Type One Teens as a place for other kids with diabetes to connect both online and through face-to-face social activities. Her group exemplifies a trend described by Larry Weber, the chief executive officer of a digital marketing agency called the W2 group, as “a quick evolution to microsegmented social media.” This trend, Weber said, offers huge value to patients, who need and can find advice and support instantly.
There are two main types of diabetes. type 2 diabetes is the most common, affecting 90 percent of those with diabetes. In the past, type 2 diabetes, in which the body become insensitive to insulin and therefor has trouble regulating blood sugar, generally arose in people older than 30 years. Today alarming numbers of people are developing this disorder in childhood and adolescence, mostly because they are obese. Although genetics do play a part in the development of type 2 diabetes, the greatest risk factor is obesity.
Type 1 diabetes, which results from an autoimmune reaction that destroys insulin-making cells, tends to occur in young, lean people under the age of 30, although sometimes, older people also develop the disease. Of all people with diabetes, only about 10 percent have type 1 diabetes; the other 90 percent have type 2 diabetes.
A public health problem of epic proportions
Diabetes patients face heightened risks for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and the loss of limbs. In 2011, 26 million Americans, or 8.3 percent of the U.S. population, had the disease, but 7 million didn’t know, having received no diagnosis. Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that 79 million American had prediabetes, a reversible condition that greatly heightens a person’s risk of developing the full disorder. John E. Anderson, president, medicine and science, of the American Diabetes Association, said at the meeting that “only 7 to 12 percent of patients with prediabetes know that they have it.”
If current trends persist, 53.1 million Americans will have diabetes by 2025, Novo Nordisk reports. By then the disease will be costing the U.S. $514 billion, a 72 percent uptick from the cost in 2010.
Some other countries have an even worse diabetes problem. Bandar Hamooh, CEO of the Al-Nahdi Medical Company, a large chain of Saudi Arabian pharmacies now in a partnership with Joslin Diabetes Center, stated that if present trends continue 50 percent of Saudis will be diabetic in 2030. Among other efforts, Al-Nahdi is bringing diabetes screening centers to public transportation sites.
Key themes of the meeting
- The main caregiver for a person with diabetes or prediabetes is that person him- or herself. The primary task involves making good choices around food and exercise. Diabetes prevention and treatment efforts need to make healthful choices easy for people who make these decisions, not in isolation, but within families and communities. The right choice needs to be the “default choice,” several speakers said, whether it involves healthy eating at work or at home, exercise or sleep.
- Behavior change ought to come first in a treatment plan. Improving eating and exercise habits offers more potential benefit than medication. The same kinds of habits that help address diabetes also reduce a person’s risk of heart disease, cancer, mental illnesses and musculoskeletal disorders like osteoporosis.
- People find improving health habits hard. To succeed, they often need lots of support. This can come from diverse caregivers, in addition to doctors—nurses, social workers, nutritionists, etc. Health coaches, especially trained peers, can also contribute greatly as can online connections through social media.
Many speakers emphasized that primary care physicians, with appropriate help from other members of a care team such as nurses and social workers, ought to be able to manage the medical side of caring for diabetics and prediabetics without lots of referrals to specialists. But the U.S. healthcare system makes it hard for them to do so, and it often leads primary care doctors to refer patients to specialists when specialty care is not really necessary. Several speakers cited data that most diabetics see their primary care physician only once or twice a year for visits that last about 7 to 12 minutes because of insurance company practices. The insurance companies limit how much time a primary care doctor can spend with a patient for which the doctor will be compensated.
Traditional fee-for-service models pay physicians for time spent with patients and for tests or treatments administered. This approach fails to reward doctors for providing high-quality care or for improving patients’ health outcomes. Currently though “there’s huge experimentation now for paying for things differently,” according to Susan Manzi, a professor at the Temple University medical school also with the Allegheny Health Network. At the meeting much discussion centered on telephone calls and video visits becoming means of providing compensable care. The ACA encourages experimentation to pay for quality and outcomes. Under some of the new approaches, both doctors and patients receive direct cash rewards for measurable improvements in patients’ health indicators or status.
Even if primary care doctors had more time, helping patients make lasting behavioral changes falls outside their area of expertise. They have generally received little or no training in nutrition or behavior change in medical school, conference speakers emphasized. Clearly, multiple speakers said, patients need to learn and practice new habits with help from sources besides physicians.
Blowing up the usual approach to primary care
Although most participants on panels at the conference said that a shift away from fee-for-service would be both complex and gradual, a few disagreed. “Let’s just stop doing fee-for-service and start doing something else,” said Rushika Fernandapoulle, the CEO of Iora Health, a company that has set out to overhaul traditional primary care in part by pairing member patients with both a personal physician and health coach. Fernandapoulle said that Iora has doubled the usual 5 percent funding for primary care and seen “amazing results.” These, he said, include having 90 percent of diabetic patients under control, cutting emergency room visits in half, and decreasing hospitalization by 40 percent.
Grace Emerson Terrell, the CEO of Cornerstone Health Care, reported that her company “blew up the physician-centered model” and the brief primary care visit, redesigning patient care and financial incentives. “We’ll give compliant diabetics free medications if they work with wellness coaches,” she said, adding that their data “is starting to look good.”
Full implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) should bring about many positive changes, a lot of the speakers said. Today, one can say that “too late, too much, last minute is where the money is” in American healthcare, said Michelle J. Lyn. She’s a professor of community and family medicine working with the Duke Translational Medicine Institute. Soon primary care will be more generously compensated, and quality will be rewarded. In fact, Fernandopulle said, “The big elephant in the room [is the fact that] we will need a lot fewer specialists than we have now.”
The ACA supports preventive medicine, speakers said. It will authorize payment for care providers, such as trained peers serving as community health workers, who did not usually qualify in the past for insurance reimbursement. These kinds of workers have often proved especially able at helping patients make lifestyle changes in low-income areas heavily populated with African-American or Hispanic residents that are especially hard hit by the diabetes epidemic. These trained neighborhood residents with backgrounds just like the patients, have often been able to forge trusting, ongoing, hands-on relationships that it’s not a clinician’s job to provide.
“Health Ambassadors” making a great difference
Osagie Ebekozien, who runs the Whittier Street Health Center, a “comprehensive health and social services center,” in Boston has seen the value of trained peers. In Roxbury, a low-incomeneighborhood of Boston, 50 percent of the residents are African-American, 5 percent are Hispanic and the diabetes rate is twice Boston’s as a whole. Such health disparities are common. Diabetes disproportionately strikes people who belong to ethnic minorities and to those without many resources, in terms of income or education.
Osagie Ebekozien of the Whittier Street Health Center speaking in early October. Credit: Panoramic Visions/Abbas Shirmohammad © Joslin Diabetes Center, used with permission.
Ebekozien’s team recruited local women who themselves had type 2 diabetes and trained them as “health ambassadors” to reach out to their neighbors by telling tgeir own stories. “One of our health ambassadors had lost 80 pounds. Another had lost her mother to diabetes. Another used to think that the ER doctor was her primary care physician,” Ebekozian said. Whittier also organized a sort of bookmobile for fresh food called the Fresh Truck Mobile Food Market.
The Health Ambassadors sometimes helped their neighbors learn to shop and cook nutritious food. Sometimes they accompany them to doctor’s appointments. Efforts like these can have special importance in areas where residents of color may feel downright wary of medical professionals, several speakers said. “Trusted voices make the most effective messengers,” said Anne Filipic, president of Enroll America, a nonprofit created to help Americans sign up for insurance through the new exchanges.
Food and exercise trump drugs
In an instant survey conducted among the meetings attendees, 77 percent of them stated that a treatment for a diabetic should emphasize healthy eating at work and at home along with ample exercise as a first line of action, before medications came into play. The next morning, a representative of Sermo, an online community of about 125,000 physicians, reported to the group that the Sermo physicians surveyed on the same issue agreed.
To Gail Christopher, the vice president for program strategy at the WW Kellogg Foundation, “Food is the critical factor in diabetes.” She added that “the person’s self perception and their relationship to food” also matters immensely. With food deserts so common, though, people often lack access to healthy, affordable food. Growing up in our “obesigenic food environment,” as many speakers called it, even those with access to wholesome food often lack the knowledge, skills and support to buy and prepare healthy meals.
Is obesity a social disease?
People generally struggle to change their lifestyles and often need lots of support. The behaviors involved are almost always social ones, reflecting influences of family and community. Patrica Doykos, director of the Together on Diabetes initiative at Bristol-Myers Squibb, called for a “radical rethink” about diabetes and asked, “Is diabetes a social disease?”
Complicating the process of forming new habits, many people with diabetes or prediabetes have mental health issues before they receive a diabetes diagnosis, as several speakers noted. For other individuals, the diagnosis can trigger mental health problems including depression. “Primary care is most effective where there is true integration of behavioral health, not parallel play,” said Bruce Goldberg, MD, director of the Oregon Health Authority. Lisa Whittemore concurred: She said that her organization BlueCross BlueShield of Massachusetts requires that a clinical social worker be part of every diabetes care team.
To make and maintain new behaviors, people with diabetes or prediabetes often need lots of outside reinforcement. Some people find this at bricks-and-mortar setting like the YMCA, which is now deeply involved in diabetes prevention. With funding from the CDC and the UnitedHealth Group, the YMCA has rolled out a yearlong, evidence-based diabetes prevention program to 24 states. The program costs less than $300 per person, according to John Anderson.
At the YMCAs, participants join in 16 weekly classes that teach behavior change strategies around food and exercise, followed by monthly classes. The YMCA receives additional payments if participants reach the goals of a 5-7 percent weight reduction, the level that research has shown can keep a prediabetic person from becoming diabetic. “Five-to-seven percent weight loss leads to fabulous results in preventing conversion [of prediabetics] to diabetes,” said Tom Beauregard. He serves as the executive director of the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform and Modernization. Beauregard noted that 30 large employers are directing interested employees to the YMCA’s program and said, “We couldn’t do this alone.”
Women tend to gravitate towards in-person classes, several speakers said, while men tend to find them less appealing. For men and for others not able to or inclined to attend classes, an online community and digital tools may work better. Of course, many people will access both types of support.
Varied technologies magnify patient power
Several speakers described sophisticated technological projects underway to empower patients to better care for themselves. One such effort, CollaboRhythm from the MIT Media Lab, has the goal of equipping patients to lead in disease management with help from doctors, health coaches, relatives and friends. Patients have easy access to all relevant data on their own devices and to frequent, detailed advice from coaches. They start out as “apprentices” learning how to manage their own diabetes and advance to become “masters” who can coach other patients.
Television is also becoming involved. Beauregard reported that UnitedHealth’s Center for Health Reform and Modernization worked with Comcast on a research project, called Project Not Me, which involved having participants watch an entertaining, educational reality TV show. The reality program, available to study participants on demand, had 16 episodes that paralleled the experiences of people in the YMCA’s program. The show featured six appealing prediabetic people of different ages, genders and ethnicities, working with a friendly health coach.
“The average participant watched each episode 1.4 times and we know that other relatives watched with them,” said Beauregard. He described the show’s impact as “remarkable,” saying that participants lost weight to a degree that “replicated the weight loss” experienced by participants at brick-and-mortar Ys. “Viewers really relate to the people” on the show, he said, adding that it won an Emmy.
How are you doing with exercising and healthy eating at work, school or home?
Take this YCMA quiz here click: to determine your own diabetes risk
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Source: Scientific American
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This whole website,
World's # 1 free advice website Successo-Pedia©
for success, health & wealth _______________________________
has all info you need
(1) to avoid sickness, (2) to stay healthy, (3) to have your lost health back, (4) to maintain your good health and (5) to live happily ever after with financial success and loving your family and loving your life.
All material in this website is based on the most recent science and is used in College & University teaching in all degree levels: Associate. B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
To avoid ANY sickness, including
RA = Rheumatic Arthritis (handled in this article)
or to avoid any other type of arthritis or any sickness, (1) adopt a healthy lifestyle and (2) feed your body & mind with correct, healthy food to (3) avoid toxicity accumulating first in your immune system, then (4) in your joints and (4) finally in your whole body.
95 % of all sicknesses are caused by unhealthy lifestyle & wrong nutrition.
Four quotation given below have the basic info for healthy lifestyle & correct nutrition - start from these quotations and (1) do what they state - then:
(2) start studying with your whole family, including all your children (of all age), this whole website (will take 5 years but it gives 50 more healthy years to everyone in your life). Then:
(3) In a weekly meeting with all your family members handle the material you decided in the previous week's meeting to study and all together apply the information to get the desired results. Have also the babies and toddlers in the weekly meeting (even though they may not read, yet - but it will teach them a healthy lifestyle idea for the rest of their lives = the best gift you can give to your family,to yourself & to your children
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.'s CEO)
Quotation: "In order to stay healthy and have long life you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.'s CEO)
Quotation: "Eat food, not too much, mostly fruit & vegetables" (Professor Michael Pollan)
Click: Michael Pollan & click: Michael Pollan
Quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't" (Professor Michael Pollan)
Click: Michael Pollan & click: Michael Pollan
The Article
About Hypertension and RA
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Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher risk for heart disease, yet research suggests that high blood pressure — a risk factor for heart disease — often goes undiagnosed in these patients. So researchers set out to see if rheumatologists were talking about high blood pressure with their patients.
Video Overview: Talking About Hypertension and RA
A recent study showed that many rheumatologists and RA patients could be having more conversations about high blood pressure (hypertension).
"Get your blood pressure checked regularly."
This study was led by Christie M. Bartels, MD, who is on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison.
The study was based on electronic health record searches from 2004 to 2011 that identified RA patients who had uncontrolled or undiagnosed hypertension and who had visited one of three rheumatology clinics.
Undiagnosed hypertension was defined as three or more blood pressure readings of 140/90 or more or two readings of 160/100 or more. Controlled blood pressure was considered having three or more consecutive blood pressure readings under 140/90.
Out of 1,267 patients, 501 had uncontrolled hypertension and 232 weren’t diagnosed as hypertensive.
The average patient age was 62 years. A total of 76 percent of patients were female, 11 percent were current smokers and 35 percent were former smokers. Less than 20 percent had prior heart conditions.
More: Hypertension News & Articles
This study included 2,677 rheumatologist visits.
Normal blood pressure was defined as systolic blood pressure under 120. Prehypertension was defined as a systolic blood pressure of 120 to less than 140. Stage I hypertension was a systolic pressure of 140 to less than 160. And Stage II was a systolic pressure equal to or greater than 160.
Systolic pressure, which is the top number in a blood pressure reading, is the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats.
Of these 2,677 visits, 20 percent of the systolic readings were normal, 45 percent were prehypertensive, 32 percent qualified as Stage I and 11 percent qualified as Stage II.
A total of 23 percent of RA visits talked about hypertension. Even in patients with systolic readings of 160 or more, only 25 percent discussed hypertension during their visit with a rheumatologist.
Having Stage II hypertension did not significantly increase the likelihood of a discussion about hypertension during a rheumatology visit compared to having Stage I hypertension. However, the likelihood of talking about hypertension at a rheumatology visit was higher for both Stage I and Stage II readings than for those people who had normal blood pressure or prehypertension.
Active tobacco users were least likely to have hypertension discussions.
The researchers wrote that these findings reveal lost opportunities for identifying and managing cardiovascular disease risks.
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Source: This study was presented at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting. The authors disclosed no conflicts of interest.
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The bacteria growing on a traditional Japanese pickle that has amazing flu-fighting benefits.
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Probiotic =denoting a substance that stimulates the growth of microorganisms, esp. those with beneficial properties (such as those of the intestinal flora) or e.g. increases production of flu-specific antibodies etc.
Human clinical trials have been launched after researchers found that an immune-boosting probiotic from Suguki (a pickled turnip popular in Japan) blocked transmission of the H1N1 virus in mice who were exposed to it, according to a new study published in the SfAM journal - click: Letters in Applied Microbiology
Society for Applied Microbiologywww.sfam.org.uk/
Welcome to SfAM - The oldest microbiology society in the UK ... Journal highlight - prebiotics, faecal transplants and microbial network units for gut health.
The probiotic bacterium, called Lactobacillus brevis, increases production of flu-specific antibodies, the scientists report, and may also help ward off other viral infections, including the deadly H7N9 flu, which has recently emerged in China.
This pickled treat isn’t the only new superfood on the horizon—let’s take a closer look at the latest research on six other foods that may soon bear the “super” title.
Notice: Penicillin as a medicine is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi
click: Penicillin
The discovery of penicillin is attributed to Scottish scientist and Nobel laureate Alexander Fleming in 1928. He showed that, if Penicillium rubens were grown in the appropriate substrate, it would exude a substance with antibiotic properties, which he dubbed penicillin. This serendipitous observation began the modern era of antibiotic discovery. The development of penicillin for use as a medicine is attributed to the Australian Nobel laureate Howard Walter Florey, together with the German Nobel laureate Ernst Chain and the English biochemist Norman Heatley.
Jicama Cuts Cancer Risk And Keeps You Looking Young - also called Mexican yam or water chestnut
click: Pachyrhizus erosus
This tasty root vegetable is being hailed as the “next big superfood,” due to its bounty of health benefits. It’s a good source of a prebiotic called inulin, a belly-flattening fiber that helps raise levels of “friendly bacteria in the gut and may reduce risk for colon cancer.
Also known as the Mexican yam or water chestnut, the crunchy vegetable may also combat wrinkles by increasing collagen. What’s more, Japanese researchers reported earlier this year that an extract of jicama fiber appears to have beneficial effects on the immune system in animal and lab tests.
Please study 20 Disturbing Facts About Cosmetics
Chia Seeds Reduce Triglycerides and Blood Sugar
click: Triglycerides - American Heart Association
An ancient healing food whose name is derived from the Mayan word for “strength,” these super-seeds have similar benefits to flax seeds, including heart-protective Omega fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, and protein.
A 2012 randomized clinical trial reports that people whose diet included a beverage containing Chia seeds, nopal (prickly pear), oats, and soy protein had striking improvements in triglycerides, levels of C-reactive protein (an inflammatory marker), blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, compared to those given a placebo beverage.
All the participants had metabolic syndrome and followed a reduced-calorie diet for two months, resulting in loss of weight and belly fat.
Tart Cherries: Ultimate Antioxidant and Natural Painkiller
This tangy fruit may be the ultimate antioxidant, as well as a natural painkiller, with a 2012 study reporting that it has “the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food.”
The researchers found that when osteoarthritis sufferers drank tart cherry juice twice a day for three weeks, their inflammatory markers fell significantly.
“With millions of Americans looking for ways to naturally manage pain, it's promising that tart cherries can help, without the possible side effects often associated with arthritis medications," said Kerry Kuehl, MD, Dr.PH., M.S., Oregon Health & Science University, principal study investigator, in the press release.
"I'm intrigued by the potential for a real food to offer such a powerful anti-inflammatory benefit,” adds Dr. Kuehl.
Chocolate Wards Off Belly Fat and Obesity
While this may sound too good to be true, the more chocolate teens eat, the less total fat and belly fat they are likely to have, a surprising new study published in Nutrition reports.
What’s more, this association held true even when exercise, total energy (calorie) intake, and a variety of dietary factors were taken into account. The study included 1,458 kids ages 12 to 17, and may the largest of its kind to date.
Lead study author Magdalena Cuenca-García, PhD, explains in a statement that while chocolate is high in calories, sugar and fat, “recent studies in adults suggest chocolate consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disorders.” Another recent study from the University of California on adult participants also linked chocolate consumption to lower body mass index (BMI).
The sweet treat is high in flavonoids—especially catechins—which have many health perks, Cuenca-García adds. “They have important antioxidant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive effects and can help prevent ischemic heart disease.”
Bradley Bale, MD, medical director of the Heart Health Program for Grace Clinic in Lubbock, Texas, actually “prescribes” dark chocolate for patients who have heart disease or are at high risk for it. However, he cautions that it’s possible to get too much of a good thing. “A square or two a day is all you need for heart health.”
Wild Blueberries Fight Heart Disease and Diabetes
Also hot off the presses is a brand new study on the health benefits of wild blueberries, coming out of the University of Maine and published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.
Click: Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism
The researchers found that eating two cups of wild blueberries regularly can improve or prevent metabolic syndrome, a deadly gang of metabolic thugs that double risk for heart attack and quintuple it for type 2 diabetes,
as explained in a recent article.
Fifty million Americans, many of them undiagnosed, suffer from metabolic syndrome, marked by such disorders as high triglycerides, low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and a large waistline.
The study was conducted on rats with metabolic syndrome. Another recent study on human participants, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, found that wild blueberry juice is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent damage to DNA. European Journal of Nutrition -
Blueberries of the non-wild variety are packed with benefits, too. As reported, the Nurses’ Health Study—which included more than 90,000 women—revealed that blueberries may help prevent heart attacks and preserve memory in older adults.
Tree Nuts May Help Prevent Deadly CancerWomen who eat one ounce of tree nuts—including almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts—two or more times a week have a significantly lower risk for pancreatic cancer, according to a new study published in British Journal of Cancer. The study included more than 75,000 participants in the Nurses Health Study.
Pancreatic cancer ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer death, yet has few modifiable risk factors. In fact, the main one identified in earlier research is obesity. And while nuts are relatively high in calories, the researchers report that in the study, women who ate the most tree nuts had a lower rate of weight gain and obesity than those who ate the least.
Tree nuts have also been linked to lower threat of diabetes, a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Additionally, as I recently reported, eating nuts, along with a Mediterranean diet, reduces stroke risk by 46 percent.
A food item could give the flu shot a powerful run for its money. But it's not the food, exactly—it's the bactergrowing on a traditional Japanese pickle that has amazing flu-fighting benefits. No wonder: (penicillin is from the same type of a source: fungus)
Human clinical trials have been launched after researchers found that an immune-boosting probiotic from Suguki
(a pickled turnip popular in Japan) blocked transmission of the H1N1 virus in mice who were exposed to it, according to a new study published in the SfAM journal, Letters in Applied Microbiology.
click: Letters in Applied Microbiology
Notice: Penicillin as a medicine is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi
Penicillin
The discovery of penicillin is attributed to Scottish scientist and Nobel laureate Alexander Fleming in 1928. He showed that, if Penicillium rubens were grown in the appropriate substrate, it would exude a substance with antibiotic properties, which he dubbed penicillin. This serendipitous observation began the modern era of antibiotic discovery. The development of penicillin for use as a medicine is attributed to the Australian Nobel laureate Howard Walter Florey, together with the German Nobel laureate Ernst Chain and the English biochemist Norman Heatley.
The probiotic bacterium, called Lactobacillus brevis, increases production of flu-specific antibodies, the scientists report, and may also help ward off other viral infections, including the deadly H7N9 flu, which has recently emerged in China.
This pickled treat isn’t the only new superfood on the horizon—let’s take a closer look at the latest research on six other foods that may soon bear the “super” title.
Jicama Cuts Cancer Risk And Keeps You Looking YoungThis tasty root vegetable is being hailed as the “next big superfood,” due to its bounty of health benefits. It’s a good source of a prebiotic called inulin, a belly-flattening fiber that helps raise levels of “friendly bacteria in the gut and may reduce risk for colon cancer.
Also known as the Mexican yam or water chestnut, the crunchy vegetable may also combat wrinkles by increasing collagen. What’s more, Japanese researchers reported earlier this year that an extract of jicama fiber appears to have beneficial effects on the immune system in animal and lab tests.
20 Disturbing Facts About Cosmetics
Chia Seeds Reduce Triglycerides and Blood SugarAn ancient healing food whose name is derived from the Mayan word for “strength,” these super-seeds have similar benefits to flax seeds, including heart-protective Omega fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, and protein.
A 2012 randomized clinical trial reports that people whose diet included a beverage containing Chia seeds, nopal (prickly pear), oats, and soy protein had striking improvements in triglycerides, levels of C-reactive protein (an inflammatory marker), blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, compared to those given a placebo beverage.
All the participants had metabolic syndrome and followed a reduced-calorie diet for two months, resulting in loss of weight and belly fat.
Tart Cherries: Ultimate Antioxidant and Natural PainkillerThis tangy fruit may be the ultimate antioxidant, as well as a natural painkiller, with a 2012 study reporting that it has “the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food.”
The researchers found that when osteoarthritis sufferers drank tart cherry juice twice a day for three weeks, their inflammatory markers fell significantly.
“With millions of Americans looking for ways to naturally manage pain, it's promising that tart cherries can help, without the possible side effects often associated with arthritis medications," said Kerry Kuehl, MD, Dr.PH., M.S., Oregon Health & Science University, principal study investigator, in the press release.
"I'm intrigued by the potential for a real food to offer such a powerful anti-inflammatory benefit,” adds Dr. Kuehl.
Chocolate Wards Off Belly Fat and ObesityWhile this may sound too good to be true, the more chocolate teens eat, the lesstotal fat and belly fat they are likely to have, a surprising new study published in Nutrition reports.
What’s more, this association held true even when exercise, total energy (calorie) intake, and a variety of dietary factors were taken into account. The study included 1,458 kids ages 12 to 17, and may the largest of its kind to date.
Lead study author Magdalena Cuenca-García, PhD, explains in a statement that while chocolate is high in calories, sugar and fat, “recent studies in adults suggest chocolate consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disorders.” Another recent study from the University of California on adult participants also linked chocolate consumption to lower body mass index (BMI).
The sweet treat is high in flavonoids—especially catechins—which have many health perks, Cuenca-García adds. “They have important antioxidant, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory and antihypertensive effects and can help prevent ischemic heart disease.”
Bradley Bale, MD, medical director of the Heart Health Program for Grace Clinic in Lubbock, Texas, actually “prescribes” dark chocolate for patients who have heart disease or are at high risk for it. However, he cautions that it’s possible to get too much of a good thing. “A square or two a day is all you need for heart health.”
Tomato-Rich Recipes to Lower Your Risk of Stroke
Wild Blueberries Fight Heart Disease and DiabetesAlso hot off the presses is a brand new study on the health benefits of wild blueberries, coming out of the University of Maine and published in the journalApplied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.
The researchers found that eating two cups of wild blueberries regularly can improve or prevent metabolic syndrome, a deadly gang of metabolic thugs that double risk for heart attack and quintuple it for type 2 diabetes, as I explained in a recent article.
Fifty million Americans, many of them undiagnosed, suffer from metabolic syndrome, marked by such disorders as high triglycerides, low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and a large waistline.
The study was conducted on rats with metabolic syndrome. Another recent study on human participants, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, found that wild blueberry juice is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent damage to DNA.
Blueberries of the non-wild variety are packed with benefits, too. As I reported in August, the Nurses’ Health Study—which included more than 90,000 women—revealed that blueberries may help prevent heart attacks and preserve memory in older adults.
Tree Nuts May Help Prevent Deadly Cancer
Women who eat one ounce of tree nuts—including almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts—two or more times a week have a significantly lower risk for pancreatic cancer, according to a new study published in British Journal of Cancer. The study included more than 75,000 participants in the Nurses Health Study.
Pancreatic cancer ranks as the fourth leading cause of cancer death, yet has few modifiable risk factors. In fact, the main one identified in earlier research is obesity. And while nuts are relatively high in calories, the researchers report that in the study, women who ate the most tree nuts had a lower rate of weight gain and obesity than those who ate the least.
Tree nuts have also been linked to lower threat of diabetes, a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Additionally, as I recently reported, eating nuts, along with a Mediterranean diet, reduces stroke risk by 46 percent.
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World’s First GMO Apple Easy to Spot … Or Not
Date: December 2013
Arctic Apple growers want to stand out in the marketplace
- Arctic® Apple Growers - Arctic Appleswww.arcticapples.com › Arctic® Apples Story
Okanagan Specialty Fruits is currently awaiting U.S. government approval to begin growing and selling Arctic Apples. We are seeking cutting-edge growers, ... - Arctic Apples - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In a few months regulators are poised to approve the first genetically modified apple. The new fruit is expected in grocery stores as early as 2014.
Made by Okanagan Specialty Fruits (OSF), the Arctic Apple comes in Golden and Granny Smith varieties, with Fuji, Gala, and others to follow. Unlike conventional apples, Arctic does not brown when sliced or bruised.
The Arctic Apple differs from other genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in a very important way: consumers will be able to identify it.
All fresh fruit will be labeled with an Arctic sticker, and processed foods containing more than 5 percent of Arctic Apples will bear the Arctic logo. Only pasteurized products such as juice and sauce will not be labeled.
As big food manufacturers and bioengineering companies spend millions to squash campaigns aimed at identifying GMOs, Okanagan wants its product to stand out in the marketplace.
In a series of videos addressing questions of safety and science, OSF owner, orchardist, and bioresource engineer Neal Carter said that unlike other GMO crops that are designed with traits that only benefit the farmer such as built-in pest control or pesticide resistance, Arctic Apples are designed with the consumer in mind.
Flavr Savr a Failure
OSF is not the first to try this business model. The Flavr Savr tomato, introduced in 1994, was the first commercialized GMO. Initially popular, the tomato was never profitable. Consumer concerns put an end to production of all products containing the tomato by 1998.
But Carter explained that farmers, retailers, and consumers alike can all find appeal in a non-browning apple.
“This is going to have something for everybody,” he said.
Arctic’s non-browning feature promises to preserve nutrients including vitamin C, phenolics, and antioxidants lost in the browning process. It may also reduce food waste and save money. A nationwide poll found that a vast majority of apple eaters liked the idea.
“We wanted to do something like the baby carrot model. We could stimulate apple consumption by having something that’s convenient and easy to eat,” said Carter.
Leaves, Antibiotics, and a PathogenLaboratory modification turns off the enzyme that produces browning. This trait is created with tiny pieces of apple leaves, a medium containing the antibiotic kanamycin, and Agrobacterium tumefaciens—an important plant pathogen in bioengineering due to its ability to transfer a defined segment of DNA into a plant to generate a desired effect.
“All of these elements are found in nature, and carefully put together by scientists with lots of initials after their names,” states the Arctic Apple website.
Grown in Washington state and New York field trials for over a decade, Arctic is probably the most researched apple in history, but the new fruit already has critics. The Cornucopia Institute warns that because Arctic tree cells are resistant to a common antibiotic, it could contribute to antibiotic resistance beyond the orchard.
In a Dec. 14 statement, the organic advocacy group urged regulators to reject the Arctic apple: “There is no proof that Arctic Apples are harmless, but there is certainly reason to suspect that they may be harmful to humans, wildlife, and the soil environment.”
OSF is convinced its product is safe, and explained that since no resistance genes are found in the fruit; no such resistance is transferred to humans.
Source: The Epoch times - STAF, Inc. endorses The Epoch Times
click: The Epoch Times
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
Reasons You May Feel Tired "All the Time"
Common But Less Known by Non-Medical Individuals
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Important information for every person - study & apply
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. CEO)
Click green for further info
You stayed up late last night. Then you woke up extra early to be on time in an important meeting. Some days, there's no mystery as to why you need an extra shot of espresso and if you can't sleep no matter what you try. .
The article 2 of 2 next below will handle several sleep myths and give you a natural, no negative side effect solution to a better sleep.
But sometimes, the root of your fatigue isn't so obvious, and everything from a hidden health issue to your gym habits could be to blame. "It's like asking a pediatrician why a baby is crying; the answer could be any number of things," says Tanvir Hussain, MD, a preventive cardiologist in Los Angeles.
click: Dr. Tanvir Hussain, MD - Phone & Address Info – CA ...www.healthgrades.com › ... › California (CA)
A challenging puzzle, yes, but your fatigue is a mystery you can solve. Here are 7 reasons you could be dragging--and how to regain more energy than you ever remember having.
You're dehydrated
Healthy women who failed to replace a mere 1.5% of their water weight experienced mood swings and low energy levels, according to a 2012 study in The Journal of Nutrition. click: Journal of Nutritionjn.nutrition.org/
The study authors suspect neurons in your hypothalamus--the brain region responsible for controlling things like hydration and body temperature--send mood-altering messages to the rest of your brain as an early warning to drink more water.
Your fix: Drink up - daily the amount in liquid ounces as your normal weigh would be (no soda sugary or artificially sweetened; coffee, tea counts as water), and and ditch that 8-glasses-a-day guideline: A one-size-fits-all water measurement won't work since your hydration needs vary based on things like the weather and your workouts. In general, you should have to pee at least once every three hours and your urine should have a light lemonade-colored tint, says Gina Sirchio, DC, CCN, a chiropractic physician and nutritionist click: Gina Sirchio DC, CCN
at the LaGrange Institute of Health in Chicago click: LaGrange Institute of Health Ltd.
You're low on B12
Your body needs vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and keep neurons functioning properly. Deficiency decreases the amount of oxygen your blood can carry through your body, leaving you with that sleeping-with-your-eyes-open feeling. As you age, you produce less of a protein called intrinsic factor click: Intrinsic factor, which helps you process the nutrient.
Because only animal foods naturally contain B12, vegetarians and vegans face an elevated risk of running low, as do people who've had stomach or intestinal surgeries (these procedures often alter the tissue where B12 absorption takes place, Dr. Sirchio says). Even low or borderline levels--not necessarily full-blown deficiency--can wear you down.
Your fix: If your fatigue comes along with forgetfulness, restless legs, or numbness and tingling, consider B12 deficiency as a potential culprit. click: Vitamin B12 Benefits
Ask your doctor or nutritionist for a blood test of your levels. If you're low, you may need supplements. Your doctor will tell you how much to take, but typical doses range from 100 to 500 mcg. Choose a formula labeled "methylcobalomin" instead of "cyanocobalamin," Dr. Sirchio Gina Sirchio DC, CCN
says--it's easier for your body to use. Note that supplements will only boost your energy if you're low to begin with; unlike caffeine, B vitamins won't give you an added oomph if you already have ample stores.
Which vitamins can give you more energy, relieve PMS symptoms, and even help prevent cancer? Find out in Prevention's 100 Best Supplements
You're overwhelmed with stress
Trying to do it all comes with a huge downside. Normally, your levels of the stress hormone cortisol Cortisol run highest in the morning and dip down at night, helping you maintain a normal daily rhythm. But chronic stress throws this pattern out of whack in either direction, says Marc Bubbs, ND, CSCS, founder of Naturopathic Sports Medicine in Toronto. If your body remains on constant alert, yourcortisol levels may never fall off at night, disrupting your sleep. Or, your adrenal glands may eventually fall behind in cortisol production, leaving you sleepwalking through your morning.
Your fix: You can't always control the sources of stress, but you can change your reaction. Mindfulness practices have been shown to ease stress and fatigue in people with chronic medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, and they work for healthy people, too. Can't spare 15 minutes a day to meditate? No problem. Click here to find the best style of meditation for you (it's simpler than you think!)
You have hidden heart disease
In a study in the journal Heart & Lung, Heart & Lung - The Journal of Acute and Critical Care - Elsevier
half of women who had heart attacks said they had trouble sleeping and felt unusually fatigued in the weeks beforehand. Weariness and shortness of breath when you exercise, climb stairs, or otherwise exert yourself should also raise a red flag, Dr. Hussain says. Blocked arteries or a weak heart muscle reduce blood flow, preventing your muscles and tissues from getting the oxygen they need to function properly.
Your fix: Get to the doctor, especially if you've suddenly lost your get-up-and-go or if you have other strange symptoms, such as chest pain, anxiety, or trouble concentrating. He or she may recommend a stress test or an echocardiogram to screen for heart disease, Dr. Hussain says.
You've probably heard to eat fish for your heart, but not all fish is healthy.
Click here for 12 Fish To Never, Ever Eat.
All 12 fishes in that link are not suitable food for us humans - all correct info
STAF, Inc. additional, easy advice: eat ONLY fish from the nature (oceans, rivers - all more or less polluted anyway) AND NEVER FARM-RAISED fish; the farm-raised fish (1) contain too many artificial chemicals, (2) they literally swim & grow in their own elimination and (3) they are made "fast-grow" with toxic feed and unnatural medical mixtures dangerous for us humans and for our pets.
Eat fish that has backbone & scales (when they still swim around).
Lobsters, shrimps, oysters are not fish even though they are often called as such - once more: they are NOT fish at all. They all are eating (as their food) naturally poisonous "food" in their elements - their duty in the ecology is to eat the toxins because the nature gave them the capability to digest the toxic material - by eating the toxic elements they keep the originally clean oceans, rivers and lakes clean for other living creatures and clean for us humans. By eating these "toxicity cleaners" we humans get the toxins that our human system cannot handle. Then we burden your own immune system (= the "cleaning lady" of the human body) and the more our "cleaning lady" is burdened the less effective it gets. The results: a toxic body. Any toxic human body WILL create sicknesses of all types, shortens the life span and gives much suffering for us humans and to our pets. Same principle when you eat toxic-food (= fast-food = bad-food, processed food = dead food) the heating projects kills all enzymes at F132 - enzymes = life giving elements; see the link below
click: Enzyme - Wikipedia, the freeencyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzyme Enzymes /ˈɛnzaɪmz/ are large biological molecules responsible for the thousands of metabolic processes that sustain life. They are highly selective catalysts, ...Catalysis - List of enzymes - Substrate - Enzyme inhibitor
Your iron levels are too low--or too high
Most educated humans may know anemia leads to fatigue. But don't assume popping iron supplements will pep you up. Yes, low iron levels lead to poorly formed red blood cells that deprive your body of refreshing oxygen. However, getting too much iron can wear you down as well. Your body uses vitamins, minerals, and energy to rid your system of the excess iron, leaving you with little left to run on in a healthy manner and the next sickness is near, says Dr. Sirchio.
Your fix: Consider your risk factors: Iron deficiency often strikes vegetarians and vegans, people with digestive diseases or thyroid problems, women on hormonal birth control, and those with a very heavy menstrual flow. On the flip side, high levels can run in families or result from taking supplements, and often cause other signs that include feeling cold, thinning hair and nails, or dizziness when you stand up. Striking the right balance is important, so don't take iron pills on your own, Dr. Sirchio warns--talk with your doctor about yearly blood tests to check your levels. If they're abnormal, have them checked monthly until they level off, then every three to six months until you steadily see normal readings.
You're not working out
Especially when paired with chronic stress, too much time spent sedentary drains your fuel tank even though you're merely idling, Dr. Bubbs says. Picture it: A stressful day at work cranks up your cortisol Cortisol and blood glucose levels click: Blood sugar, triggering your knee jerk reaction to fight or flee. But when you spend your afternoon and evening barely moving between your computer screen and your couch, you never release that energy and tension. This can keep your engine revved and disrupt your sleep at night--or burn out your body's cortisol factory so much that you're dragging the next morning click: Blood Glucose Control - American Diabetes Association
Your fix: Start moving if you're sedentary. Walk 20 - 25 000 steps daily (use a pedometer -click: Pedometer a
device that counts each step a person takes...)
People who get the government-recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week report less fatigue and more energy and vigor than those who don't, according to a recent study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise click: ACSM | Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise ACSM = click: American College of Sports Medicinewww.acsm.org/Promotes fitness, health and quality of life through research, education and practical applications of sports medicine
If you're using exercise to help you sleep better, give your new regimen time to take hold-another study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found you'll need to move consistently for a few weeks or even months to reap the restful benefits. Download our 14 Walking Workouts That Burn Fat And Boost Energy for a plan to get started (if there is a commercial first, click 2nd time the (x) to ge to the article).
You're exercising too much
On the flip side, you can have too much of a good thing. If you're sweating every day or doing heavy-duty training for an event like a triathlon click:Triathlon, fatigue and trouble sleeping can serve as a sign that you're pushing your body beyond its limits. Workouts--and especially endurance sports like long-distance running and cycling--also cause a spike in cortisol. If you're not striking the right balance between activity and rest, you can overload your system with physical stress just as you can with emotional or mental pressure, Dr. Bubbs points out.
Your fix: If you're exercising regularly but suddenly tire more easily, you may be overreaching. Try taking a few days of complete rest. Then ease back into your routine, doing about 25% of your usual activity for a week and adding another 25% each week until you're back up to speed, a0dvises Tom Holland, MS, CSCS, 21-time Ironman Triathlete and author of The Marathon Method.
You have a urinary tract infection = UTI
If you've had a UTI before, you know the burning urgency that comes when you pee. But about half of individuals who show up with UTIs also report fatigue and a general sense of illness, and the rate increases among those 40 or older, says Ashley Carroll, MD, click: Ashley Carroll, MD an assistant professor of urogynecology click: Urogynecology
at Virginia Commonwealth University. click: Virginia Commonwealth Universitywww.vcu.edu/
"Basically, it's your body's way of forcing you to rest in order to focus energy on fighting the infection," Dr. Carroll says.
Your fix: Head to the doctor if you suspect a UTI. Prescription antibiotics can banish the bacteria. All your symptoms, including fatigue, should subside within seven to 10 days of completing treatment. As you're healing, get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and eat a healthy diet, Dr. Carroll advises. If you're prone to frequent UTIs (more than a couple per year) talk with your doctor--long-term prophylactic antibiotics can ward off future infections.
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
For every person the must-to-apply info
Sleep Myths And Real Solutions For Better Sleep
12 Reasons You Can't Sleep Well
Busting the top sleep myths of how to get a great night's rest
and the real ways to get the shut-eye you need
to bust =to bring an end to (STAF website is for the U.S. and the worldwide use - thus some words are explained to a better understanding of the information)
By BSM: Faculty and Staff: Michael Perlis, PhDwww.med.upenn.edu/bsm/faculty_perlis.html
ADDITIONAL information at the end of this article
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You'd think Michael Perlis would know better. A Ph.D. and one of the nation's preeminent sleep researchers, Dr. Perlis didn't get 8 hours of sleep last night. Nor the night before. In fact, the most sleep Perlis ever gets is 7 hours. Now and then, when he has a pressing work deadline, he gets 5. But you won't find him napping over his computer keyboard at 3:00 in the afternoon. That's because Dr. Perlis, director of the University of Rochester's Sleep and Neurophysiology Research Lab, knows something you don't. He knows that the “Everyone needs at least 8 hours of sleep” maxim is about as bona fide as Bigfoot. “Certain popular beliefs, like the 8-hour rule, are misconceptions,” says Dr. Perlis, who wakes well rested after 7 hours. “In fact, some of these misconceptions can actually contribute to sleep problems like chronic insomnia.”
If you're one of the 60 to 70 million Americans with a sleep problem, there's a good chance a misconception or two may be keeping you up at night. Before you invest in a $1,500 mattress or spend a couple of nights wired with electrodes in a sleep disorders center, follow our truly soporific suggestions for a good night's rest every night. And see if you can trace your sleep problems to one of these 10 popular myths.
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Myth: Everyone needs 8 hours of sleep a night
Think most experts agree on this one? Wrong! “Asking how much sleep a healthy adult needs is like asking how many calories a healthy adult needs,” says Perlis. “It depends.” Since our sleep requirements are partly inherited, some of us need more, or less, than others.
But how much more or less sleep we should be getting is one of the most contentious issues in sleep research today. At a conference in 2002, when sleep researcher Daniel Kripke, MD, from the University of California, San Diego, argued that getting less than 8 hours a night might be beneficial, “it practically started a food fight,” recalls Phil Eichling, MD, an eyewitness at that conference and a sleep researcher at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
Dr. Kripke has good reasons for giving the thumbs-down to the 8-hour rule. He conducted one of three studies that found that people who slept either 8 hours or more or 6 hours or less ran significant risks of dying of heart disease, stroke, or cancer. The highest risk was found among those who slept the longest. On the other hand, critics of the less-sleep-is-better school argue that getting too much sleep probably isn't hastening the Big Sleep. It's more likely that people who are dozing so long have underlying health problems that cause their fatigue. (It's a symptom of many conditions, including depression, heart disease, and cancer.)
What you should do: Let the sleep researchers argue this one out. For now, the consensus is that the amount of sleep people need varies considerably. It ranges from as little as 5 hours to as much as 11 hours a night, says Gary Zammit, PhD, director of the Sleep Disorders Institute at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. Some people are 5-hours-a-night types who may be able to stay up to watch Letterman and still wake refreshed at 6 am. Others are 9-hour snoozers who should be asking, “Who's Letterman?” They just can't stay up that late.
To figure out how much sleep you need, keep a diary for the next week or two, logging how much snooze time you get at night and how alert you feel the next day—without the use of stimulants such as coffee or a splash of cold water on the face in the afternoon. If you need stimulants to keep you awake, you're not getting enough sleep. And while you experiment, give these 6 essential tools for a good night's sleep a try.
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Myth: Nodding off in the afternoon is normal
It's normal to feel slightly less energetic in the afternoon, due to your circadian rhythms of sleepiness and wakefulness. But nodding off during a boring lecture, meeting, or your daughter's recital—especially in the midafternoon—isn't normal. It's a sign that you're not getting enough sleep if your head starts drooping while your boss is going over last month's figures or your adorably earnest preschooler is explaining why Superman bests Batman. The difference between less energetic and downright drowsy? If your eyelids feel heavy, you're tired, says William C. Dement, PhD, the Stanford University scientist known as the father of sleep research.
In fact, if you feel drowsy during the day—for example, you fall asleep on Sunday afternoon while reading a page-turner such as The Da Vinci Code—you may be running a significant “sleep debt.” That's sleep research lingo for the total hours of sleep you've lost, one sleep-deprived night after another. Here's how it happens: If you need 8 hours of sleep and get only 7, after a week you've lost the equivalent of almost one night's sleep. That's your sleep debt. And it's cumulative. One expert estimates that the average sleep debt among Americans is 500 hours a year.
After losing only the equivalent of one night's sleep over the course of a week, however, your body will respond as if you'd pulled an all-nighter: You may experience waves of extreme fatigue; itchy, burning eyes; emotional fragility; loss of focus; even hunger as your body tries to find a way (“Aha! Twinkies!”) to become energized and stay upright. Sleep debt can also cause serious health problems down the line. Some recent studies suggest that decades of chronic sleep deprivation may increase your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Additional research suggests that repeated lack of sleep may also boost your risk of diabetes by speeding age-related changes in the way your body uses glucose (check out the 5 ways lack of sleep can make you gain weight).
What you should do: First, determine what's causing your sleep debt; the remedy for it will depend on the right diagnosis. Do you have insomnia? To find out, ask yourself:
- Do I take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night?
- Do I awaken in the middle of the night and have trouble getting back to sleep?
4
Sleep advice for people who don't have insomniaNot an insomniac? Lots of things could be keeping you up or interrupting your sleep occasionally: worry, a child with nightmares, a pet hogging the pillow, a snoring spouse, even tree branches brushing against your house. Or if you're like millions of time-starved Americans, you could be regularly stealing from sleep time to finish the work you didn't get done at the office, to answer e-mails, to pay bills, to do laundry, or to just have some quiet time for yourself. In fact, says Carl E. Hunt, MD, director of the National Institutes of Health National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, this bad habit is the number one cause of daytime sleepiness in the United States.
If your sleep is interrupted once in a while, one good night's sleep will help you feel refreshed. Chronic problems—worry, the snoring spouse, the snuggling pet, the noisy crab-apple branch outside your window—will require specific solutions (a visit to the doctor, a bed in the hallway for Fluffy, a skilled arborist). But if you're cheating yourself of sleep time “to get things done,” or if you just don't realize how much sleep you need, you have a “sleep phase disorder” of your own making. To remedy it, you're going to have to adjust your bedtime.
Take a week or so to experiment. Keep your rising time the same but move your bedtime back an hour for 3 or 4 days—say, from midnight to 11 o'clock. If you're still waking up tired and lurching to Starbucks in midafternoon, move your bedtime another 45 minutes to an hour earlier. Staring at the ceiling for 30 minutes before you drift off? Shift your new bedtime later in 15-minute increments until you hit your magic hour. How will you know? You'll wake up refreshed, you'll feel in top form at work, and decaf will do.
How To Prevent Snoring
5
Myth: If you have insomnia, you need to go to bed earlier, nap, or sleep more
Step away from the bed! If you suffer from insomnia, all three of those “remedies” could make your tossing and turning much worse, says Kimberly Cote, PhD, a sleep researcher at Brock University in Ontario.
Blame it on something called the sleep homeostat. click:Sleep homeostasis
Sleep homeostasis denotes a basic principle of sleep regulation. A sleep deficit elicits a compensatory increase in the intensity and duration of sleep, while excessive sleep reduces sleep propensity.
Slow waves in the electroencephalogram (EEG), a correlate of sleep intensity, serve as an indicator of sleep homeostasis in non REM sleep, also referred to as slow-wave sleep in animals.
REM - click: Rapid eye movement sleep
A hardwired system controlled by brain chemicals, it's not unlike your appetite. You know that the longer you go between meals and the more active you are, the hungrier you become. Likewise, your homeostat builds up a hunger for sleep based on how long you've been awake and how active you've been. The more sleep hungry you are, the faster you nod off and the more soundly you doze. But just as you're not eager for a big meal at night if you pig out all day or snack too close to dinner, you're not going to feel tired if you go to bed earlier or nap. When you have insomnia, experts recommend that you let your sleep homeostat adjust itself naturally, without trying to compensate with different bedtimes and catnaps.
Many things can keep you from falling or staying asleep: for example, consuming alcohol or caffeine, or feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed. But insomnia often takes on a life of its own. After a few nights of tossing and turning, what's likely to keep you up is worrying about getting to sleep, says Cote. Eventually, you start associating going to bed with worrying about falling asleep, so instead of easing you into slumber, your nervous system goes on high alert, anticipating—and bringing on—another sleepless night.
What you should do:
- Go to bed an hour later than usual to make yourself more tired. If you absolutely must nap—perhaps because you're exhausted and have a long drive ahead of you—make up for it by postponing bedtime for the amount of time you napped.
- When you lie down in bed, try a breath-counting exercise. Or try another anxiety-relieving option: Visualize a pleasant and relaxing experience, such as lying on a deck chair on a cruise ship in the Caribbean.
- Feeling anxious about sleep? Get up and leave the bedroom. The idea here is to break the association between bed and anxiety. Try reading or doing some other enjoyable but low-key activity.
- Take a warm bath just before you go to bed. Bathing will elevate your body temperature, but lying down will make it drop because your muscles relax and produce less heat. Sleep tends to follow a steep decline in body temperature.
- Exercise. In a number of studies, exercising 30 to 45 minutes during the day or evening helped insomniacs enjoy better, and somewhat longer, sleep. Why exercise seems to help is still unclear, though one possibility is that it has effects similar to sleeping pills. Try this sleep-time yoga routine to get you started.
Only a specialist sleep Doctor can diagnose and treat any contributing health problems or refer you to a sleep center.
6
Myth: Napping will ruin your night's sleep
This is true only if you have insomnia. Otherwise, “napping can help to improve performance later in the day,” says Cote. “In fact, more employers should not only recommend napping but also facilitate it, especially for people working the night shift.”
What you should do Nap as early in the day as possible, so your homeostat can build up the necessary hunger for sleep that will propel you into slumber come nightfall. And snooze for no more than 30 minutes. (Set an alarm clock.) If you nap longer, you'll be more likely to awaken from deep sleep and feel groggy. Nap less, and you won't feel refreshed.
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Myth: You have to miss a lot of sleep before it affects youLosing even 90 minutes of sleep for just one night can reduce your daytime alertness by as much as 32%. That's enough to impair your memory, your thinking ability, and your safety on the job and on the road. One Australian study found that volunteers who stayed awake just 6 hours past their normal bedtime for a single day performed as poorly on tests gauging attentiveness and reaction time as those who were legally drunk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that each year at least 100,000 crashes, and more than 1,500 deaths, are the direct result of driver fatigue.
What's worse, sleep deprivation also impairs your ability to recognize that you're not running on all cylinders. In other words, you really shouldn't be operating heavy machinery (or much else), but you don't realize it. “The ability to judge how well you're doing is probably one of the first things to go when you don't get enough sleep,” says Cote. “That's why you need to take preventive measures.”
What you should do If you miss several hours of sleep one night, consider calling in sick the next day. Or ask if you can work from home. That way, you won't have to drive. And you may even be able to take a half-hour nap during your “lunch hour” at your home office. If you have to go in and public transportation is an option, take it. Or call a coworker and ask if she can give you a lift to the office. If you're nodding off at your desk, take a brisk walk up and down the stairs or hall. Exercise helps you snap to, in part because the accompanying rise in body temperature appears to boost alertness for a time. If possible, set aside half your lunch hour for a nap—in the lounge (if it includes a couch), in your (locked) car, or even on your desk (clear it off first). Remember to set an alarm, or ask a buddy to wake you (your brain will thank you for it).
8
Myth: You can catch up on sleep on the weekend
Unless you have insomnia, it's theoretically possible to make up for some lost sleep by dozing longer on the weekend. But it's not realistic. With Saturday morning Little League and all those inevitable weekend odd jobs, chances are you won't really be able to make up for the sleep you missed, says Dement. You'll end up finishing the week in the red, with an ever-bigger sleep debt.
What you should do: It's always better to get a good night's sleep every night. But if you do rack up a sleep debt during the workweek, try to sleep in on the weekend or take a nap so you can pay at least part of it down, Dement says. You may need to invest in a white-noise machine unless you're able to sleep through the din of power lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and your kids' afternoon games in the backyard.
9
Myth: Exercising before bed keeps you from sleeping
That's not true for everyone. In fact, research shows that even vigorous exercise right before bedtime doesn't affect sleep for many people (and in some cases it may help). This is good news if your busy schedule gives you a short window of time between dinner and bedtime to squeeze in some activity
(here are click: 25 ways to fit in 10 minutes of exercise).
One exception: If you're a sedentary and overweight postmenopausal woman, a new study indicates that you'll sleep better if you exercise earlier in the day; exercising later can interfere with your sleep.
People who have trouble sleeping can probably exercise about an hour before bed without problems. “But we don't have hard data, so people really have to do their own testing,” says Dr. Perlis.
What you should do: Experiment. If you exercise at night and suspect that your workout may be keeping you up, reschedule it for earlier in the day for several days to see whether you sleep better. Keeping a sleep diary for those days—noting when you exercise and how well you sleep—can help. If you find you do sleep better when you exercise earlier, make the switch permanent.
10
Myth: You have to have insomnia to take sleeping pills
Actually, sleeping pills are most helpful if you take them before insomnia becomes chronic, says Dr. Hunt. They can help correct your off-kilter sleep homeostat. Unlike older meds, newer prescription sleeping pills, such as Sonata (zaleplon) and Ambien (zolpidem), can help you drift off to sleep within minutes and stay asleep, thus breaking the cycle of sleeplessness and anxiety that can turn a few nights of insomnia into chronic sleeplessness.
These newer pills act on areas of the brain that promote wakefulness. They also wear off faster than older meds, so you're not semicomatose in the morning. “If you take one at 2 am, you can get up for work at 6 or 7 am, and the effect is gone,” Dr. Hunt says. The new generation medications also more closely replicate natural sleep. In contrast, the older drugs stinted users on the deepest and most restorative phases of sleep. These phases normally occur four or more times a night.
Pills are still controversial. Like all medicines, they can cause side effects (dizziness, headache, agitation), and they're not meant for long-term use.
What you should do: Talk to your doc about the pros and cons of medication. If you'd prefer a drug-free alternative, consider cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Studies suggest it has a better outcome than pills. Similarly designed to break the cycle of sleepless, anxious nights, CBT trains insomniacs to avoid detriments such as counterproductive worry about lost sleep. Usually the therapy runs from four to eight sessions, but some patients find relief with as few as two. The downside of CBT: It costs about $300 per session and, unlike pills, is not always covered by insurance. To find a board-certified therapist, contact the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Another natural option: these 7 herbal sleep inducers.
11
Myth: You'll get addicted to sleeping pills
At one time, sleeping pills were addictive barbiturates. (Remember poor Neely in Valley of the Dolls?) But the newer drugs, known as nonbenzodiazepines, are unlikely to leave you hooked.
Because they don't make you high, the drugs don't pose the same abuse potential, says Dement. “And contrary to another popular belief, they won't lose effectiveness over time, so you won't have to keep taking a higher and higher dose.” Getting off sleeping pills, however, can be tricky, he acknowledges. Stopping abruptly can trigger a recurrence of insomnia, so it's important that your doctor gradually taper your dose.
What you should do: Rest assured: A short course of sleeping pills won't turn you into a junkie.
12
Myth: If you have work to do, it's better to get up early than stay up late
Do just the opposite. If you have only 4 hours to spare for sleep, snoozing in the early morning (2 am to 6 am) will benefit you more than will late-night sleep (10 pm to 2 am), a recent Stanford University study suggests. You'll still function worse than you would with a full night's sleep, but you'll function better than you would had you gone to bed at 10.
What you should do: Work until 2 am. By then your sleep homeostat will have you so tired, it'll catapult you into a particularly restful sleep, Perlis says. You'll probably wake up feeling groggier than usual, so allow time for a shower and cup of coffee before heading out. The early-morning sleep you get will carry you only through late morning, so if that presentation is scheduled for the afternoon, try to sneak in a 30-minute nap during your lunch hour. Splash your face with water and sip your favorite stiff coffee when you wake up.
Source:
Faculty and Staff
Michael Perlis, PhD
Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program
Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry
Associate Professor, School of Nursing (secondary appointment)
Visiting Professor/Adjunct Faculty University of Glasgow
Visiting Professor/Adjunct Faculty University of Freiburg
Visiting Professor/Adjunct Faculty Northumbria University
Dr. Perlis is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and the Director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program.
His areas of expertise include sleep in psychiatric disorders and neurocognitive phenomena in insomnia, the cognitive and behavioral mechanisms of action of sedative hypnotics & placebos, and the development of alternative treatments for insomnia. His clinical expertise is in the area of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (BSM) and he is the principle author of the first text book in this field (Treating Sleep Disorders: The Principles and Practice of Behavioral Sleep Medicine, Wiley & Sons) and is the Senior author of two textbooks on Behavioral Sleep Medicine Interventions for sleep disorders (Springer and Academic Press).
He has also authored or co-authored a variety of papers and chapters on the assessment and treatment of sleep disorders and published more than 90 empirical or theoretical papers and commentaries and chapters on sleep related topics. He is on the editorial boards of the journal Sleep, The Journal of Sleep Research, the Journal of Sleep Medicine Research, and the journal of Behavioral Sleep medicine.
In addition to his academic endeavors, he has served as
- The founding editor of the SRS & AASM Training Opportunities in Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine Manual (1995-1998) and as designer (along with Sean Drummond and Jason Ellis) of the on-line manual (2007).
- The Assistant Director of Training for the SRS (1996-2000),
- A founding member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Presidential Committee on Behavioral Sleep Medicine (2000-2004)
- The section chair for Behavioral Sleep Medicine (2003-2004)
- Course Director and primary lecturer for the annual CBT-I Principles and Practice Seminar (2006 - present).
- A member of the program committee for the first Behavioral Sleep Medicine Conference (Spring 2009)
- A founding member of the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (SBSM) and the society’s first president (2010-2011) . Currently, he is a member of the board of directors for the SBSM.
Source:
BSM: Faculty and Staff: Michael Perlis,PhD www.med.upenn.edu/bsm/faculty_perlis.htmlBSM
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6 Health Problems To Never Ignore
Lurking behind these conditions may be other, scarier illnesses
Here's what to look out for
Click green for further info
In others, troublesome genes or poor health behaviors, such as smoking or lack of exercise, trigger one problem, then the other. Being alert to the following ...
"Shadow diseases" that strike together
Experts aren't sure why some illnesses travel in pairs, but knowing your risk will help you stay safe.
For years, doctors have observed that patients with one illness may be stricken by another condition that's seemingly unrelated and sometimes more serious, known as a "shadow disease." One of the most well-known is the connection between migraines and heart attack or stroke. Now researchers are uncovering even more linked ailments and zeroing in on why they appear to travel in pairs.
Studies show that these couplings occur for different reasons. In some cases, one disease creates damage that causes the second illness. In others, troublesome genes or poor health behaviors, such as smoking or lack of exercise, trigger one problem, then the other. Being alert to the following dangerous connections can help you avoid the shadow disease or get early diagnosis and treatment, leading to a better outcome.
Click green for further info
1. Migraine
Its shadow: Stroke or heart attack
If you regularly suffer from migraine pain (especially if you develop auras, which are visual or sensory phenomena that accompany the headache), your doctor has probably warned you about your susceptibility to heart attack or stroke. Now, thanks to recent findings, experts better understand which cardiac ailment is more likely to occur for any given migraine sufferer.
Frequency matters. If you have fewer than one migraine a month, you're 50% more likely to have a heart attack than nonsufferers. If migraines strike at least weekly, you have 3 times the risk of stroke, compared with those who don't have this problem, says study coauthor Tobias Kurth, MD, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.
Protect yourself: Unfortunately, existing research has not yet found that preventing migraines has the effect of lowering stroke or heart attack odds. However, by keeping your cardiovascular system as healthy as possible, you diminish your chance of a cardiac event, according to the National Stroke Association. To do this, control known hazards, such as high cholesterol and obesity, via diet and exercise. You should also quit smoking and limit alcohol intake (no more than one 1-2drinks a day, according to the American Heart Association.) (Read Problem Solved: Migraines for more causes and cures.)
2. Endometriosis
Its shadow: melanoma
Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. It is the leading cause of death from skin disease. Melanoma can also involve the colored part of the eye. Click green for further info
Causes - Symptoms - Tests - Treatment - Prognosis - Prevention National Library of Medicine
In 2007, a huge, 12-year French study confirmed that women with endometriosis (in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the womb) are 62% more likely to suffer from melanoma. Researchers are unsure why endometriosis and the deadly skin cancer sometimes travel together, but one possibility is a genetic defect that triggers both conditions.
Protect yourself: If you have endometriosis, ask your doctor to scan your skin for melanoma, advises Jeffrey P. Callen, MD, a professor of dermatology at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. You can also do a self-check of your moles. If anything suspicious turns up, be sure to have it biopsied. Don't panic, though. "When diagnosed very early, melanoma is nearly 100% curable," Dr. Callen says. (Don't know what to look for?
Check our list of skin cancer warning signs.) Click green for further info
Endometriosis is a gynecological condition in which cells from the lining of the uterus (endometrium) appear and flourish outside the uterine cavity, most commonly on the membrane which lines the abdominal cavity, the peritoneum. The uterine cavity is lined with endometrial cells, which are under the influence of female hormones. Endometrial cells in areas outside the uterus are also influenced by hormonal changes and respond in a way that is similar to the cells found inside the uterus. Symptoms of endometriosis are pain and infertility. The pain often is worse with the menstrual cycle and is the most common cause of secondary dysmenorrhea. Endometriosis was first identified by Baron Carl von Rokitansky in 1860.
Endometriosis is typically seen during the reproductive years; it has been estimated that endometriosis occurs in roughly 6–10% of women. Symptoms may depend on the site of active endometriosis. Its main but not universal symptom is pelvic pain in various manifestations. Endometriosis is a common finding in women with infertility.
Endometriosis has a significant social and psychological impact.
There is no cure for endometriosis, but it can be treated in a variety of ways, including pain medication, hormonal treatments, and surgery.
3. High blood pressure
Its shadow: diabetes
Doctors have long wondered how high blood pressure and diabetes are related, because the two often appear together, especially in obese patients. Now, after following 38,000 midlife women for 10 years, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School report that constantly elevated blood pressure, or hypertension, doubles your risk of developing diabetes, regardless of your BMI. More surprising, the risk of diabetes goes up if your blood pressure increases over time—even if it stays under the hypertension threshold.
The two problems may have a common cause, says study author David Conen, MD, a research fellow at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Potential culprits include high levels of inflammation in the body, he says, or a malfunction in the blood vessels' inner lining, allowing blood cells to leak into surrounding tissue and damage it.
Protect yourself: If you have mild hypertension or are at risk for this problem, get tested for diabetes. You can help prevent onset of diabetes with lifestyle changes: Increase your physical activity, lose excess weight, limit salt, and stub out those cigarettes for good, suggests Dr. Conen.
4. Psoriasis
Its shadow:heart attack
The rough, itchy patches of psoriasis are more than uncomfortable and unsightly: They may increase your odds of a heart attack, concludes a study that followed half a million people for 5 years. The risk of a cardiac emergency was related to the severity of the psoriasis, the researchers determined; serious cases of the skin ailment could mean a more than doubled heart attack risk.
"The out-of-whack immune system that triggers the psoriasis may also cause inflammation that infiltrates the arteries of the heart," explains study author Joel M. Gelfand, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Protect yourself: Will controlling the skin disease diminish the inflammation that can cause a heart attack? The idea makes sense but must be confirmed with further research, says Gelfand. You can also consider talking with your doctor about new psoriasis medications, including Amevive (generic name alefacept). They're made from living sources, much as vaccines are. They may work, even if past treatments failed. In the meantime, Dr. Gelfand suggests keeping your heart healthy with diet and exercise. (And also with these 12 DIY Psoriasis Solutions)
5. Metabolic syndrome
Its shadow: kidney stones
Metabolic syndrome is a serious health condition associated with coronary heart attacks, diabetes, and even early death. You have it if you've got at least three of these five traits: excess abdominal fat, high blood triglycerides, low HDL (which is the good cholesterol), high blood pressure, and impaired glucose tolerance.
HDL Click High-density lipoprotein
Now research reveals that metabolic syndrome could also be behind the rising rate of kidney stones. Your odds of developing them go up by 54% if you have two of the above traits; with three symptoms, your risk hits 70%, says the research.
Protect yourself: Obesity is a key player in both metabolic syndrome and kidney stones, perhaps because overweight people are likely to consume excess protein and sodium, which may cause the painful crystals to develop, says study coauthor Bradford Lee West, MD. Trimming your waistline reduces one of the metabolic syndrome traits and may diminish your chances of getting kidney stones, he says.
6. Asthma
Its shadow: depression and anxiety disorders
Studies reveal a striking connection between asthma and psychological problems, including depression and anxiety. In 2004, the CDC announced that 18% of patients with asthma report mental distress. "This link has been debated by scientists for about 20 years, but in the last half decade it has become more accepted," says Bruce G. Bender, PhD, who is a professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
Research on military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder also confirmed the connection. Veterans with the greatest number of PTSD symptoms were more than twice as likely to have asthma as those with the mildest cases, reports study coauthor Renee D. Goodwin, PhD, an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University. Speculates Bender: "One condition may lead to the other. Breathing difficulties may cause anxiety or even depression. Or psychological problems may make asthma worse."
Protect yourself: If you know you have either asthma or mental health problems and suspect you have the other, get tested for it. Seek help for any confirmed illnesses so you don't find yourself in a downward spiral, with each condition exacerbating the other one.
Your Guide To Adult Asthma
Click green for further info
Source:
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Dentistry Gone Digital
By Andrew Koenigsberg, DDS, DDS | November 2013
In the last few years, dentistry has gone digital with significant benefits for patients. New technologies allow for better treatment and an improved patient experience.
A rapidly growing digital technology, Computer Aided Design (CAD), also called Computer Aided Manufacturing, (CAM), has revolutionized the experience of getting crowns, onlays, veneers, bridges, and implants. These machines allow most single tooth restorations to be completed from start to finish, in a single visit.
For patients, this means no more temporaries coming loose, no more second trips and no more second injections!
An additional benefit is that the restorative materials used with CAD/CAM are metal free which are more esthetic and may require less drilling away of the tooth. Virtual molds, (or duplicates of the teeth), are captured with a digital scanner so the messy, annoying trays filled with goop are eliminated. Offices that have a CAD/CAM lab, may even be able to do full smile makeovers in one day.
More Convenience, Less Radiation, Fewer Chemicals Orthodontics has also gone digital. Tooth movement can be planned on CAD software and then using 3D printers, clear aligners are manufactured. This has been very popular with adults who want to straighten their teeth but don’t want traditional braces.
X-rays have transitioned from film to digital sensors with the majority of offices now using digital systems. The newest digital sensors are more accurate than film and expose patients to less radiation. In fact, the typical dose for checkup x-rays is now at the level of daily background levels. Digital sensors are also better for the environment as there are no chemicals used in their processing. The picture is available instantly which means fewer x-rays and they can be easily emailed if you move or switch dentists.
New 3-D digital scans are quickly gaining acceptance and the extra dimension can provide significantly more information. This feature is especially useful in planning implant placement as it allows the surgeon to know the exact shape of the bone. This results in the best final implant position and can also minimize the surgery and recovery. 3-D digital imaging can also be helpful for wisdom tooth extractions, airway evaluation and other diagnostic challenges.
When it comes to patient convenience, the digital office can’t be beat. Online registration can be a big time saver. Not only can you fill out forms at your own schedule, you also have access to all your personal information so you can complete the registration process accurately. This saves time as well as extra trips as the doctor can review your history in advance and front desk can schedule your appropriately. Many dental websites contain valuable health information and some offer appointment confirmation and on-line bill payment.
Some offices have incorporated fully digital records though this is not as common as in medical practices. With these systems, doctors and staff no longer have to sift through loose papers and x-rays to get your information. The records are easily transferable if you move or switch practices. Digital records also make it easy to save photos which can be helpful in monitoring changes in the mouth.
Source:
Dr. Koenigsberg has been in practice since 1980 and is a partner at Gallery57Dental. G57D is a showcase for Sirona, the world’s largest dental equipment manufacturer. The office is fully digital and has been featured in Modern Dentistry as a prototype of the dental office of the future.
Rejuvenating the Aging Smile
We are all aware of the many changes our bodies and specifically our faces go through as we age. We notice lines, wrinkles, blemishes, and loss of tone, and are aware of the various procedures available to reverse these conditions.
On some level, we are also aware that the smile ages but often are not aware of the specific changes that occur over time. So, what are those changes and to what extent can they be reversed?
Color
Teeth get darker as we age. Though tooth enamel is hard, wear and micro-cracks allow stain to be absorbed into teeth. Whitening is very effective for reversing this color change. It can be done in the dental office or at home. There are many over-the-counter products available in drug stores that work well and are less expensive than professional whitening.
Their disadvantage is that they take more applications and can be tricky to apply. Dentists use more concentrated, light activated products in their office which give the fastest results and are the most expensive.
Surveys show that most dentists prefer to have the patients’ apply the whitening gel in custom made trays for 30–60 minutes a day for about two weeks. This gives the patient a lot of control over the final result as is easy to maintain as touch ups are easy once the patient has trays.
Shifting
Many people experience shifting of their front teeth over time. Besides being unaesthetic, this also leads to uneven wear, chipping, and increased staining.
Teeth can easily be straightened at any age and often this can be accomplished with clear, removable retainers (Invisalign is the most popular system). Depending on the amount of movement needed, the teeth can be straightened in as little as 10 weeks!
Wear and Cracking
Front teeth are called incisors because they cut through food such as salads and sandwiches. Every time the teeth meet, there is a microscopic amount of wear that accumulates over time.
Often the wear is uneven, causing the smile line to distort and the edges to get thin and translucent. The stress also causes microscopic cracks in the teeth.
The best way of replacing worn, chipped enamel is with porcelain, usually as a veneer or crown. The porcelain is very esthetic and strong and can last for many years. It is a great way of restoring lost tooth structure and taking years off a smile.
Gum Recession, Spaces and Exposed Root
Almost everyone experiences some gum recession over time. It is important to determine that this is not from periodontal (gum) disease. Unfortunately, even slight recession, can expose dark root structure.
Another consequence is what appears to be a “dark triangle” at the gum line between teeth. This is actually empty space where there was once bone and gum. There are surgical procedures to move the gum back but they are often not 100 percent effective. Porcelain veneers or crowns can cover the dark roots but do not replace the missing gum.
If you are concerned that your smile does not project the appearance you want, have your dentist evaluate your specific issues. While not every sign of aging can be reversed, it is often possible to take years off your smile!
Source:
Andrew Koenigsberg, DDS, founded Gallery57Dental in 2006, where he currently practices and is passionate about providing people with the best dental care possible. He is also the co-founder of CAD/CAM Excellence, a continuing education center, where he is clinical director.
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Click the green title or search the topic with the title
Periodontal (Gum) Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
www.nidcr.nih.gov › Oral Health › Topics › Gum (Periodontal) Diseases
Can gum disease cause health problems beyond the mouth? Clinical .... reduces the need for surgery and whether they are effective over a long period of time.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Disease
Craniofacial = of, relating to, or involving both the cranium and the face
Cranium = the skull, head, brain case;
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What is Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity?
People with celiac disease click: Celiac disease - MayoClinic.com experience a variety of gastrointestinal and, occasionally, extraintestinal symptoms when they consume gluten - the primary protein found in wheat. The biological mechanisms behind this autoimmune reaction are rather well understood, and the diagnostic tests for celiac disease are sensitive and specific. Similarly, people who are allergic to wheat experience a local or systemic allergic reaction when they come into contact with wheat-containing foods. The immunological reaction underlying a wheat allergy is the same as for other food allergies, and is similarly very well understood.
What is not well understood is the phenomenon of people who have neither celiac disease nor a wheat allergy, yet nonetheless experience digestive distress or extraintestinal symptoms when they consume wheat. Unlike the case of celiac disease or wheat allergy, proposed mechanisms behind this observed dietary intolerance have not been proven, nor have objective medical tests been identified and scientifically validated to diagnose the condition. Currently, a diagnosis is made by excluding autoimmune or allergic conditions in conjunction with clinical improvement of symptoms when wheat is eliminated from the diet. (Purported diagnostic tests for such sensitivity to gluten - including those with saliva, stool, hair or so-called "applied kinesiology" tests of muscle strength - are not supported by objective, peer-reviewed or replicable scientific data.)
All we can say for sure is that there's a significant number of folks out there who feel lousy when they eat wheat. According to nationally representative data, about half of one percent of all Americans followed a gluten-free diet in 2009 and 2010, but based on the proliferation of gluten-free products in the past several years and what I've seen in my practice, my guess is that number is already higher by now.
Read: What is Gluten, Anyway?
The term used to describe this symptomatic response to wheat, and to possibly other gluten-containing grains such as barley and rye, is "non-celiac gluten sensitivity." Of note, it has been observed that a significant percentage of patients with symptoms of NCGS also has irritable bowel syndrome. This makes me wonder: Is gluten really even the offender in some of these cases?
Wheat, barley and rye, like most foods, contain both protein and carbohydrates. Gluten - the main protein in these grains - gets most of the attention when we consider dietary intolerances. But these grains are also a significant source of a type of carb called a fructan. Fructans are essentially chains of fructose molecules that are very difficult to digest. You may recall meeting them in my previous articles on common triggers of IBS symptoms. They're one of several families of fermentable, poorly digested carbs we refer to as FODMAPs (= FODMAP=Fermentable Oligo-Di-Monosaccharides and Polyols)- click: FODMAP - Wikipedia
In addition to wheat, barley and rye, other dietary sources of fructans include onions, garlic, artichokes, sunchokes, jicama and asparagus - all (gluten-free) veggies that are common triggers for gas, bloating and or diarrhea in a subset of patients with IBS. In other words, if you have IBS and have found onions and garlic to disagree with you, there's good reason to believe that fructan-rich grains might trigger symptoms as well, particularly when eaten in large portions.
This raises another question: What if NCGS isn't a gluten sensitivity at all - at least for some people - but rather a fructan sensitivity instead? What if non-celiac gluten sensitivity is really non-celiac fructan sensitivity?
Indeed, a recent study of people with IBS and NCGS suggested this very possibility. The researchers of this small but well-designed study gave participants a low-FODMAP diet, which was both wheat-free and gluten-free, for two weeks and noted an improvement in their digestive symptoms. Then, they challenged half the group daily with several grams of either isolated gluten (without the usual accompanying fructans) or isolated whey protein. There was no difference in symptoms experienced between participants in the respective groups, suggesting that among this set of people with IBS, gluten was no better or worse than another dietary protein in terms of provoking digestive symptoms in the context of an overall low-FODMAP diet. It would be interesting to see whether these results can be replicated in larger studies of people with IBS as well as others without the condition.
Strange (but True) Food Allergies
For most people who don't do well with wheat, the distinction between gluten and fructans may be an academic one, with little bearing on their day-to-day diet. After all, if wheat triggers symptoms, then it should be avoided - regardless of whether those symptoms are caused by a wheat protein or a wheat carbohydrate. Still, thanks to the wonders of modern food science, there are some cases in which a wheat-based food could be gluten-free but still high in fructans, ironically making it tolerable for a person with actual celiac disease but not for someone with NCGS.
For example, consider a new wave of beers that are brewed from malted barley but treated enzymatically to remove gluten. These beers have been testing below a threshold of less than 10 parts per million of gluten, rendering them technically gluten-free. (The Food and Drug Administration's threshold for labeling a food "gluten free" is less than 20 ppm.) But beer often contains some residual fermentable carbohydrates that may be digestively troublesome for sensitive folks even in the absence of gluten. The amount of residual, fermentable carbohydrate varies depending on the type of beer and the brewing process, with ales generally having the most and lagers having the least. The point is that these beers are an example of a food (or beverage, technically) that may be problematic for some patients with NCGS, but possibly not for those with celiac disease. As researchers push the frontiers of food science in an attempt to "detoxify" wheat flour from its gluten, it's possible we may one day encounter examples of gluten-free (but still high-fructan) wheat-based foods on a much more regular basis.
See: Making Sense of the FDA's New Gluten-Free Labeling Law
The state of current knowledge into what we currently call NCGS is just the tip of what promises to be a very large iceberg. (And that iceberg may get a new name at some point as well.) Based on current research, it's possible that NCGS may turn out to be multiple distinct conditions - some resembling celiac disease with an underlying autoimmune cause triggered by gluten, some more typically allergic in nature and many just run-of-the-mill carbohydrate intolerances that got swept up the gluten-free frenzy.
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Foods That Could Become Illegal
With FDA Move to Ban Trans Fats
FDA = The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in November 2013 its preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oil is no longer generally recognized as safe for use in food.
click: U S Food and Drug Administration Home Pagewww.fda.gov/
Definition: Trans fats are a type of fat that has been linked to raising low density lipoproteins ("bad" cholesterol, LDL), lowering high density lipoproteins ("good" cholesterol, HDL), and contributing to heart disease.Trans fats are formed during hydrogenation. Hydrogenation is a process by which unsaturated fats are bombarded with hydrogen. This process introduces hydrogens on opposite sides of a double bond of the chemical structure of the trans fat.
Trans fats do not occur naturally and are solid at room temperature. They are used commercially in foods in order to extend the shelf life of a food and to add texture.
Click:Trans fat: Avoid this cholesterol double whammy - MayoClinic.com
- It sounds counterintuitive, but "fully" or "completely" hydrogenated oil doesn't contain trans fat. Unlike partially hydrogenated oil, the process used to make fully or ...
- Click: Hydrogenation - Wikipedia
Related Articles - Click green for further info:
- Partially and Fully Hydrogenated Oils
- What Are Fats
- Functions of Fat in Food
- Trans Fats - Definition of Trans Fats
- Overview of the Types of Fats Video
5 examples of foods That Become Illegal
With FDA Move to Ban Trans Fats
The move paves the way for a ban, or at the very least, strict limits on the fake fats, which are the primary source of artificial trans fats in the diet.
Artificial trans fats are formed when food makers turn liquid oils into solid fats in a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation increases a food's shelf life, but the science shows it also pumps the body full of artery-clogging fat.
Although the agency said that the average consumption of trans fats has declined from 4.6 grams per day in 2003 to about 1 gram per day in 2012, FDA commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg said in a statement that further reduction would prevent more than 20,000 heart attacks and 7,000 new cases of coronary heart disease each year.
Many food manufacturers have already taken steps to strip their products of artificial trans fats. But according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, hydrogenated culprits still linger in the American diet.
Here's a list of foods called out by CSPI as trans fat offenders that could become illegal if the FDA ban moves forward.
CSPI = Center for Science in the Public Interestwww.cspinet.org/
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is a nonprofit education and advocacy organization that focuses on improving the safety and nutritional ..
Fast Food (= Bad Food says STAF,Inc.)
You already know that fast food isn't exactly a nutritional bonanza, so it's no surprise the drive-through is a likely source of trans fat. Some menu items, like the Burger King Whopper, deliver just 1 gram of artificial trans fat. But Long John Silver's Breaded Clam Strips contain 7 grams per serving, and Popeye's Breakfast Hashbrowns contain 10 grams per serving.
Long John Silver's announced plans in August to switch to trans fat-free cooking oil.
Burger King has been cooking with trans fat-free oils since 2008, according to a company statement that says "all menu ingredients in the United States have zero grams artificial trans fat." Small amounts of naturally occurring trans fats, however, are present in meat and dairy products, the statement reads.
Microwave Popcorn
Some brands of microwave popcorn have successfully removed most traces of trans fats from their recipes, but you have to check the labels to know for sure. CSPI points out that Pop Secret Premium Butter Popcorn still delivers 5 grams per serving and Jolly Time Blast o Butter Popcorn delivers 4 grams per serving. Company websites confirm this.
Frozen Desserts
Many former trans fatties in this category are now free of fake fats, but once again, you should scan nutritional labels to make sure. Two notable examples: One slice of Sara Lee Classic New York style Cheesecake contains 3 grams of trans fats and Marie Callender's Peanut Butter Creme Pie contains 4.
Baking Mixes
Think whipping up your sweet treats from a mix is a safer route to avoiding trans fats? Mixes like Keebler Ready Crust Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crust and Betty Crocker Pie Crust Mix list 2 and 2.5 grams of trans fat per serving respectively. And if you frost your own cake with Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Chocolate Fudge Frosting, you'll add 1.5 grams of trans fats to your semi-homemade dessert.
Margarines
Not so long ago, margarine was considered a healthy alternative to butter. This is one food category where trans fats are still common. Many stick brands of margarine contain at least 1.5 grams of trans fat per serving. Walmart's Great Value Stick margarine has 3 grams per serving.
Click green for further info
Source: FDA
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Important info for everyone worldwide
Modern diseases grown by factory farming
Definition: factory farming = a system of rearing livestock using intensive methods, by which poultry, pigs, or cattle are confined indoors under strictly controlled conditions.
Click green for further info
Industrial agriculture is making us sick. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) (click) Centers for Disease Control and Preventionwww.cdc.gov/
and World Health Organization (WHO), nutritional scientists, and medical professionals warn against the health risks of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Click: World Health Organization: WHO
Definition of (CAFOs) = In the terminology of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) is an animal feeding operation (AFO) that (a) confines animals for more than 45 days during a growing season, (b) in an area that does not produce vegetation, and (c) meets certain size thresholds. The EPA's definition of the term "captures key elements of the transformations" observed in the animal agriculture sector over the course of the 20th century: "a production process that concentrates large numbers of animals in relatively small and confined places, and that substitutes structures and equipment (for feeding, temperature controls, and manure management) for land and labor."
Further CAFO info = click: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) - What is a CAFO?www.epa.gov/region7/water/cafo/
There is a near consensus among experts that
(1) overuse of antibiotics,
(2) crowded and unsanitary livestock conditions,
(3) unnatural feed diets, and
(4) a lack of diversification are responsible for some serious global health risks.
Contracting bugs from animals is nothing new. In fact, zoonoses (= infectious diseases transferred between species
= a disease that can be transmitted to humans from animals) are a natural part of evolutionary biology. But modern industrial farming practices can turn health issues that were once fairly benign into real concerns.
zoonosis, plur.= zoonoses - see further: WHO | Zoonoses and the Human-Animal-Ecosystems Interface
Factory farming creates perfect conditions for the proliferation (= rapid increase in numbers) of super bugs: The stress and unsanitary conditions of CAFOs (= concentrated animal feeding operations weaken animals' immune systems, making them more susceptible to infection; overcrowding allows disease to spread quickly and easily; and over time, antibiotics can cause resistant strains of bacteria to evolve. These conditions, combined with a lack of diversification, create a petri dish for dangerous diseases. [petri dish = a shallow, circular, transparent dish with a flat lid, used for the culture of microorganisms, click: Petri dish
As Dr. Michael Greger, director of public health and animal agriculture for the Humane Society of the United States writes: Dr. Michael Greger, M.D. - The Humane Society of the United Stateswww.humanesociety.org/about/leadership/subject.../michael_greger.html Michael Greger is Director, Public Health and Animal Agriculture.
Unnaturally high concentrations of animals confined indoors in a limited airspace and producing significant quantities of waste may allow for the rapid selection, amplification, and dissemination of zoonotic pathogens.
The Human/Animal Interface = a point where two systems, subjects, organizations, etc., meet and interact
Here are five diseases that have been affected by CAFOs:
1. E. coli
The content of animal feed poses particular health risks. Traditionally, cattle subsisted on a grass-based diet, but government corn subsidies and demand for more fatty, marbled beef motivated farmers to switch over to grain-based feed. Enter E. coli.
Milder strains of the bacteria have always been present in cows' stomachs, but the introduction of a grain-based diet upped the ante, according to a study published by the U.S.'s National Center for Biotechnology Information in 2009. Cows' digestives systems became more acidic in order to tolerate a higher quantity of grain. As a result, more harmful acid-resistant strains of E. coli, like the infamous O157:H7, evolved to survive. This is the dangerous strain that has found its way into our water, produce, and meat in recent years.
Michael Pollan, author of click: The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food explains:
Click: Michael Pollan
"Most of the microbes that reside in the gut of a cow and find their way into our food get killed off by the strong acids in our stomachs, since they evolved to live in the neutral pH environment of the rume*). But the rumen of a corn-fed feedlot steer is nearly as acidic as our own stomachs, and in this new, man-made environment new acid resistant strains of E. coli, of which O157:H7 is one, have evolved. [The Omnivore's Dilemma]
*) rumen = the first stomach of a ruminant*), which receives food or cud from the esophagus, partly digests it with the aid of bacteria, and passes it to the reticulum
*) ruminant = an even-toed ungulate mammal that chews the cud regurgitated from its rumen. The ruminants comprise the cattle, sheep, antelopes, deer, giraffes, and their relatives.
2. MRSA
Methicillin-resistant Styphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is another bacteria that, thanks in part to factory farming, is popping up more than ever before. MRSA can be spread by human or animal carriers. It is abundant in our environment and its resistance to antibiotics can make it difficult to treat. More deaths in the U.S. click: are now attributed to MRSA infections than HIV/AIDS, according to a 2007 report published by the CDC.
No real research has been conducted on the presence of MRSA on animals in the U.S., but European studies show a "strong casual link" between MRSA and factory pig farms. Agriculture scholar Laura Sayre notes that "the bacterium is widely present on pig farms in Canada, which sells millions of live pigs to the United States annually, so it seems pretty likely it's in U.S. pig factories, too."
3. Campylobacter and Salmonella
Campylobactor is a foodborne illness that click: can cause diarrhoea, nausea, fever, and abdominal pain. The infectious intestinal disease afflicts over 1.3 million Americans every year. It is also becoming increasingly drug resistant, click: according to the CDC, growing to almost 25 percent drug resistant in 2011, from 13 percent in 1997.
The bug is usually found on poultry, and a Campylobacter.
The same study also found that 14 percent of chickens were contaminated with Salmonella, a similar but rarer bacterium that's becoming increasingly antibiotic-resistant as well. The CDC estimates that Salmonella is responsible for 450 deaths each year. According to a CDC Threat Report 8 percent of non-typhoidal salmonella and a staggering 67 percent of salmonella typhi are antibiotic resistant.
Fortunately, unlike MRSA and E. coli, these microbes can usually be killed by proper cooking.
4. Mad cow
While much rarer than the infectious bacteria listed above, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) can also be attributed to modern farming practices. Mad cow disease first appeared in the 1980s as a result of offal, a mixture of the organs and entrails of butchered cattle, in feed. Farmers quickly learned that cannibalism can cause infectious neurodegenerative diseases in livestock.
As a report published by the World Health Organization explains:
BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is clearly linked to the practice of recycling bovine carcasses to recover so-called "meat and bone meal" protein, and then feeding this protein back to other cattle. If cattle are not being fed protein derived from the carcasses of ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats), there is virtually no risk of BSE. [WHO]
5. Obesity
In June 2013 The American Medical Association officially recognized obesity as a disease. Unsurprisingly, the nation with the largest industrial food industry also has the highest rates of obesity and diabetes. Every day factory farms in the United States grow 500 more calories per person than they did 25 years ago.SEE ALSO: Watch The Daily Show catalog everyone's lies about ObamaCare
The country's industrial corn farming plays a major role. Government subsidies make production of corn, corn syrup, and corn-based processed foods very attractive to farmers. They also support the aforementioned corn-based diets that can cause a myriad of health issues and increase the fat content of conventionally produced beef.
Many of the changes to our food system brought on by industrial agriculture in the past 20 years are disconcerting, but consumers are beginning to take notice. As Pollan, puts it:
Between the obesity epidemic, food safety issues (like E. coli and mad cow disease), concern about animal welfare, and a growing recognition that the American way of eating is making us sick, people seem ready to take a good hard look, both at the system as a whole and, even more important, at their own approach to food.
Click green for further info
Source: Different U.S. gov. sources, United Nations Statistics and various internet connections
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What Your Skin Says About Your Health
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that 67 million American adults suffer from high blood pressure, which leads to an increased risk for heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure occurs when the heart is forced to pump more blood through a person's arteries, which are typically narrow.
Publishing in the Journals of Gerontology, a team of researchers from Unilever — a food, home, and personal care product supplier — and Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands collaborated to investigate whether a person’s perceived age had any effect on the health of his or her heart. A total of 514 adults, both male and female and 63 years old on average, were part of the sample size in the study.
How Does Smoking Cigarettes Make Your Skin Look Older? (Photos)
First, the researchers separated the 260 women into two groups based on high and low risk of heart disease. The youthfulness of the female participants were then assessed by analyzing the facial appearance and evaluating the wrinkles on their inner arm — the place least likely to show signs of premature aging from the sun, reports Time magazine. Women who were placed in the lowest heart disease risk group were found to look two years younger than those in the other group based on photographs of their face.
“We identified that blood pressure was driving the link between cardiovascular disease risk and perceived age. It is the first time a link between low blood pressure and youthful looks has been proven," said Dr. David Gunn, a Unilever senior scientist, in a news release.
Following the first finding, the researchers then sought to compare the group of women who had a lower cardiovascular disease risk and youthful appearance to a group of men and women from families with long-living members. This comparison would help determine if it was genetics or cosmetics and/or procedures that helped these women look younger. The researchers also noted if women opted for procedures, then they were more likely to also afford the latest drugs and therapies to keep themselves heart-healthy.
The second experiment revealed that men selected from long-living families looked younger when compared to a control group of the same age, and women and men from long-living families overall had less skin wrinkling on their upper arm compared to the same-age control group. The findings show for the first time that youthful appearance is directly linked to familial longevity.
“Our initial findings suggest that families who age healthily are also endowed with slower skin ageing and, for males, a more youthful face. The next stage is to understand what is happening inside the skin of these youthful individuals to find out more about their ageing secrets,” Gunn said.
The researchers hope these results will encourage people to adopt a healthy lifestyle and to remain vigilant when it comes to their health, such as routinely checking their blood pressure.
Grapes Reduce High Blood Pressure and More
In a similar study, researchers found that people who were active by walking to work, taking public transportation, or riding a bike dropped their high blood pressure rates. Those who walked to work lowered their blood pressure levels by 17 percent.
Moderate physical activity can combat the risk of several diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. The CDC recommends adults engage in at least two hours and 30 minutes of aerobic physical activity at a moderate level or one hour and 15 minutes of aerobic physical activity at a vigorous level each week.
More from Medical Daily:
- Is A Raw Food Diet The Secret To Eternal Youth?
- 8 Anti-Aging Foods That Help Fight Cancer And Heart Diseas Click green for further info - Source: CDA files _________________________________________________
Q. Is it best to sleep on your back, side or stomach?
A. “This mainly matters if you have sleep apnea, which is often worse on your back,” said Dr. Carl W. Bazil, director of the division of epilepsy and sleep at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. “Snoring is often worse as well, as many bed partners can attest.”
click: Sleep apnea
click: What Is Sleep Apnea? - NHLBI, NIHwww.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/.../sleepapnea/
Otherwise, for adults, it is much more important what position is most comfortable, Dr. Bazil said. Even in a favored position, though, nerve compression can occur if you do not move during sleep. That explains why you sometimes awaken with a bit of numbness for a few minutes. Fortunately, the body tends to reposition itself naturally.
For infants, the advice is different. Since 1992, the American Academy of Pediatrics has said that babies should sleep on their backs, even if being put down for a short nap.
Although causality has not been shown, sleeping on the stomach is one of the known risk factors associated with sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, along with general stress, exposure to tobacco smoke and overheating.
After the academy’s widely publicized “Back to Sleep” campaign was begun in 1994, a 1998 study found that the prevalence of infants placed on their stomachs declined by 66 percent, and the rate of SIDS fell about 38 percent.
RELATED COVERAGE
Click green for tens of Q & A columns
- More Q & A Columns Source: NYT
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Relating to your marriage and family life
(1) A trial separation is an informal splitting of a couple
Unlike legal separation, this is purely a personal arrangement and does not require legal proceedings. The couple can choose later to go through with a divorce or can choose to stay married.
A trial separation may allow the spouse who wants the divorce to experience some of the feelings of being separated without making a final decision to divorce. The main advantage of a trial separation, of course, is that it's easily reversible. You can try it for a while, go through counseling, and then reconcile, or you can try it for a while and then proceed with divorce.
(2) See what is in this link:
Trial Separation - The Pros and Cons of a Trial Separation
(3) STAF, Inc.'s opinion is: NO trial or legal separation
Instead, take competent counseling.
As most people, if you did get married in the traditional manner= (1) met, (2) dated, (3) fell in love (mutually),(4) proposal & engagement ring, (5) wedding plans, (6) wedding, then; you had to have REAL love between the two of you. REAL LOVE NEVER DIES - never. To go through all these 6 steps has taken time, effort & money. Real love must have been there .
Stay together, pray together if you are religious; Old saying: “if you pray together you stay together”- pray even though you would not be religious.
With REAL LOVE as your motivation, work out your challenges together and with a counselor.
When you do it, you real love will return and you both will be happier than ever before.
If you have children, trial separation, any separation or a divorce will destroy your children's future.
See in this website in tab: Restoring Any Marriage™ the 12 life-destroying disasters facing your children if their parents will split. In addition, the separating, divorcing couple will face health & financial challenges & have a shorter life with sicknesses.
Study the Psychology Today article below- But: STAF, Inc.'s leading specialists say: NO - it is not a solution. That's the same as putting the garbage under the rug - it is still there.
SOLUTION is to take competent counseling
STAF, Inc.is one of the leading organization for counseling (also training & certifying counselors)
STAF, Inc.'s leading therapists/Counselors (with new techniques) give counseling to you - whatever your location may be. In addition, STAF, Inc. (as the only organization) gives your service a lifetime result-guarantee - no one else does.
Contact STAF, Inc. - see contact info: Home page - SAVE YOUR MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP - IT IS WORTH EVERYTHING.
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Can a Marital Separation Make Your Marriage Better?
Taking a "Time-Out" Under the Right Circumstances MAY Help Relationships
Published in Psychology Today Magazine
Based on a book by Susan Pease Gadoua, L.C.S.W. in Contemplating Divorce
There are three main reasons why couples separate: as a step in the divorce process, to gain perspective on the marriage and the third reason is the one I will focus on in this article - to enhance the marriage.
I am a big believer in the therapeutic value of a separation to strengthen the marriage if it's done in the right way, for the right reasons and if there are clear agreements from the start.
This separation can be done at any time and, indeed, is being done by more and more couples.
Yet, we still think something is "wrong" if couples live apart and we see separation used mostly by couples who have reached the breaking point. They have usually tried various other interventions and tactics to get the marriage back on track and are now at a place where there's nothing left to do but split up, physically separate and ultimately divorce.
Rather than a means to an end, however, separation can be a helpful tool to stay together. This seems counterintuitive when a marriage is in trouble and relations are fragile. Most of us believe that when we feel our spouse slipping away from us, we should merge together more, get as close as we can, and do more to "make the marriage work."
The thought of creating distance at such a time instills a great deal of fearof losing control of your spouse and your relationship. This option is especially challenging if the bond between the two of you has been weakened by a betrayed trust. But, employed carefully and skillfully (and usually with some type of professional support), this tool can be quite effective in bringing two people closer together.
Guidelines for an Enhancement Separation
Here are some thoughts on how to go about creating your own Enhancement Separation.
1. Get Third Party Support: While some couples can do this on their own, I highly recommend seeking out some type of neutral third party to help facilitate this process. It can get tricky, especially if this is being done while there is currently some tension or level of problems between spouses. This can be a therapist, rabbi, clergy, mediator or lawyer.
2. Set Clear and Reasonable Expectations: Ground rules are a must in order to maintain a sense of trust between the parties. If one person expects to communicate every day but the other doesn't, this could cause some hurt feelings. Knowing what to expect avoids this type of situation.
3. Know Your Goal: Don't assume that you both have the same goal. You both really need to agree that your intention in living apart is to enhance your marriage.
Again, if one spouse thinks the separation is a step in the divorce process but the other thinks it's a temporary "time-out," this can cause a major rift in the trust levels between the two. Having the same goal in this exercise is particularly important in making it a successful exercise.
4. Maintain Regular Communication: Having no contact at all for an extended period of time may actually begin to hurt the marital connection. Instead of an "absence makes the heart grow fonder" mentality, it may end up being, "out of sight, out of mind!"
The average length of an Enhancement Separation is about six months but some couples have enjoyed it so much, they continue it on indefinitely.
Who Should NOT do an Enhancement Separation
There are some people for whom this tool will not work. It is crucial that each spouse is honest with themselves and honest with each other about why they are doing this exercise.
If you or your spouse is trying to make the splitting up process gentler and easier, this is NOT the tool to use. If you don't intend to stay with your partner, the worst thing you can do is pretend to be interested in working things out.
If you are confused about whether or not you want to stay in the marriage, it's important to state that up front. It's far harder on your spouse's heart if you've led her to believe that you will be coming back fully committed to the marriage, once the separation is over, only to find out later that you wanted to leave the whole time.
Another group who should not try an Enhancement Separation are those who have had repeated breaches in trust or those who have a hard time trusting. This exercise requires a great deal of maturity and It can raise more anxiety than it's worth for those who are dishonest or insecure.
An Enhancement Separation t can be tapered specifically to your needs and your situation and can be implemented and rescinded at any time.
Parts of this article were taken from, Contemplating Divorce, A Step-by-Step Guide to Deciding Whether to Stay or Go, by Susan Pease Gadoua
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Bible College Helps Some at Louisiana Prison Find Peace
ANGOLA, La. — Like most of his fellow inmates, Daryl Walters, 45, can expect to spend the rest of his days in the infamous prison on a former slave plantation here. He was sentenced to life without parole for a murder more than 20 years ago in a state where a life sentence means just that.
Yet there he was on a recent evening, preaching the Gospel to 200 men in a spired church in the heart of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, talking salvation and joy to murderers and rapists and robbers who waved their arms to an inmate band’s Christian worship music.
“God is merciful,” intoned Mr. Walters, an assistant pastor at one of many churches scattered through this maximum-security prison, informally known as Angola. “God gives us so many benefits.”
Mr. Walters is a graduate of one of the most unusual prison programs in the country: a Southern Baptist Bible college inside this sprawling facility, offering bachelor’s degrees in a rigorous four-year course that includes study of Greek and Hebrew as well as techniques for “sidewalk ministry” that inmates can practice in their dorms and meal lines.
There are 241 graduates so far, nearly all lifers who live and work among their peers. Dozens of graduates have even moved as missionaries to counsel or preach in other prisons.
But Burl Cain, the warden since 1995, says the impact has gone well beyond spreading religion among the inmates. He calls the Bible college central to the transformation of Angola from one of the most fearsome prisons in the country to one of the more mellow, at least for those deemed to be cooperative. Watching men quietly saunter from open dormitories to church, many with Bible in hand and dressed in T-shirts of their choice, it can hardly seem like a maximum-security facility, although multiple daily lineups for inmate counts are a reminder.
Mr. Cain has used religion and peer counseling — backed by sharp discipline for defiant behavior — to promote what he calls a “moral rehabilitation” of individuals and a sense of community among men who might easily be consumed by rage or despair.
“The greatest enemy here is lack of hope,” Mr. Cain said in an interview.
Mr. Cain has lobbied the state for more forgiving parole policies, with limited success. “But if you believe in a higher being,” he said, “you’ll realize that when you do pass, you’ll be free.”
Nearly four-fifths of the 6,300 inmates now at Angola have sentences of life or so long they are effectively so. The prison has its own nursing home and hospice.
Angola was notoriously brutal and bloody into the 1970s. Court supervision and a parade of reforming wardens improved staff training and introduced vocational and G.E.D. programs, and the stabbing rate began to plummet.
In Mr. Cain’s view, the biggest change came in 1995 when, as he took over the prison and faced drastic cuts in school funds, he invited the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to open a seminary. To his surprise, he said, the eminent seminary agreed, covering the costs with outside donations.
“The Bible college was the game changer,” said Mr. Cain, 71, a portly man with granny glasses and a shock of white hair. “It changed the culture of the prison.”
Some other experts say the college is one of many factors, but the softening effect of religion on life here is evident.
Beyond the bachelor’s degrees, the college has granted hundreds more certificates or associate degrees, producing a cadre of men who lead churches, provide informal counseling in their dorms and take on what many describe as their hardest task — informing fellow inmates when a loved one on the outside has died.
The graduates include 15 Muslims, who took the same Bible-based courses but minister to the 250 Islamic inmates.
Some 2,500 inmates attend church regularly, according to Cathy Fontenot, assistant warden — mostly Protestant or Roman Catholic but also Muslim, Jewish and Mormon services. The prison population is 75 percent black, with a small number of Latinos.
The prison college has received growing outside attention. A similar collaboration with a Southern Baptist seminary has started in Texas, where inmates with sentences of at least 10 years are eligible. In-prison Bible colleges have also been started or are under discussion in California, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi and other states.
For his day job, Mr. Walters, a natural-born preacher, tutors seminary students in Greek and Hebrew for their biblical explication. He bunks among the short-timers who are now brought to Angola, improbably enough, for a re-entry program.
The American Civil Liberties Union has watched for signs that the seminary or the prison has crossed constitutional lines by using state money or coercion to promote religion. In the past, the group has sued Angola to force the removal of a biblical citation at the entrance and to give a Muslim graduate of the seminary access to materials from the Nation of Islam, the American Muslim group that is more entrenched in northern prisons.___________
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Still, the seminary appears to be legal because it is paid for privately, is voluntary and admits non-Christians, said Marjorie R. Esman, the executive director of the A.C.L.U. in Louisiana.
“I think that what Burl Cain calls moral rehabilitation is, in his mind, religious doctrine, but a lot of good has come of it,” Ms. Esman said. “I think it’s unfortunate that the only college available is a Christian one, but the fact that a college is there at all is important.”
Whether religion, per se, helps create peaceful prisons and reduce recidivism is a matter of scholarly dispute. Byron R. Johnson, a criminologist at Baylor University and the author of “More God, Less Crime,” argues that studies have shown the benefits of faith in rehabilitating criminals. He is now leading a study of the impact of the Baptist seminaries inside Angola and the Darrington prison in Texas.
But Winnifred F. Sullivan, a professor of religious studies and law at Indiana University, said, “There is no firm evidence that it is the faith component that makes these programs work.”
“Prisons like religion because it keeps people occupied,” she said, and “when anyone offers money for programming, it’s attractive.”
To gain acceptance to the seminary, men must have a high school degree or a G.E.D., which they can pursue in the prison. They also must have exemplary discipline records and must be recommended by a noninmate chaplain as devout and as a promising minister.
The data indicate a large drop in violence at Angola over the last two decades. In 1990, according to prison records, inmates assaulted staff members 280 times and one another 1,107 times. In 2012, there were 55 assaults on staff and 316 among inmates.
But life is much harder for some inmates than others. Some 1,600 live in more traditional cell blocks because they are considered dangerous, are being punished or need protection. Some of them are allowed outside, in individual cages, for only an hour a day. Some work in the farms for pennies per hour, guarded by a horse-mounted armed officer.
Four members of The U.S. Congress asked 2013 the Justice Department to investigate what they called the illegal use of solitary confinement by Angola and other state prisons, citing the cases of two prisoners, self-described Black Panthers who spent the last four decades in near isolation after being convicted of murdering a prison guard. One of the men, Herman Wallace, was released last week after his 1974 murder conviction was overturned, only to die in 2013 of cancer.
Mr. Walters, the seminary graduate and pastor, admitted that some inmates detested him for his religious devotion and implicit cooperation with the authorities. But he said, “If I can help other people while I’m marching to the grave here, then I’ll have lived a good life.”
Source: NYT
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This article is an example what price the taxpayers pay when politics is the first priority, not an intelligent handling of the situation through peaceful negotiations
- shame, shame, shame -
More related information in article 2 of 2 next below - worth also your time to study
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
The 16-day government shutdown 2013 is over, but the country has taken at least a $24 billion hit along the way
Date: October 2013
Click green for further info
Read also article 2 of 2 - it has interesting information related to this government shutdown situation
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This added red text below is taken as a comment from a public to an internet article
"Obamacare 101: Enroll by March 31 to avoid penalty"
Copied for another poster named: Guiness A comment from the public:
We're going to be gifted with a healthcare plan we are forced to purchase, and fined if we don't, which purportedly,
believed or reputed to be the case, covers at least 10 million more people, without adding a single new doctor, but provides for 16,000 new IRS agents, written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a congress that didn't read it but exempted themselves from it, and signed by a president who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, for which we will be taxed for four years before any benefits take effect, by a government which has already bankrupted social security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese and by a country that's broke. Obamacare 101: Enroll by March 31 to avoid penalty, White House clarifies....
'If you sign up for insurance by the end of March 2014, you will not face a penalty,' the White House said late Wednesday. Originally, the Obamacare law had been interpreted as giving people until Feb. 15, 2014, to have health coverage. Calls mount, including by Democrats, to give folks more time.
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The article "The 16-day government shutdown 2013 ..." continues here:
The financial ratings agency Standard & Poor’s said the shutdown “to date has taken $24 billion out of the economy,” equaling $1.5 billion dollars a day and “shaved at least 0.6 percent off annualized fourth-quarter 2013 GDP growth.”
These estimates are for the overall economy, taking into account not just federal wages and productivity, but all the ripple effects and costs as well.
Federal Employees Return to Work as Obama Signs Bill to End Shutdown, Avert Default
“The bottom line is the government shutdown has hurt the U.S. economy,” Standard & Poor’s said in a statement. “In September, we expected 3 percent annualized growth in the fourth quarter because we thought politicians would have learned from 2011 and taken steps to avoid things like a government shutdown and the possibility of a sovereign default. Since our forecast didn’t hold, we now have to lower our fourth-quarter growth estimate to closer to 2 percent.”
Moody’s Analytics reported a similar number Wednesday, saying by the end of the day the shutdown will cause a $23 billion hit to U.S. GDP or $1.4375 billion per day.
Anatomy of a Debt Deal: What Happens Next
And that’s not all. Here’s ABC’s look at the costs of the shutdown:
- $3.1 billion in lost government services. Although furloughed workers will get their back pay, taxpayers won’t see the products. (Source: I.H.S.)
- According to the U.S. Travel Association: There has been $152 million per day in all spending related to travel lost because of the shutdown. As many as 450,000 American workers supported by travel may be affected.
- According to the National Park Service: They welcome more than 700,000 people per day usually in October and visitors spend an estimated $32 million per day impact in communities near national parks and contribute $76 million each day to the national economy. Those revenues were lost.
- According to Destination D.C., the official tourism corporation of D.C.: There is a 9 percent decrease in hotel occupancy from the last week in September before the shutdown to the first week of October during the shutdown. This year, hotel occupancy was down 74.4 percent for the week Sept. 29 to Oct. 5 compared to the 2012 numbers. (Source: Smith Travel Research, Inc.) In 2012, an estimated $6.2 billion of visitor spending supported more than 75,300 jobs.
The hit to Washington, D.C. has been especially hard, according to Mayor Vince Gray’s office:
There was a 3 percent increase in restaurant beverage (primarily liquor) sales during the first week of October 2013 compared to the first week of September of this year.
Click green for further info
Source: ABC News (Article 2 of 2 next below - interesting info - worth of your time)
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
Given by a Harvard University professor, this article is a parable analysis
for the D.C. politicians' behavior - it gives a good solution for solving disagreement fights
From Summer Camp, a Parable for Washington
A parable = a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson
This article is worth of your time
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By N. GREGORY MANKIW, a professor of economics at Harvard. He was an adviser to President George W. Bush
FOR all Americans who want their government to work — and I presume that is most of us — the recent discord in Washington over the government shutdown and debt limit has been painful to watch. But for me, the high-stakes squabbling among Democrats and Republicans is also a reminder of a dissonance with which I have lived throughout my life.
First, a bit of autobiography. I grew up in a Republican family. My father was originally from Bayonne, N.J., and it was the corruption of the Democratic political machine there that made him a Republican. As a child, I heard stories about how his friends had bought government jobs by making the appropriate “donations” to city bosses. When he left Bayonne to raise his family in a more bucolic and less graft-prone Jersey suburb, he took with him a firm conviction about who the good guys were.
Years later, when I left home for college and began the study of economics, I read great works on both sides of the political divide. I devoured “The Affluent Society,” by John Kenneth Galbraith, and “Capitalism and Freedom,” by Milton Friedman. I appreciated both as compellingly written books by brilliant minds, but I had little doubt that Friedman’s case for limited government was the more persuasive.
To be sure, that judgment reflects some confirmation bias — the tendency of people to interpret evidence in a way that is consistent with their previous beliefs. No one can escape his or her own history. For better or worse, my father and Milton Friedman bear joint responsibility for why, when I have occasionally entered the political arena, it has been on the side of the Republicans.
Yet I have lived most of my adult life in Massachusetts, as a professor at Harvard, where Democrats far outnumber Republicans. Republicans are rare enough among my Harvard colleagues that I am often considered something of an oddity.
In 1993, for instance, when Bill Clinton was moving into the White House, I was approached by a Harvard dean. “Greg,” he said, “I asked one of your colleagues whether you might be among the faculty taking leave to join the new administration. He told me that you were a Republican. Is that possibly true?” I told him it was. The dean would have been less surprised if I had told him that I was born on Jupiter.
This personal history makes me a bit of an outsider wherever I am. Among most of my friends and colleagues here in Massachusetts, I am that oddball conservative. Among most of my family and political allies, I am that oddball from liberal Harvard. Yet hanging out with both Democrats and Republicans has some benefits. One is that I avoid the disdain that each group often feels for the other.
A classic result in social psychology, called the Robber’s Cave experiment, sheds light on the current dysfunctional political dynamic. It was conducted in 1954 by the psychologist Muzafer Sherif.
Mr. Sherif took a group of 22 boys, 12 years old, to a summer camp in Robber’s Cave State Park in Oklahoma. The boys did not know one another but came from similar backgrounds. They were all being raised in white, middle-class, Protestant, two-parent families. The boys were randomly split into two groups.
During the first week of camp, the groups were separated. The boys within each group participated in various activities together, like hiking and swimming. They bonded with one another, and each group developed its own norms of behavior. The two groups named themselves the Eagles and the Rattlers.
In the second week of camp, the Eagles and the Rattlers were brought together for competitive team activities like baseball and tug-of-war. Even though the boys had similar backgrounds, the competition was far from friendly. Taunting, name-calling and vandalizing the other team’s property were common. The teams were so aggressive that the researchers sometimes had to physically separate them. When the boys were later asked about the experience, they described their own team as virtuous and the opposing team in much more negative terms.
In short, group identity and competition led to irrational and self-righteous hostility. Doesn’t that sound like the political rhetoric we hear on the daily news?
Now imagine that Mr. Sherif had added a wrinkle to his experiment. Suppose that one of the boys had been required to switch teams every day. It seems likely that this boy would have developed friendships in both groups and, at the same time, would have been viewed by both with suspicion. He probably would have said: “Hey, guys, the other team really isn’t so bad. They’re a lot like us.” But his words would most likely have been ignored.
That is how I feel every day. While among Republicans, I want to say President Obama’s goal of universal health insurance has a noble motivation, and it is impossible to achieve without a significant expansion in the role of government. While among Democrats, I want to say President Obama has vastly oversold the Affordable Care Act. The law is unlikely to reduce the cost of health care as promised, will shrink the economy by increasing implicit marginal tax rates and will, by virtue of its scope and complexity, lead to numerous other unintended consequences.
Mr. Sherif did not try my hypothetical wrinkle to his experiment, but he did manage to return some harmony to the Eagles and the Rattlers. After the period of zero-sum competition was over, the boys faced a series of “superordinate” goals that transcended group concerns. For example, the boys had to deal with an interruption in their water supply, a problem that could be solved only if the two groups worked cooperatively. After several joint activities, the animosity lessened. When the camp was over, the boys agreed to return home on a single bus, and they happily socialized with members of the other group.
HOW to apply this lesson to national politics is far from clear. Perhaps it suggests that the best policies are those that transcend traditional partisan divides. Ronald Reagan’s 1986 tax reform and Bill Clinton’s 1996 welfare reform were major legislative achievements that garnered support from both sides of aisle. By contrast, the vote on President Obama’s 2010 health care reform was entirely one-sided, so it is no surprise that the law is still the source of much rancor.
Comity*) is hard to achieve. From a lifetime of experience, I know that most people don’t view Democrats and Republicans symmetrically. In their view, truth and virtue lie entirely with the group to which they happen to belong. If that describes you, just remember that the Eagles and the Rattlers once thought the same thing. *) comity = 1) courtesy and considerate behavior toward others, (2) an atmosphere of social harmony (3) See click: comity of nations.
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Source: NYT & N. Gregory Mankiw, a professor of economics at Harvard. He was an adviser to President George W. Bush.
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This Is Your Brain on Toxins
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This was the marketing line that the former National Lead Company used decades ago:
"Lead helps to guard your health.”
That was the marketing line that the former National Lead Company used decades ago to sell lead-based household paints. Yet we now know that lead was poisoning millions of children and permanently damaging their brains. Tens of thousands of children died, and countless millions were left mentally impaired.
One boy, Sam, born in Milwaukee in 1990, “thrived as a baby,” according to his medical record. But then, as a toddler, he began to chew on lead paint or suck on fingers with lead dust, and his blood showed soaring lead levels.
Sam’s family moved homes, but it was no use. At age 3, he was hospitalized for five days because of lead poisoning, and in kindergarten his teachers noticed that he had speech problems. He struggled through school, and doctors concluded that he had “permanent and irreversible” deficiencies in brain function.
Sam’s story appears in “Lead Wars,” a book by Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner that chronicles the monstrous irresponsibility of companies in the lead industry over the course of the 20th century. Eventually, over industry protests, came regulation and the removal of lead from gasoline. As a result, lead levels of American children have declined 90 percent in the last few decades, and scholars have estimated that, as a result, children’s I.Q.’s on average have risen at least two points and perhaps more than four.
So what are the lessons from the human catastrophe of lead poisoning over so many decades? To me, today’s version of the lead industry is the chemical industry — companies like Exxon Mobil, DuPont, BASF and Dow Chemical — over the years churning out endocrine-disruptor chemicals that mimic the body’s hormones. Endocrine disruptors are found in everything from plastics to pesticides, toys to cosmetics, and there are growing concerns about their safety.
The Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the European Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and the President’s Cancer Panel have all warned about endocrine disruptors — also referred to as E.D.C.’s, for endocrine disrupting chemicals. The World Health Organization and United Nations this year concluded: “Exposure to E.D.C.’s during fetal development and puberty plays a role in the increased incidences of reproductive diseases, endocrine-related cancers, behavioral and learning problems, including A.D.H.D., infections, asthma, and perhaps obesity and diabetes in humans.”
Alarm about endocrine disruptors once was a fringe scientific concern but increasingly has moved mainstream. There is still uncertainty and debate about the risk posed by individual chemicals, but there is growing concern about the risk of endocrine disruptors in general — particularly to fetuses and children. There is less concern about adults.
Scientists are also debating whether the old toxicological models are appropriate for chemicals that mimic hormones and thus may trigger bodily changes, especially in fetuses and children.
These are the kinds of threats that we in journalism are not very good at covering. We did a wretched job covering risks from lead and tobacco in the early years; instead of watchdogs, we were lap dogs.
One common thread is industry’s greed, duplicity and powerful lobbying in Washington and around the country. The chemical industry spent $55 million lobbying in 2012, twice the figure a decade earlier, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
The Chicago Tribune 2012 documented how the chemical industry created a fake movement for flame retardants in furniture, supposedly to prevent fires; in fact, flame retardants don’t reduce fires but do contain endocrine disruptors that may be harmful to our children.
Summer 2013 -18- scientists wrote a scathing letter railing against European Union regulations of endocrine disruptors. That underscored the genuine scientific uncertainty about risks — until Environmental Health News showed that 17 of the 18 have conflicts of interest, such as receiving money from the chemical industry. Meanwhile, more than 140 other scientists followed up with their own open letters denouncing the original 18 and warning that endocrine disruptors do indeed constitute a risk.
Andrea C. Gore, the editor of Endocrinology, published an editorial asserting that corporate interests are abusing science today with endocrine disruptors the way they once did with lead: for the “production of uncertainty.”
She added that the evidence is “undeniable: that endocrine-disrupting chemicals pose a threat to human health.”
When scientists feud, it’s hard for the rest of us to know what to do. But I’m struck that many experts in endocrinology, toxicology or pediatrics aren’t waiting for regulatory changes. They don’t heat food in plastic containers, they reduce their use of plastic water bottles, and they try to give their kids organic food to reduce exposure to pesticides.
So a question for big chemical companies: Are you really going to follow the model of tobacco and lead and fight regulation every step of the way, once more risking our children’s futures?
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Source: NYT
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"Facts" About Drinking that Just Are Not True
This article is NOT meant to encourage you to start drinking more, NO. Daily limits are: one drink for ladies and max two for men. Once a week perhaps a few more - anything else WILL FOR SURE BE A HEALTH HAZARD. Wine & beer are preferred when it comes to health. Hard liquor is acceptable but in wine and beer there is more to drink = you enjoy the drink longer, you drink slower, and you get more satisfaction. Do NOT get drunk - it is, for sure, a health hazard when it is repeated often. With any amount of alcohol drink additional amount of water to avoid dehydration. Start with drinking 16 oz. pure, plain water (no soda).
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There's something great about tossing back a few (or several) brews with friends - but then you may be left to deal with the most miserable hangover you have ever experienced in your life the following morning. So you do your best to prevent that by avoiding the typical things: no beer before liquor, drinking a cup of coffee so you can sober up efficiently before bed, and staying away from the Red Bull and vodkas that you used to love so much. But sadly, none of these things are actually going to help you out.
Alcohol is alcohol no matter how you consume it. While some drinks may be more alcoholic than others, it has nothing to do with their color, even though many believe darker beers are automatically higher in alcohol than their light counterparts. And as for those alcoholic energy drinks you're steering away from, that's probably a good idea, but it's not necessarily going to keep you from getting less intoxicated. People like to believe they can curb the side effects of a hangover by vomiting up the rest of the alcohol in their systems before hitting the hay or consuming lighter colored alcohol rather than dark whiskeys and cognacs, but in reality, if you overindulge at all, you're going to be hungover. Unless you have some super-secret trick up your sleeve we're unaware of. In that case, leave them in the comments section so we can create a whole new story for you!
RELATED: 7 Benefits of Red Wine
The reality of any alcohol-related situation is that drinking can impair your judgment, and can often lead to some pretty gruesome Instagrams and drunk tweets. The best way to avoid a hangover, and embarrassing hazy memories, is to not overindulge at all. Don't get us wrong - we encourage you to enjoy all that alcohol has to offer, but we think it's best to enjoy it in moderation so you don't have to worry about the hangover at all! But in case you had one too many last night, take an aspirin, a Tums, and load up on the fatty foods - these are things that actually will help you, and not just myths.
But we promised to debunk the myths, and that we did! We rounded up ridiculous alcohol myths and set the record straight. If you have more alcohol-related myths, add them to the comments section and we'll do our best to get to the bottom of your boozy questions!
'Beer Before Liquor, Never Been Sicker'
This myth explores whether or not the order in which you drink different alcohols will make you sick. We left it to Myth Busters rather than doing our own hands-on research and they reported that, "If you knock back the same alcohol content by chugging brewskies as you would switching between beer and liquor, you'll be at risk for the same aftereffects: dehydration, memory loss, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound - in other words, a hangover." Regardless of whether you drink your beer before your liquor or your liquor before your beer, you'll still end up with your head in the toilet if you drank too much.
Vomiting Helps to Sober You Up
This is another myth that does have some gray lines. Health Guidance reported that vomiting does expel the alcohol that is in your stomach and will stop it from further entering your blood stream, but the part of the vomiting myth that isn't true is that it will sober you up. The alcohol that is already in your blood stream needs to metabolize, which means that you might not continue to get drunker but you will in fact remain drunk until your body has completely processed all the alcohol in your bloodstream.
RELATED: From Paris to Cognac in 10 Sips
Drinking Lighter-Colored Alcoholic Drinks Will Prevent a Hangover
Drinking lighter-colored drinks like vodka and gin won't necessarily prevent a hangover the next morning, but it may help. The Mayo Clinic reported that congeners, products of alcohol fermentationand one cause of a hangover, are more prevalent in dark liquors such as brandy, whiskey, darker beer, and red wine than they are in clear liquors such as vodka, gin, and lighter beers. The same article reported that drinking too much of anything is going to make you hungover, though - so whether you're drinking light or dark alcohol it probably won't matter if you've had too much to drink anyway.
Alcohol Kills Brain Cells
This myth is unnerving for college students who binge drink regularly. But thankfully, those who overindulged in college can now rest easy - it didn't harm your brain cells. The New York Times reported that former researcher at the State University of New York at Buffalo Dr. Roberta J. Pentney found that "alcohol disrupts brain function in adults by damaging message-carrying dendrites on neurons in the cerebellum, a structure involved in learning and motor coordination. This reduces communication between neurons, alters their structure, and causes some of the impairment associated with intoxication. It does not kill off entire cells, however." So there's nothing to worry about when it comes to your brain cells and alcohol, but that shouldn't give you the go-ahead to binge drink.
Dark Beer is Higher in Alcohol Content
This myth made us laugh a little bit when we came across it. Not all beer is created equal - you are truly in the hands of the brewmaster when it comes to the alcohol content of the beer you are drinking. You may very well have picked a lighter ale with a higher alcohol content than the dark lager your friend is drinking. Some lighter colored beers have a high alcohol content that can easily stand up to a big, bold, dark colored beer. So don't feel less badass because you ordered something lighter in color than the beer veteran standing next to you.
Click Here to see More Alcohol Myths Debunked
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Numbers that Could Save Your Life
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A little bit of math could make a big difference in your health. Here, the stats you need to know.
Exercise minutes: 150
The World Health Organization recommends that adults complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Whether you split those minutes into short, 10-minute bursts or longer sweat sessions, hitting that target will lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and colon and breast cancers.
Related: 12 Ways To Naturally Lower Your Blood Pressure
Blood sugar: A1C less than 5.7%
The percent of sugar in your bloodstream indicates if you're heading towards diabetes - which increases your risk of heart disease, says Tracy Stevens, MD, a New York cardiologist and spokesperson for the American Heart Association. Your doctor will likely check this at an annual physical. Normal blood sugar results are an A1C (a test that measures your average blood sugar for the past few months)*) of less than 5.7 percent and fasting blood glucose (which measures your blood sugar after not eating for at least 8 hours) of less than 100.*) The A1C test is a common blood test used to diagnose type 1 and type 2 diabetes and then to gauge how well you're managing your diabetes. The A1C test goes by many other names, including glycated hemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglobin, hemoglobin A1C and HbA1c. click: A1C test - MayoClinic.com
Think you're not at risk? The American Diabetes Association*) reports that 79 million people are pre-diabetic. But, here's the good news: Losing 7 percent of your body weight and exercising for 150 minutes a week can lower a pre-diabetic's risk of developing type 2 diabetes by a whopping 58 percent. *) American Diabetes Association
Related: Excuses That Are Preventing You From Losing Weight
Blood pressure: 130/80 mm Hg or less
Your blood pressure is a measure of how hard blood is pushing against the walls of your arteries as it circulates through your body. Ideally, your blood pressure should be less than 130/80 mm Hg; a too-high number can lead to weakened and damaged blood vessels, putting stress on your heart and increasing your risk of heart failure. "Everyone should have a blood pressure cuff in their home," says Stevens. "It's affordable and gives you so much information." Keep your blood pressure under control with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.
Target Heart Rate: 85 to 145 beats per minute
This is the pulse rate that signals whether you're exercising hard enough to promote heart fitness. A healthy range for a 40-year-old woman is 85 to 145 beats per minute. Historically, Target Heart Range (THR) has been based on a unisex formula, but now researchers believe that number may be too high for women. THR decreases with age - we've done the math to help you find your female-friendly target.
Cholesterol: below 100 mg/dL for LDL, above 50 mg/dL for HDL
The AHA - American Heart Association's American Heart Association recommended ranges for women's cholesterol levels are below 100 mg/dL for LDL (the "bad" cholesterol), above 50 mg/dL for HDL (the "good" cholesterol), and below 100 mg/dL for triglycerides. Too-high LDL can lead to plaque buildup in arteries, says Stevens, which can contribute to heart attack or stroke. Improve your LDL through exercise and diet, specifically lowering your intake of saturated fats, which are found in fatty cuts of meat and full-fat dairy products. And avoid trans fats, which lurk in margarine and in many ready-made baked goods.
Related: All-Natural Ways To Boost Your Energy And Feel Great
Weight: BMI up to 25
One way to find out if you're at a healthy weight is to calculate your BMI. A body mass index over 25 can raise your blood pressure and risk of diabetes. But losing just 10 pounds can help lower your risk of heart disease. Pay attention to your waist size, too. You can have a normal BMI and still carry excess fat in your midsection, which may put your heart at risk. The AHA recommends that women aim for a waistline smaller than 35 inches.
Daily Steps: 10,000
If formal exercise routine intimidates you, try increasing your daily activity. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park your car at the back of the lot, or get off the train one stop earlier and walk the extra blocks. An easy way to track movement is to wear a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps each day.
Source:(1) Good Housekeeping & (2) STAF, Inc.'s Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program
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Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally
If your blood pressure (= BP) is creeping up or has reached "uh-oh" levels, try these drug-free ways to bring it down. Have a healthy lifestyle - eat healthy FOOD (no fast food, it is no food - no sugar, no soda) - eat fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains (no factory made cereal - that is no food). All information what to eat and what not to eat is in this STAF, Inc.'s website. Material in this website is also developed for College and University teaching in related science areas in all degree levels: Associate, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. - thus you know: you have the most recent scientifically correct information. Apply all information you study in this website - your health and life will start healing and will improve in quality.
Basic, briefest advice to keep your BP low is in these 4 quotes:
Quote: "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. CEO)
Quote: "If it came from a plant eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't" (Michael Pollanmichaelpollan.com)
Quote: "Eat food, not too much, mostly fruit and vegetables" (MichaelPollanmichaelpollan.com)
Quote: "To stay healthy and have long life, you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. CEO)
1.
Raise your pulse Walk daily 10 000 - 25 000 steps - use a pedometer. A day with a walk, jog, or other aerobic challenge is a day with lower BP. That goes for everybody, but is most important for those with rising numbers. Aim for 30 minutes or more of pulse- and respiration-raising exercise most days.
2.
Carry a load Strength training using free weights, machines, or resistance bands can lower BP a few points. Try twice a week, at a level where you can manage 3 sets of 10 reps.
3.
Tighten your grip Squeezing a handgrip or ball (four 2-minute holds, a minute's rest in between) 3 times a week has been shown to lower BP 13 systolic (upper number) and 8 diastolic points. (If pressure is high, ask an M.D. first.)
4.
Unroll your mat Strike some yoga poses two or three times a week, and you may strike a few points from your BP. In a new University of Pennsylvania study, the average systolic BP moved from 133 to 130. That's still considered prehypertension*), so combine yoga with other strategies.*) Prehypertension - MayoClinic.com
5.
Push potassium The mineral relaxes blood vessels, lowering BP and countering the constricting action of sodium. Ideal is 4,700 mg/day, bu t just 750 to 1,000 mg above your usual intake can lower BP 2 to 3 points. That's 2 bananas or 1 potato or 1 cup of cooked spinach.
6.
Get cultured In the Framingham Heart Study, those who ate more than 2% of their calories in the form of yogurt (more than, say, 6 ounces every 3 days) were 31% less likely to develop high BP than those who ate less or none. Other dairy may also help. click: Framingham Heart Study
7.
A daily medium size beet prepared in a blender In one study, a daily beet lowered systolic BP 10 points in people with mild hypertension. Not your cup of juice? Load up on leafy greens and other root vegetables.
8.
Fill your fridge with Dash Diet = same as the nutrition information in this STAF, Inc. website Cardiologists recommend the DASH diet as key to all-natural approaches to better BP. The basics: loads of fruit, veggies, and whole grains, along with protein, nonfat or low-fat dairy, and cutbacks in fats, salt, and sugar.
Broader info DASH Diet Eating Plandashdiet.org/
9.
Learn & practice meditation daily You may feel relaxed watching your favorite sitcom, but BP levels actually rise with the number of hours spent in front of the TV. Try meditation instead; it lowers BP more than muscle-relaxation techniques. (In this STAF, Inc.'s tab you'll find meditation guidance.) Meditation: Take a stress-reduction break wherever you are ...www.mayoclinic.com › ... › Stress management › In-Depth - Meditation — Learn quick and easy ways to meditate, no matter where you are
10.
Scale back Losing weight lifts spirits and can make the difference between controlling BP on your own and needing drugs. In fact, losing just 9 pounds can lower systolic pressure 4.5 points, a review found.
11.
Soak in a bath Add 2 cups of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) to the tub, and your blood vessels will relax, too, as you absorb the mineral through your skin. Epsom Salt Councilwww.epsomsaltcouncil.org/
12.
Wait to inhale Breathing slowly can lower BP. Need a coach? Resperate*) trains you to breathe 5 to 10 times a minute. When used for 15 minutes daily, the device lowers BP about 4 points more than other relaxing input (like soothing music), research shows. *) Resperate: Can it help reduce blood pressure? - MayoClinic.comwww.mayoclinic.com › ... › Expert Answers Resperate is a device that teaches slow, deep breathing — which can reduce blood pressure.
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Source: (1)Good Housekeeping (2) STAF, Inc. Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program
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For every person important information from American Heart Association
American Heart Association Science Advisory
PART A
Healthcare providers should aggressively treat unhealthy lifestyles
See at the end of this article the internet article by Save The American Family, Inc., not-for-profit, the new
leading organization fighting nationwide & worldwide all unhealthy lifestyle matters.
STAF, Inc. developed a totally new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program meant for the U.S. government use in fighting overweight, obesity & other health & life destroying habits in the U.S. The same program fits worldwide for every country's use to conquer the unhealthy lifestyle habits.
To inspect STAF, Inc.'s first 3 pages in its original founding acceptance documents provided by the State of New York:
click the colored click: click - STAF, Inc.'s purpose and its mission statements are in those 3 pages
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It is important to notice that the new STAF, Inc.'s program has the lowest level of costs for food expenses, only about $95 for and adult person per month.
See the details in the article 2 of 2 below this article 1 of 2
Article 1 of 2
American Heart Association Science Advisory
Healthcare providers should aggressively treat unhealthy lifestyles
Statement Highlights:
“We’re talking about a paradigm shift *) from only treating biomarkers**) — physical indicators of a person’s risk for heart disease — to helping people change unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, unhealthy body weight, poor diet quality and lack of physical activity,” said Bonnie Spring, Ph.D., lead author of the statement and a professor of preventive medicine and psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University in Chicago.
*) paradigm shift = a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions
**) biomarker = a measurable substance in an organism whose presence is indicative of some phenomenon such as disease, infection, or environmental exposure
e.g.: "a biomarker that may predict aggressive disease recurrence in liver transplant recipients"
“We already treat physical risk factors that can be measured through a blood sample or a blood pressure reading in a doctor’s office, yet people put their health at risk through their behaviors. We can’t measure the results of these behaviors in their bodies yet.”
Among the statement’s recommendations, healthcare providers should create “inter-professional practices” to connect patients with behavior change specialists such as dietitians or psychologists and implement the five A’s when caring for patients:
Under an effective healthcare system, professionals can work with patients and draw on community and technology resources to provide intensive behavior interventions.
“This isn’t a problem that can be solved alone by the patient or the doctor who is strapped for time,” Spring said. “We need to break out of our silos and get ahead of the curve in prevention.”
She said to achieve the American Heart Association’s 2020 impact goals --to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent -- we must make preventing cardiovascular diseases a priority.
Judith K. Ockene, Ph.D., co-chaired the writing group with Spring. Other co-authors are Samuel S. Gidding, M.D.; Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.PH.; Shirley Moore, R.N., Ph.D.; Milagros C. Rosal, Ph.D.; Michael D. Brown, Ph.D.; Dorothea Vafiadis, M.S.; Debbie L. Cohen, M.D.; Lora E. Burke, Ph.D., M.P.H.; and Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M. Author disclosures and sources of funding are on the manuscript.
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The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association receives funding mostly from individuals. Foundations and corporations donate as well, and fund specific programs and events. Strict policies are enforced to prevent these relationships from influencing the association’s science content. Financial information for the American Heart Association, including a list of contributions from pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers, is available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding
For Media Inquiries: (214) 706-1173
Darcy Spitz : (212)878-5940 ; [email protected]
Julie Del Barto (broadcast): (214) 706-1330; [email protected]
For Public Inquiries: (800) AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and strokeassociation.org
American Heart Association – Building healthier lives, free of ...www.heart.org/
Learn more about the American Heart Association's efforts to reduce death caused by heart disease and stroke. Also learn about cardiovascular conditions, ECC ...
CPR CPR & First Aid. We help save lives. And teach you how. Find a ...
Getting Healthy Nutrition Center - Physical Activity - Weight Management - ...
The New York City Home Page Home page for the NYC office.
Find a Course As the world leader in CPR, first aid and emergency ...
Nutrition Center Healthy Diet Goals - Recipes - Healthy Cooking - Dining Out
Giving When you donate to the American Heart Association, you are ...
More results from heart.org »
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Source: heart.org and strokeassociation.org - American Heart Association
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Article 2 of 2
Below as article 2 of 2
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.'s article placed daily in the internet for nationwide/worldwide view for the new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program, originally developed by STAF,Inc. for the U.S. government use in the new healthcare legislation as the first, real solution to the overweight, obesity & rampant sickness level nationwide in the U.S. and worldwide. The same program is fit for every nation's use worldwide.
The correct nutrition expenses are the lowest in this new program, lower than in any other program, only $95/month, yet it provides all daily nutrients in correct amounts.
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Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - fits every nation worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee - see website.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
Our website page tops have a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future.
Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., P.O.Box 1555, New York, NY 10163-1555, USA. In the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt.
100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
_______________________
See below PART B
PART B
Sections - Click each topic for details of the title
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Woman Turning into 'Human Statue' Gets Bionic*) Arm
*) bionic = having artificial body parts, esp. electromechanical ones
*) Bionics (also known as bionical creativity engineering) is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology
Click green for further info
At age 3, Ashley Kurpiel was diagnosed with cancerous tumors in her right arm. Only after doctors surgically removed the young girl's arm and shoulder did they discover that she didn't have cancer.
Instead, Kurpiel, 31, has an extremely rare genetic condition known as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, or FOP. The disease is sometimes called "stone man syndrome," because the muscles, tendons and ligaments of people with the disease are gradually turned to bone. "I describe it today like saying 'I'm turning into a human statue,'" Kurpiel told CBS Denver.
Doctors at the Denver Clinic for Extremities at Risk have now given Kurpiel a hand — literally. She was outfitted with a prosthetic arm that attaches to her torso. Sensors on her myoelectric arm prosthesis can detect minute electrical charges created when Kurpiel twitches a muscle. Small motors in the battery-powered arm respond to those twitches, allowing her to move her new prosthetic arm and hand.
The 9 Most Bizarre Medical Conditions
Kurpiel is one of about 800 confirmed cases of FOP worldwide, according to the International Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Association (IFOPA) click: International FOP Association - Wikipedia
The disease strikes men and women equally, and it usually appears in childhood. One of the first signs of FOP is a deformation of the big toe; flare-ups of the disease can occur spontaneously or can follow common events like a fall while playing, an immunization shot or a viral illness like a cold or flu.
There's no known cure for FOP, but in 2006, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania isolated the gene responsible for the disease. Known as the ACVR1 gene, it directs the growth and development of bones and muscles, according to the National Institutes of Health. It's believed that a mutation leaves this gene stuck in the "on" position, resulting in an overgrowth of bone and the fusion of joints over time.
People with FOP gradually lose control of most of their limbs. "Eventually, I will be immobile from head to toe," Kurpiel told CBS. Nonetheless, she remains active and has learned how to surf using a modified board; she plans on taking a cruise in December.
"I've been blessed to meet so many truly amazing people, especially the Dalai Lama — that was a real honor," Kurpiel told the Daily Mail, referring to the religious leader, whom she met in 2007. She's also quickly adjusting to life with her new prosthetic arm, which enables her to hold a drink, handle a cellphone and eat.
Click green for further info
Source: International FOP Association - WikipediaInternational Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Association (IFOPA)
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
Planning to Blow Off That Flu Shot? Think Again
Click green for further info
If you don't know where to get vaccinated, the American Lung Foundation provides a convenient (click: flu-shot finder on its website. Just plug in your zip code and it will list the nearest locations.
Just thinking about getting a flu shot makes my arm sore. Receiving an influenza vaccination isn't pleasant, and its not 100 percent effective, but the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and infectious-disease experts recommend that everyone over 6 months old get one, with only a few exceptions. And now is the time. "This is absolutely the best time to get your vaccination," Andrew Pekosz, PhD, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine tells. It takes about two weeks for the body to develop maximum immunity, and he warns, "We've already seen cases positively diagnosed."
Related: Flu Vaccine Not Tied to Pregnancy Complications
This year, there are many vaccine options, some of which are available for the first time. The variety can be confusing, and the CDC isn't recommending one particular vaccine, but that's not a reason to avoid getting vaccinated. "Go to your health care provider," William Schaffner, MD, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, says, "and get what they are offering. If you put it off, you may not get vaccinated at all." Schaffner points out that even if you are young and healthy and have never experienced a serious bout of flu, you aren't only protecting yourself; you are protecting others, who may be more vulnerable and at greater risk of severe illness.
The Breast Cancer Shot? Cleveland Doctor Develops a Vaccine
Pekosz agrees. "The flu vaccine is many, many times safer than getting the flu. Why would you submit yourself and others to the disease if you don't have to?" As for ducking*) the shot because you believe you have a strong immune system, that's not a good reason either, he says. "Most people aren't as healthy as they think."
*) =to stay away from someone or something: to avoid someone or something
If you go to your doctor or a clinic and do have a choice of vaccines, here are the current options:
Standard-dose shot. Trivalent shots protect against three strains of flu. This one is the most common vaccine and is appropriate for most populations. It's manufactured in eggs, so if you are allergic to eggs, you should avoid it.
Standard-dose trivalent shot*) grown in cell culture. This one is approved for people over 18, and Schaffner says it's OK for those who have mild allergies to eggs, even though it contains a minute amount of egg protein.
*) trivalent influenza vaccine = A synthetic vaccine consisting of three inactivated influenza viruses, two different influenza type A strains and one influenza type B strain. Trivalent influenza vaccine is formulated annually, based on influenza strains projected to be prevalent in the upcoming flu season. This agent may be formulated for injection or intranasal (= Within the nose) administration. Check for active clinical trials or closed clinical trials using this agent. (NCI Thesaurus) - This gives protection against 3 types of influenza
Standard-dose egg-free trivalent shot. This shot is the best choice if you are between 18 and 49 and allergic to eggs. And, says Pekosz, if you have been avoiding getting vaccinated because of allergies, this is a good one to seek out.
Standard-dose intradermal*) trivalent shot. If you are looking for a less painful shot (um, who isn't?), this vaccine is administered under the skin, not into the muscle, with a smaller needle. It's approved for people 18 to 64 years old.
*) intradermal = areas between the layers of the skin
High-dose trivalent shot. This option is recommended for people 65 years and up. Older people with less robust immune systems don't develop antibodies as easily. "A preliminary review indicates that it provides 25 percent better protection," says Schaffner, "and it's covered by Medicare." However, if you are a senior and can't locate a high-dose shot, Schaffner says a lower-dose vaccine will still offer some degree of protection and can lessen symptoms if you do get the flu.
Standard-dose quadrivalent*) shot This shot is also new this year and protects against four types of flu – two A strains and two B strains (the trivalent protects against only one B strain). "This is the best option for virtually everybody in the population," says Pelosz. He explains that we tend to be more concerned about influenza A, but influenza B can cause severe illness in children, especially those who are exposed to the flu virus for the first time.
Standard-dose quadrivalent nasal spray. This year, the nasal vaccine is available only in quadrivalent form. This is an excellent choice for children because it offers broad protection and doesn't involve a needle. However, it's not approved for children who have experienced respiratory problems in the past because it can trigger wheezing.
The CDC Centers for Disease Control stresses that it is particularly important for certain populations to be vaccinated. These include people with medical conditions such as asthma and diabetes, pregnant women, children under 5, health care professionals, and household caregivers. Although children under 6 months old can't get a flu vaccine via either shot or spray, because the vaccines haven't been properly studied for use in babies, they will receive some protection if their mothers were vaccinated when they were pregnant. More detailed information on who should be vaccinated is available on the CDC website.
And yes, there some people who should avoid being vaccinated—in particular, those who have been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which is a rare paralytic illness. People who are suffering from severe coldlike symptoms accompanied by fever should delay getting inoculated until they are feeling better, since another virus can suppress the immune response to the vaccine. However, "sniffles aren't a contraindication," says Schaffner.
If you don't know where to get vaccinated, the American Lung Foundation provides a convenient (click; flu-shot finder on its website. Just plug in your zip code and it will list the nearest locations. No more excuses!
5 Simple Ways to Stay Cold and Flu Free
Is Jenny McCarthy Wrong About Vaccines and Autism? A New Study Says Yes.
10 Healthiest Foods on the Planet
Click green for further info
Source: HealthArchives (Article 2 of 2 next below)
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
Flu shots may help guard against heart problems
Click green for further info
Source: The Journal of the American Medical Association, online October 22, 2013
JAMA Network | JAMA | Homejama.jamanetwork.com/
American Medical Associationama-assn.org/
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Getting a seasonal flu shot may do more than just prevent influenza. It may also lower a person's risk of heart problems, suggests a new study.
Researchers who took a fresh look at previously collected data found people who got flu shots were less likely to have heart problems during the next year than those who were given a fake shot, or placebo. That was especially true for people with recent heart troubles.
"If there are those out there who for whatever reason don't get the flu shot or don't feel that they need it … this is one more reason why they might help," Dr. Jacob Udell said.
Udell is the study's lead author from the University of Toronto's Women's College Hospital and Peter Munk Cardiac Center at Toronto General Hospital.
Previous reports have shown people who come down with the flu have an increased risk over the near term of having a stroke, heart failure and heart disease, he told Reuters Health.
It's thought the infection triggers inflammation throughout the body and can aggravate existing heart problems.
For the new study, the researchers searched several databases for trials that compared people who received the flu shot to others who did not.
They found five published studies and one unpublished study that included 6,735 participants. Participants were in their late 60s, on average. A little more than a third had a history of heart problems.
Overall, 3 percent of those who received a flu shot went on to have a heart problem including a heart attack or stroke within a year. That compared to about 5 percent of those in the placebo groups.
Among those with recent heart disease, the difference was more dramatic.
The researchers found about 10 percent of participants with a recent heart problem went on to have another after they received the flu shot. That compared to about 23 percent in the placebo groups.
"Clearly if you had a recent heart attack our research is showing … they're going to derive the most protection," Udell said.
"I think it adds a stronger bit of evidence to the recommendations that are currently being made," Dr. David Frid said.
Frid, a preventative cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, was not involved with the new study.
"From the clinical perspective, it gives us more supporting data to say to our patients, ‘Here's a recent study confirming what we've been telling you that if you have heart disease you should be getting the flu vaccine,'" he told Reuters Health.
Dr. Kathleen Neuzil from the global health nonprofit organization PATH in Seattle wrote an editorial accompanying the new study in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
She cautions that the findings can't say the flu shot prevents heart problems. However, Neuzil writes that the known complications of flu among older people warrant the vaccine's use.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/JOTmp1 The Journal of the American Medical Association, online October 22, 2013.
American Medical Associationama-assn.org/
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Important info for you and for everyone
A group of international scientists has located a possible (click) Fountain of Youth
and it's in our kitchens, not in a fast-food (= bad-food) place and not on a department stores' processed food shelves
Eat These and You May Live Longer, New Study Finds The 12-year study, which involved more than 800 participants,
is the first to use a specific biomarker*) (in this case, urine analysis) to measure polyphenol**) levels, instead of relying on questionnaires.
*) biomarker = a measurable substance in an organism whose presence is indicative of some phenomenon such as disease, infection, or environmental exposure. E.g."a biomarker that may predict aggressive disease recurrence in liver transplant recipients"
**)polyphenols = a polyhydroxy phenol; especially : an antioxidant phytochemical (as chlorogenic acid) that tends to prevent or neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals
A group of international scientists has located a possible fountain of youth, and it's in our kitchens, not in a fast-f0od (= bad-food) place and not on a department stores' processed food shelves.
Quotation: "Eat food, not too much, mostly fruit & vegetables " (Michael Pollan)
Quotation: "If it came from a plant,eat it, if it was made in a plant, do not (it kills)
(Michael Pollan)
Quotation: "To stay healthy and have a longer life, you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.'s President; you are on STAF, Inc's website)
A new study in the (click: Journal of Nutrition reports that older adults who consume higher amounts of polyphenols*) have a 30 percent chance of living longer. Polyphenols are micronutrients found mainly in fruits,vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains, coffee, and tea. Evidence suggests polyphenols have a role in preventing cancer,cardiovascular disease, inflammation, osteoporosis, and other degenerative diseases.polyphenols = a polyhydroxy phenol; especially : an antioxidant phytochemical (as chlorogenic acid) that tends to prevent or neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals
Related: Great-Tasting Antioxidant Treats
The 12-year study, which involved more than 800 participants, is the first to use a specific biomarker (in this case, urine analysis) to measure polyphenol levels, instead of relying on questionnaires. "The results corroborate scientific evidence suggesting that people consuming diets rich in fruit and vegetables are at lower risk of several chronic diseases and overall mortality," lead author Raúl Zamora Ros, PhD, of the University of Barcelona, said in a statement. "This methodology makes a more reliable and accurate evaluation of the association between food intake and mortality or disease risk," added colleague Cristina Andrés Lacueva, PhD.
Click Longest-Living Bat Holds Clues to Longevity
A polyphenol-rich diet includes at least 650 milligrams a day. Below is a list of 20 commonly available foods that are among the
click 100 richest dietary sources of polyphenols (polyphenol content listed as mg/100 g serving):
Don't stick to just the top-listed foods, though. "Any plant-based foods are good in their whole form," Angela Lemond, RDN and spokesperson for the (click) Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells. In general, polyphenol-rich foods are bright-or dark-colored and have a strong or astringent flavor. She recommends adding fruits and vegetables to breakfast and lunch, since most people focus on their dinner menus. Another trick is to slip vegetables into sandwiches and pack a colorful salad for lunch. She also says, "Branch out from your favorites and experiment with seasonal produce." The orange and red foods that are now hitting markets and farm stands are great sources of polyphenols. For kids, Lemond suggests cutting fruits and vegetables into snack sizes and storing them at eye level in the refrigerator.
Polyphenols are found in thousands of combinations in hundreds of different foods, and for maximum benefit, its helpful to eat a variety over the course of the day to keep blood levels high. Consume produce when it's fresh, because the beneficial compounds deteriorate with age. "There is also some destruction with heat," says Lemond. Cooking, especially deep-frying and boiling, can destroy them, but steaming retains the highest degree. Because some nutrients are released by cooking, she generally recommends eating a mixture of raw and cooked food. Processing foods can destroy the healthy compounds, so choose whole grains that are minimally processed. Also, leave skins on fruits and vegetables for maximum benefit.
Spices and herbs such as cloves, rosemary, oregano, and many others are superrich in polyphenols, so season your meals liberally. Beverages contain polyphenols too, especially coffee, green and black tea, red wine, and beer. Dark juices and citrus juices are good choices, but to keep calories in check, avoid high levels of added sugar.
To learn more, (click) Phenol-Explorer is an open-access database that lists values for over 500 different polyphenols found in more than 400 foods. It also includes information on the effects of processing and cooking on nutrient retention.
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These 10 "super"foods are proven, expert-beloved disease fighters and energy boosters
Add these to your meals and get on the fast track to a healthy body
Extra bonus information
Related: 6 Fat-Fighting Superfoods
Lemons
Why They're Healthy:
-- Just one lemon has more than 100 percent of your daily intake of vitamin C, which may help increase "good" HDL cholesterollevels and strengthen bones.
-- Citrus flavonoids found in lemons may help inhibit the growth ofcancer cells and act as an anti-inflammatory.
Quick Tip:
Add a slice of lemon to your green tea. One study found that citrus increases your body's ability to absorb the antioxidants in the tea by about 80 percent.
Broccoli
Why It's Healthy:
-- One medium stalk of broccoli contains more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin K requirement and almost 200 percent of your recommended daily dose of vitamin C -- two essential bone-building nutrients.
-- The same serving also helps stave off numerous cancers.
Quick Tip:
Zap it! Preserve up to 90 percent of broccoli's vitamin C by microwaving. (Steaming or boiling holds on to just 66 percent of the nutrient.)
Dark Chocolate
Why It's Healthy:
-- Just one-fourth of an ounce daily can reduce blood pressure in otherwise healthy individuals.
-- Cocoa powder is rich in flavonoids, antioxidants shown to reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol and increase "good" HDL levels.
Quick Tip:
A dark chocolate bar contains about 53.5 milligrams of flavonoids; a milk chocolate bar has fewer than 14.
Related: 8 Spices with Health Benefits
Potatoes
Why They're Healthy:
-- One red potato contains 66 micrograms of cell-building folate -- about the same amount found in one cup of spinach or broccoli.
-- One sweet potato has almost eight times the amount of cancer-fighting and immune-boosting vitamin A you need daily.
Quick Tip:
Let your potato cool before eating. Research shows that doing so can help you burn close to 25 percent more fat after a meal, thanks to a fat-resistant starch.
Salmon
Why It's Healthy:
-- A great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to a reduced risk of depression,heart disease, and cancer.
-- A 3-ounce serving contains almost 50 percent of your daily dose of niacin, which may protect against Alzheimer's disease and memory loss.
Quick Tip:
Opt for wild over farm-raised, which contains 16 times as much toxic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) as wild salmon.
Walnuts
Why They're Healthy:
-- Contain the most omega-3 fatty acids, which may help reduce cholesterol, of all nuts.
-- Omega-3s have been shown to improve mood and fight cancer; they may protect against sun damage, too (but don't skip the SPF!).
Quick Tip:
Eat a few for dessert: The antioxidant melatonin, found in walnuts, helps to regulate sleep.
Avocados
Why They're Healthy:
-- Rich in healthy, satisfying fats proven in one study to lower cholesterol by about 22 percent.
-- One has more than half the fiber and 40 percent of the folate you need daily, which may reduce your risk of heart disease.
Quick Tip:
Adding it to your salad can increase the absorption of key nutrients like beta-carotene by three to five times compared with salads without this superfood.
Related: The Good-Skin Diet: 10 Foods for Healthier Skin
Garlic
Why It's Healthy:
-- Garlic is a powerful disease fighter that can inhibit the growth of bacteria, including E. coli.
-- Allicin, a compound found in garlic, works as a potent anti-inflammatory and has been shown to help lower cholesterol and blood-pressure levels.
Quick Tip:
Crushed fresh garlic releases the most allicin. Just don't overcook; garlic exposed to high heat for more than 10 minutes loses important nutrients.
Spinach
Why It's Healthy:
-- Spinach contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two immune-boosting antioxidants important for eye health.
-- Recent research found that among cancer-fighting fruits and veggies, spinach is one of the most effective.
Quick Tip:
Spinach is a healthy -- and flavorless -- addition to any smoothie. You won't taste it, we promise! Try blending 1 cup spinach, 1 cup grated carrots, 1 banana, 1 cup apple juice, and ice.
Beans
Why They're Healthy:
-- Eating a serving of legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) four times a week can lower your risk ofheart disease by 22 percent.
-- That same habit may also reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Quick Tip:
The darker the bean, the more antioxidants it contains. One study found that black bean hulls contain 40 times the amount of antioxidants found in white bean hulls.
Extra bonus information
Related: 6 Fat-Fighting Superfoods click, learn & eat
Live to 100: Top 10 Diet Tips to Live Longer
The Metabolism-Boosting Superset Workout
What Works (and Doesn't) to Get Rid of Cellulite
Click green for further info
Source: Food & Health
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The text below is placed daily as a comment to multiple internet articles to guide the public to a healthier, financially rich & longer, happy life
You & your family members, including your children:
read this comment - it will benefit you and your family
Read this also to your smaller children who do not read, yet - explain its meaning
to all of your children so they will get used to the idea of having a healthy lifestyle.
__________________________
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - fits every nation worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee - see website.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
Our website page tops have a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future.
Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., GPO 339, New York, NY 10116-0339, USA. In the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt.100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
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Any raw meat can anytime cause sickness
Avoid Salmonella outbreaks & other food poisoning
Tips for Cooking Raw Chicken Safely and how to avoid foodborn illness from any source
Most of us believe that we know how to handle raw chicken - the truth is: most of us do NOT know.
Click green for further info
While chicken salmonella outbreak may have people concerned about eating chicken, experts point out that raw
meat products always carry risk.
"Chicken in general carries risk, whether it's part of certain outbreak or not," said Ben Chapman, a food safety specialist and assistant professor of food science at North Carolina State University.
North Carolina State Universitywww.ncsu.edu/
"There's pathogens*) on raw chicken regardless of where it comes from," he added.
*) pathogen = a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease
In any salmonella outbreak about half of the sick has to be hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Click: Centers for Disease Control and Preventionwww.cdc.gov/
Professor Chapman has some tips for reducing risk of illness when cooking and handling raw meat:
(1) Avoid cross contamination = the process by which bacteria or other microorganisms are unintentionally transferred from one substance or object to another, with harmful effect.
It's important to keep in mind that juices from meat can contaminate other objects and surfaces they come in contact with — such as your hands, kitchen counter, cutting knife or uncooked food — and spread around, Chapman said.
Cross-contamination can happen at any point in the cooking and handling process, starting at the grocery store.
To avoid cross-contamination when buying meat, consumers should first make sure there is nothing dripping from the package, Chapman said.
Professor Chapman said he also places meat in a separate plastic bag so that it doesn't contaminate other food or reusable bags.
When preparing food, people should clean their hands after touching raw chicken products, and clean other utensils and appliances that come in contact with raw chicken, such as a cutting board or knife, before using them again, Professor Chapman said.
(2) Don't wash your chicken
Although some people have been taught to wash raw chicken, this practice really promotes cross-contamination, Chapman said. Washing poultry can spread juices around, and sometimes spread bacteria up to three feet away, according to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. University of Wisconsin–Madisonwww.wisc.edu/
Food safety researchers at Drexel University recently launched a public health campaign to help get the word out about the hazards of poultry washing, and created an animation showing how the practice can spread germs.
click green to see the public health campaign Professor Chapman advised consumers to avoid this practice of washing the chicken. "It can only increase risk," he said.
(3) Thaw properly
There are several methods for thawing raw chicken that has been frozen, including placing it in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. You should not thaw raw chicken on the counter, the USDA says. (click: U.S. Department of Agriculturewww.usda.gov/
Professor Chapman said that, regardless of the method people use, they should ensure that the outside of the chicken is not above 41 degrees Fahrenheit for more than four hours. Consumers should also take measures to prevent the spreading of juices that collect from the meat while it thaws, he said.
(4) Cook properly
Consumers should not look at the color of meat or its juices to determine if it's cooked. The only way to know for sure whether you've reduced your risk of foodborne illness is to cook the meat to an internal temperature of 165 F.
Chapman recommends using a tip-sensitive digital thermometer, and checking the temperature of the meat in several spots.
(5) Reheat to the right temperature
Any leftovers you have should be quickly cooled by placing them in a refrigerator, Chapman said.
If consumers properly cooked their meat the first time to 165 degrees F, and quickly cooled down the leftovers, then they can heat up leftovers to 145 or 155 degrees F, Chapman said. But to be extra cautious — for instance, if there's any question that the meat was cooked properly the first time — consumers can heat leftovers to 165 degrees F, Chapman said.
Using a thermometer is especially important if you reheat leftovers in the microwave, Chapman said, because a microwave may not cook the meat evenly, and some spots of the chicken may be undercooked.
Click green for further info
Top Meats That Can Make You Sick
7 Germs in Food hat Make You Sick
Foodborne Illness - Food-Borne Illnesses Drop, But Food Safety Still Crucial
If the related article links have expired search the web with the title
Click green for further info
Source: Several U.S.gov. information sites
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Flip teaching
(or flipped classroom) is a form of (click: blended learning in which students learn new content online by watching video lectures, usually at home, and what used to be homework (assigned problems) is now done in class with teacher offering more personalized guidance and interaction with students, instead of lecturing.
This is also known as backwards classroom, reverse instruction, flipping the classroom and reverse teaching.
Flipping is still in the early stages, with much experimentation about how to do it right.
Click green for further info
Traditional vs flipped teaching
The traditional pattern of teaching has been to assign students to read textbooks and work on problem sets outside school, while listening to lectures and taking test in class.
"My AP Calculus class was a really anxious environment, it was weird trying to get through way too much material with not enough time. It was exactly the opposite of what I was looking for when I got into teaching."
(A teacher explaining what motivated her to adopt flipped teaching.)
In flip teaching, the students first study the topic by themselves, typically using video lessons prepared by the teacher or third parties such as Mathletics, the Khan Academy and The University Edge. In class students apply the knowledge by solving problems and doing practical work. The teacher tutors the students when they become stuck, rather than imparting the initial lesson in person. Complementary techniques include differentiated instruction and project-based learning.
Flipped classrooms free class time for hands-on work. Students learn by doing and asking questions. Students can also help each other, a process that benefits both the advanced and less advanced learners.
Flipping also changes the allocation of teacher time. Traditionally, the teacher engages with the students who ask questions — but those who don’t ask tend to need the most attention. “We refer to ‘silent failers,’ ” said one teacher, claiming that flipping allows her to target those who need the most help rather than the most confident. Flipping changes teachers from “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side”, allowing them to work with individuals or groups of students throughout the session.
History
Eric Mazur developed peer instruction in the 1990s. He found that computer-aided instruction allowed him to coach instead of lecture. Lage, Platt and Treglia published the paper "Inverting the Classroom: A Gateway to Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment" in 2000.[14] In 1993, King published "From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side"[15] in College Teaching, Vol. 41, No. 1 (Winter, 1993), pp. 30–35. Baker presented "The classroom flip: using web course management tools to become the guide by the side" at the 11th International Conference on College Teaching and Learning. Baker's article presents the model of classroom flipping.[16]
Starting in fall 2000, the University of Wisconsin-Madison used eTeach software to replace lectures in a computer science course with streaming video of the lecturer and coordinated slides.[17] In 2011, two centers at Wisconsin Collaboratory for Enhanced Learning[18] were built to focus on flipped and blended learning.
In 2004, Salman Khan began to record videos at the request of a younger cousin who felt that recorded lessons would let her skip parts she had mastered and replay parts that were troubling her. Khan’s model essentially provides one-to-one tutoring. Khan Academy videos are used as part of some educators' flipped teaching strategy.[19][20]
In the "The Classroom Flip" (2006), Tenneson and McGlasson presented an approach for teachers considering whether to flip their classrooms and how various approaches could enhance their teaching process, along. It also explores computer course management systems.[21]
In 2007, Jeremy Strayer published his dissertation research conducted at The Ohio State University entitled "The effects of the classroom flip on the learning environment: a comparison of learning activity in a traditional classroom and a flip classroom that used an intelligent tutoring system."[22] This study highlighted the importance of attending to the ways the coordination of out-of-class and in-class activities can positively and negatively influence how students engage course tasks.
Clintondale High School
In 2011 Michigan's Clintondale High School flipped every class. Principal Greg Green had been posting Youtube videos on baseball techniques for his son’s team. He then worked with social studies teacher, Andy Scheel, to run two classes with identical material and assignments, one flipped and one conventional. The flipped class had many students who had already failed the class — some multiple times. After 20 weeks flipped students were outperforming traditional students. No flipped student class scored lower than a C+. The previous semester 13 percent had failed. The traditional classroom showed no change.[13]
Clintondale had been designated as among the state's worst 5 percent. In 2010 more than half of ninth graders had failed science, and almost had half failed math. That year, the 9th grade flipped. The English failure rate dropped from 52 percent to 19 percent; in math, from 44 percent to 13 percent; in science, from 41 percent to 19 percent; and in social studies, from 28 percent to 9 percent. After 2011 the now-flipped school's failure rate dropped from 30 to 10 percent. Graduation rates soared above 90 percent. College attendance went from 63 percent in 2010 to 80 percent in 2012. Results on standardized tests went up in 2012 and then dropped, although complicated by student body changes.[13]
Teachers found that shorter videos (3-6 minutes) were the most effective. The school uses audio files, readings and videos from the Khan Academy, TED and other sources. Students favored the changes. Students without tech at home watch videos in school.[13]
Notable schools
Usage of flipped teaching is not regularly implemented at the school wide level due to the level of difficulty of writing new classroom curriculum that does not employ the standard lecture/textbooks/board model. Nonetheless, there are schools actively engaged in developing curriculum and classroom techniques that take advantage of flipped teaching. Notable examples are:
Flipping is still in the early stages, with much experimentation about how to do it right.
Its most important popularizers are not government officials or academic experts, but Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann, a pair of high school chemistry teachers in Woodland Park, Colo., who wrote a book called “Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day,” drawing almost completely on their own experience. It hasn’t been rigorously studied (most people cite only this one research paper.) Flipping’s track record in schools, while impressive, is anecdotal and short. But many people are holding it up as a potential model of how to use technology to humanize the classroom.
Math[edit]In 2006, Maesumi taught a flipped Calculus I class at Lamar University. Students in the flipped class significantly outperformed the controls in Calculus II.[23]
Stacey Roshan, a high school math teacher in Potomac, Maryland, reduced student anxiety through flexible testing and student created content. Her mother, also a math teacher, used the videos her daughter had created, as well.[3]
In 2012, Crystal Kirch, a high school math teacher in Santa Ana, California, developed a "Watch, Summary, Question" (WSQ, pronounced "whisk") assignment cycle,[24] writing about it on her blog,[25] her class website, and posting to her YouTube channel.[26][27]
In 2012, Graham Johnson, a high school math teacher in Kelowna, British Columbia hosted the first-ever flipped learning conference in Canada.
Science[edit]In 2007, Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, both high school science teachers at Woodland Park High School in Woodland Park, Colorado, implemented their own version of the flipped classroom by first moving all of their direct instruction to online videos, and then introducing the Flipped-Mastery model during the 2008-2009 school year, chronicled in their book "Flip Your Classroom, Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day.[28]
In 2012, Marc Seigel, a chemistry teacher at a public school in New Jersey presented at Flipped Learning Conference in Chicago his strategies, successes and failures in teaching, he also writes about on his blog.
In 2012, Carolyn Durley, a biology teacher in Kelowna, British Columbia, co-hosted Canadian Flipped Learning Conference.
In 2012, Richard Pierce and Jeremy Fox detailed their experiences in Pharmacy Education at Shenandoah University in Am J Pharm Educ. 2012 Dec 12;76(10):196. doi: 10.5688/ajpe7610196. Vodcasts and active-learning exercises in a "flipped classroom" model of a renal pharmacotherapy module.
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U.S. Adults Fare Poorly in a Worldwide Study of Skills
Published: October 8, 2013
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American adults lag well behind their counterparts in most other developed countries in the mathematical and technical skills needed for a modern workplace, according to a study released October 8, 2013 - OECD study - OECD link at the end of this article.
The study, perhaps the most detailed of its kind, shows that the well-documented pattern of several other countries surging past the United States in students’ test scores and young people’s college graduation rates corresponds to a skills gap, extending far beyond school. In the United States, young adults in particular fare poorly compared with their international competitors of the same ages — not just in math and technology, but also in literacy.
More surprisingly, even middle-aged Americans — who, on paper, are among the best-educated people of their generation anywhere in the world — are barely better than middle of the pack in skills.
Arne Duncan, the education secretary, released a statement saying that the findings “show our education system hasn’t done enough to help Americans compete — or position our country to lead — in a global economy that demands increasingly higher skills.”
The study is the first based on new tests developed by the OECD - Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a coalition of mostly developed nations, and administered in 2011 and 2012 to thousands of people, ages 16 to 65, by 23 countries. Previous international skills studies have generally looked only at literacy, and in fewer countries.
The organizers assessed skills in literacy and facility with basic math, or numeracy, in all 23 countries. In 19 countries, there was a third assessment, called “problem-solving in technology-rich environments,” on using digital devices to find and evaluate information, communicate, and perform common tasks.
In all three fields, Japan ranked first and Finland second in average scores, with the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway near the top. Spain, Italy and France were at or near the bottom in literacy and numeracy, and were not included in the technology assessment.
The United States ranked near the middle in literacy and near the bottom in skill with numbers and technology. In number skills, just 9 percent of Americans scored in the top two of five proficiency levels, compared with a 23-country average of 12 percent, and 19 percent in Finland, Japan and Sweden.
“The first question these kinds of studies raise is, ‘If we’re so dumb, why are we so rich?’ ” said Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “Our economic advantage has been having high skill levels at the top, being big, being more flexible than the other economies, and being able to attract other countries’ most skilled labor. But that advantage is slipping.”
In several ways, the American results were among the most polarized between high achievement and low. Compared with other countries with similar average scores, the United States, in all three assessments, usually had more people in the highest proficiency levels, and more in the lowest. The country also had an unusually wide gap in skills between the employed and the unemployed.
In the most highly educated population, people with graduate and professional degrees, Americans lagged slightly behind the international averages in skills. But the gap was widest at the bottom; among those who did not finish high school, Americans had significantly worse skills than their counterparts abroad.
“These kinds of differences in skill sets matter a lot more than they used to, at every level of the economy,” Dr. Carnevale said. “Americans were always willing to accept a much higher level of inequality than other developed countries because there was upward mobility, but we’ve lost a lot of ground to other countries on mobility because people don’t have these skills.”
Among 55- to 65-year-olds, the United States fared better, on the whole, than its counterparts. But in the 45-to-54 age group, American performance was average, and among younger people, it was behind.
American educators often note that the nation’s polyglot nature can inhibit performance, though there is sharp debate over whether that is a short-run or long-run effect.
The new study shows that foreign-born adults in the United States have much poorer-than-average skills, but even the native-born scored a bit below the international norms. White Americans fared better than the multicountry average in literacy, but were about average in the math and technology tests.
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This article is placed to remind all parents that
the PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE
for their children's behavior and for their wrong doings
3-part article: READ ALL PARTS: A - B - C - important info
See below the end of PART C the link connecting to information "Parental Responsibility Laws in all U.S. 50 states"
PART A (B + C parts next below Part A)
Sheriff Would Arrest Cyberbully Suspect's Parents & School Administrators
Date: October 17, 2013
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Florida officials are still actively investigating the parents of a teenage girl accused of cyberbullying
Rebecca Sedwick to suicide, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
"If I could, they would already be in jail," Judd told ABC News Wednesday. "But I can tell you this, that we're keeping our options open."
The charge would be "contributing to the delinquency of a minor," the sheriff said.
Sheriff: Suicide of Girl, 12, 'Broke My Heart'
Two girls, ages 12 and 14, were arrested earlier this week and charged with felony aggravated assault for leading the digital torment against the 12-year-old Rebecca, police said. She jumped from a concrete silo tower to her death Sept. 9.
Meanwhile, the parents of the two suspects and school officials bare the bulk of responsibility, Rebecca's mother said.
"I would rather see the parents and administrators behind bars, and see the kids get help they need," Tricia Norton of Lakeland, Fla., told ABC News.
The parents of the older suspect monitored their daughter's Facebook activities nightly and saw no signs of bullying, leading them to believe someone hacked her account, they told ABC News.
Sheriff Judd doesn't buy their story and accused the older suspect of gloating on Facebook after the suicide about bullying Rebecca.
Parents of Alleged Cyberbully Blame Facebook Hack
"Yeah, that's baloney. Those parents haven't cared from the very beginning," Judd said. "After this initial event, after the initial interviews, why did they let her stay on Facebook any longer?"
Judd said he's only investigating the older suspect's parents, whom he described as being "in denial."
"When the parents don't take care of the children and it becomes criminal conduct, then it becomes my responsibility, and my deputies and I know how to take control," Judd said.
The younger suspect's parents "are remorseful, and they see the big picture. They recognize that was a major malfunction. They care," Judd said.
The sheriff released the names and mug shots of the accused juveniles earlier this week to send a message to others in the community about cyberbullying. ABC News is not revealing either girl's identity because they have been charged as juveniles.
Rebecca was bullied online for 10 months and Norton said her daughter had been physically attacked five times before that, police say. Eventually, Norton pulled Rebecca from Crystal Lake Middle School in Pompano Beach to end the bullying and keep her daughter away from the two suspects, who also attended classes there.
"I made several, several reports to the school. I did an online bullying report because I thought nothing was being done by the school. And nothing was being done on that either," Norton said.
Polk County school officials refused to comment when asked about Norman's allegations, but they told ABC News that progress on bullying is being made.
"We have seen an increase in the reporting of bullying," Polk Schools Assistant Superintendent Nancy Woolcock said."Parents seem to be paying attention now."
One mother who has a child attending Crystal Lake Middle School said bullying should not be tolerated under any circumstance.
"We don't need no more lives taken. One time is enough. Zero tolerance is zero tolerance," the unidentified mother said.
But even after Rebecca left the school for a fresh start this fall, her tormentors continued their assault online, police said. She jumped to her death at an abandoned concrete plant.
"When I stood there at the base of that cement tower, and saw that baby, that 12-year-old, deceased on the ground, it broke my heart and I know it would break the hearts of everyone else across the country if they were in the position I was in," Judd told "Good Morning America" Wednesday.
Rebecca would have celebrated her 13th birthday this weekend.
The 12-year-old suspect told them she bullied Rebecca and expressed remorse, Police said. She was released into her parents' custody and has been placed on home detention, pending further proceedings.
The older suspect remains in the juvenile wing of the Polk County Jail until her arraignment Oct. 25.
Article source: ABC News
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PART B (part A next above, part C next below) READ ALL PARTS: A - B - C - important
See below at the end of PART C the link connecting to information "Parental Responsibility Laws in all U.S. 50 states"
Comment from public to the above article
Article: Sheriff Would Arrest Cyberbully Suspect's Parents If He Could - 10/171/13
My daughter was part of a cross-age aide program at her school. While on her way to help in a kindergarten, she was cited for being on the wrong playground by a school aide. When she protested that she was there legitimately, her punishment was doubled. I fought back and had the punishment lifted and forced the school to issue passes to the students who needed free access to off-limits areas. At the same time, I often told my kids that if they did something wrong, I would not hide them from the police, but I would visit them in prison. Parents can support their children while still letting them know that they are responsible for their actions. No child is too young to learn that there are limits. "Because I said so" is a perfectly reasonable position to take and no child needs an explanation if it is used consistently.
PART C (part A + B next above ) READ ALL PARTS: A - B - C - important
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PARENTAL LIABILITY IN THE UNITED STATES
See below at the end of PART C the link connecting to information "Parental Responsibility Laws in all U.S. 50 states"
PART C (part A + B next above ) READ ALL PARTS: A - B - C - important
In the United States there have always been mechanisms to hold parents accountable for their children's actions (Cahn, 1996; Humm, 1991). For example, "early parental liability statutes authorized the juvenile courts to assert jurisdiction over parents (and often over any other adult) who had contributed to the delinquency of a minor" (Cahn, 1996, p. 405). However, in the past 10 years, parental liability laws have increased in popularity in response to fears of increasing juvenile crime (Cahn, 1996; Parents did nothing..., 1996; Counselling issue helped..., 1996; Humm, 1991). There is strong public support for laws which hold parents accountable for their actions as parents when their dependent children commit crimes.
California was the leader in enacting additional, more punitive parental liability legislation with the introduction of the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act of 1988 (Cahn, 1996). The legislation holds parents/legal guardians criminally liable when they have not exercised "reasonable care, supervision, protection, and control over the minor child" (California Penal Code Section 272, as quoted in Cahn, 1996, p. 409). Punishments range from misdemeanours and fines to imprisonment for a year or probation for five years. At least nine other states have passed similar legislation and roughly half of the states in the U.S. have passed or tightened parental responsibility/liability ordinances (Michigan parents convicted..., 1996).
The United States' interest in holding parents liable for their children's crimes has grown rapidly
(Parents did nothing..., 1996; Michigan parents convicted..., 1996). St. Clair Shores, Michigan adopted a "Parental Responsibility Ordinance" in 1994 which allows parents to be fined up to $100 for failing to control their children's actions or seek professional assistance (Are parents responsible..., 1996; Parents did nothing..., 1996). Dozens of towns have since adopted parental responsibility ordinances similar to the St. Clair Shores ordinance. In most cases where these ordinances have been enforced, parents settle out of court (Michigan parents convicted..., 1996).
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Source: Internet legal advisers
The U.S. LAW
There is a political movement for greater parental accountability following of a number of highly publicized violent crimes committed by children. While all US states allow parents to be sued for the various actions of their children, the idea of criminal legislation to enable the prosecution of adults for “neglectful” parenting is relatively new. For example, a number of states have enacted or proposed laws that will:
The Canadian law
Parental responsibility legislation has been enacted in three Canadian provinces: Manitoba (1997), Ontario (2000), and British-Columbia (2001).
Under the Parental Responsibility Act, 2000, a "child" is anyone under the age of 18 years, and "parent" means:
See further info - click the green link below
Parental Responsibility Laws in All 50 U.S. States Matthiesen, Wickert、...www.mwllaw.com/wp.../03/parental-responsibility-in-all-50-states.pdf
Almost every state has some sort of parental responsibility law that holds parents or legal guardians ... The age of majority in most of the United States is 18-years-old, but there are .... Parents are liable for restitution for minor's criminal acts
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ANGOLA, La. — Like most of his fellow inmates, Daryl Walters, 45, can expect to spend the rest of his days in the infamous prison on a former slave plantation here. He was sentenced to life without parole for a murder more than 20 years ago in a state where a life sentence means just that.
Yet there he was on a recent evening, preaching the Gospel to 200 men in a spired church in the heart of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, talking salvation and joy to murderers and rapists and robbers who waved their arms to an inmate band’s Christian worship music.
“God is merciful,” intoned Mr. Walters, an assistant pastor at one of many churches scattered through this maximum-security prison, informally known as Angola. “God gives us so many benefits.”
Mr. Walters is a graduate of one of the most unusual prison programs in the country: a Southern Baptist Bible college inside this sprawling facility, offering bachelor’s degrees in a rigorous four-year course that includes study of Greek and Hebrew as well as techniques for “sidewalk ministry” that inmates can practice in their dorms and meal lines.
There are 241 graduates so far, nearly all lifers who live and work among their peers. Dozens of graduates have even moved as missionaries to counsel or preach in other prisons.
But Burl Cain, the warden since 1995, says the impact has gone well beyond spreading religion among the inmates. He calls the Bible college central to the transformation of Angola from one of the most fearsome prisons in the country to one of the more mellow, at least for those deemed to be cooperative. Watching men quietly saunter from open dormitories to church, many with Bible in hand and dressed in T-shirts of their choice, it can hardly seem like a maximum-security facility, although multiple daily lineups for inmate counts are a reminder.
Mr. Cain has used religion and peer counseling — backed by sharp discipline for defiant behavior — to promote what he calls a “moral rehabilitation” of individuals and a sense of community among men who might easily be consumed by rage or despair.
“The greatest enemy here is lack of hope,” Mr. Cain said in an interview.
Mr. Cain has lobbied the state for more forgiving parole policies, with limited success. “But if you believe in a higher being,” he said, “you’ll realize that when you do pass, you’ll be free.”
Nearly four-fifths of the 6,300 inmates now at Angola have sentences of life or so long they are effectively so. The prison has its own nursing home and hospice.
Angola was notoriously brutal and bloody into the 1970s. Court supervision and a parade of reforming wardens improved staff training and introduced vocational and G.E.D. programs, and the stabbing rate began to plummet.
In Mr. Cain’s view, the biggest change came in 1995 when, as he took over the prison and faced drastic cuts in school funds, he invited the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to open a seminary. To his surprise, he said, the eminent seminary agreed, covering the costs with outside donations.
“The Bible college was the game changer,” said Mr. Cain, 71, a portly man with granny glasses and a shock of white hair. “It changed the culture of the prison.”
Some other experts say the college is one of many factors, but the softening effect of religion on life here is evident.
Beyond the bachelor’s degrees, the college has granted hundreds more certificates or associate degrees, producing a cadre of men who lead churches, provide informal counseling in their dorms and take on what many describe as their hardest task — informing fellow inmates when a loved one on the outside has died.
The graduates include 15 Muslims, who took the same Bible-based courses but minister to the 250 Islamic inmates.
Some 2,500 inmates attend church regularly, according to Cathy Fontenot, assistant warden — mostly Protestant or Roman Catholic but also Muslim, Jewish and Mormon services. The prison population is 75 percent black, with a small number of Latinos.
The prison college has received growing outside attention. A similar collaboration with a Southern Baptist seminary has started in Texas, where inmates with sentences of at least 10 years are eligible. In-prison Bible colleges have also been started or are under discussion in California, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi and other states.
For his day job, Mr. Walters, a natural-born preacher, tutors seminary students in Greek and Hebrew for their biblical explication. He bunks among the short-timers who are now brought to Angola, improbably enough, for a re-entry program.
The American Civil Liberties Union has watched for signs that the seminary or the prison has crossed constitutional lines by using state money or coercion to promote religion. In the past, the group has sued Angola to force the removal of a biblical citation at the entrance and to give a Muslim graduate of the seminary access to materials from the Nation of Islam, the American Muslim group that is more entrenched in northern prisons.___________
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Still, the seminary appears to be legal because it is paid for privately, is voluntary and admits non-Christians, said Marjorie R. Esman, the executive director of the A.C.L.U. in Louisiana.
“I think that what Burl Cain calls moral rehabilitation is, in his mind, religious doctrine, but a lot of good has come of it,” Ms. Esman said. “I think it’s unfortunate that the only college available is a Christian one, but the fact that a college is there at all is important.”
Whether religion, per se, helps create peaceful prisons and reduce recidivism is a matter of scholarly dispute. Byron R. Johnson, a criminologist at Baylor University and the author of “More God, Less Crime,” argues that studies have shown the benefits of faith in rehabilitating criminals. He is now leading a study of the impact of the Baptist seminaries inside Angola and the Darrington prison in Texas.
But Winnifred F. Sullivan, a professor of religious studies and law at Indiana University, said, “There is no firm evidence that it is the faith component that makes these programs work.”
“Prisons like religion because it keeps people occupied,” she said, and “when anyone offers money for programming, it’s attractive.”
To gain acceptance to the seminary, men must have a high school degree or a G.E.D., which they can pursue in the prison. They also must have exemplary discipline records and must be recommended by a noninmate chaplain as devout and as a promising minister.
The data indicate a large drop in violence at Angola over the last two decades. In 1990, according to prison records, inmates assaulted staff members 280 times and one another 1,107 times. In 2012, there were 55 assaults on staff and 316 among inmates.
But life is much harder for some inmates than others. Some 1,600 live in more traditional cell blocks because they are considered dangerous, are being punished or need protection. Some of them are allowed outside, in individual cages, for only an hour a day. Some work in the farms for pennies per hour, guarded by a horse-mounted armed officer.
Four members of The U.S. Congress asked 2013 the Justice Department to investigate what they called the illegal use of solitary confinement by Angola and other state prisons, citing the cases of two prisoners, self-described Black Panthers who spent the last four decades in near isolation after being convicted of murdering a prison guard. One of the men, Herman Wallace, was released last week after his 1974 murder conviction was overturned, only to die in 2013 of cancer.
Mr. Walters, the seminary graduate and pastor, admitted that some inmates detested him for his religious devotion and implicit cooperation with the authorities. But he said, “If I can help other people while I’m marching to the grave here, then I’ll have lived a good life.”
Source: NYT
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This article is an example what price the taxpayers pay when politics is the first priority, not an intelligent handling of the situation through peaceful negotiations
- shame, shame, shame -
More related information in article 2 of 2 next below - worth also your time to study
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
The 16-day government shutdown 2013 is over, but the country has taken at least a $24 billion hit along the way
Date: October 2013
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Read also article 2 of 2 - it has interesting information related to this government shutdown situation
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This added red text below is taken as a comment from a public to an internet article
"Obamacare 101: Enroll by March 31 to avoid penalty"
Copied for another poster named: Guiness A comment from the public:
We're going to be gifted with a healthcare plan we are forced to purchase, and fined if we don't, which purportedly,
believed or reputed to be the case, covers at least 10 million more people, without adding a single new doctor, but provides for 16,000 new IRS agents, written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a congress that didn't read it but exempted themselves from it, and signed by a president who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, for which we will be taxed for four years before any benefits take effect, by a government which has already bankrupted social security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese and by a country that's broke. Obamacare 101: Enroll by March 31 to avoid penalty, White House clarifies....
'If you sign up for insurance by the end of March 2014, you will not face a penalty,' the White House said late Wednesday. Originally, the Obamacare law had been interpreted as giving people until Feb. 15, 2014, to have health coverage. Calls mount, including by Democrats, to give folks more time.
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The article "The 16-day government shutdown 2013 ..." continues here:
The financial ratings agency Standard & Poor’s said the shutdown “to date has taken $24 billion out of the economy,” equaling $1.5 billion dollars a day and “shaved at least 0.6 percent off annualized fourth-quarter 2013 GDP growth.”
These estimates are for the overall economy, taking into account not just federal wages and productivity, but all the ripple effects and costs as well.
Federal Employees Return to Work as Obama Signs Bill to End Shutdown, Avert Default
“The bottom line is the government shutdown has hurt the U.S. economy,” Standard & Poor’s said in a statement. “In September, we expected 3 percent annualized growth in the fourth quarter because we thought politicians would have learned from 2011 and taken steps to avoid things like a government shutdown and the possibility of a sovereign default. Since our forecast didn’t hold, we now have to lower our fourth-quarter growth estimate to closer to 2 percent.”
Moody’s Analytics reported a similar number Wednesday, saying by the end of the day the shutdown will cause a $23 billion hit to U.S. GDP or $1.4375 billion per day.
Anatomy of a Debt Deal: What Happens Next
And that’s not all. Here’s ABC’s look at the costs of the shutdown:
- $3.1 billion in lost government services. Although furloughed workers will get their back pay, taxpayers won’t see the products. (Source: I.H.S.)
- According to the U.S. Travel Association: There has been $152 million per day in all spending related to travel lost because of the shutdown. As many as 450,000 American workers supported by travel may be affected.
- According to the National Park Service: They welcome more than 700,000 people per day usually in October and visitors spend an estimated $32 million per day impact in communities near national parks and contribute $76 million each day to the national economy. Those revenues were lost.
- According to Destination D.C., the official tourism corporation of D.C.: There is a 9 percent decrease in hotel occupancy from the last week in September before the shutdown to the first week of October during the shutdown. This year, hotel occupancy was down 74.4 percent for the week Sept. 29 to Oct. 5 compared to the 2012 numbers. (Source: Smith Travel Research, Inc.) In 2012, an estimated $6.2 billion of visitor spending supported more than 75,300 jobs.
The hit to Washington, D.C. has been especially hard, according to Mayor Vince Gray’s office:
- Regional (D.C./Maryland/Virginia) impact: $217 million a day (17.6 percent of the region’s economy) from lost/deferred federal and contractor wages.
- Washington, D.C. economic activity impact: $44 million a week decrease
- Washington, D.C. tax revenue impact: $6 million a week decrease
- Hospitality sector observations: 7 percent decrease in restaurant traffic in the first week in October compared to 2012 and 13,000 fewer hotel bookings (8.3 percent decrease) and $2 million less room revenue in the first week in October compared to 2012.
There was a 3 percent increase in restaurant beverage (primarily liquor) sales during the first week of October 2013 compared to the first week of September of this year.
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Source: ABC News (Article 2 of 2 next below - interesting info - worth of your time)
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
Given by a Harvard University professor, this article is a parable analysis
for the D.C. politicians' behavior - it gives a good solution for solving disagreement fights
From Summer Camp, a Parable for Washington
A parable = a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson
This article is worth of your time
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By N. GREGORY MANKIW, a professor of economics at Harvard. He was an adviser to President George W. Bush
FOR all Americans who want their government to work — and I presume that is most of us — the recent discord in Washington over the government shutdown and debt limit has been painful to watch. But for me, the high-stakes squabbling among Democrats and Republicans is also a reminder of a dissonance with which I have lived throughout my life.
First, a bit of autobiography. I grew up in a Republican family. My father was originally from Bayonne, N.J., and it was the corruption of the Democratic political machine there that made him a Republican. As a child, I heard stories about how his friends had bought government jobs by making the appropriate “donations” to city bosses. When he left Bayonne to raise his family in a more bucolic and less graft-prone Jersey suburb, he took with him a firm conviction about who the good guys were.
Years later, when I left home for college and began the study of economics, I read great works on both sides of the political divide. I devoured “The Affluent Society,” by John Kenneth Galbraith, and “Capitalism and Freedom,” by Milton Friedman. I appreciated both as compellingly written books by brilliant minds, but I had little doubt that Friedman’s case for limited government was the more persuasive.
To be sure, that judgment reflects some confirmation bias — the tendency of people to interpret evidence in a way that is consistent with their previous beliefs. No one can escape his or her own history. For better or worse, my father and Milton Friedman bear joint responsibility for why, when I have occasionally entered the political arena, it has been on the side of the Republicans.
Yet I have lived most of my adult life in Massachusetts, as a professor at Harvard, where Democrats far outnumber Republicans. Republicans are rare enough among my Harvard colleagues that I am often considered something of an oddity.
In 1993, for instance, when Bill Clinton was moving into the White House, I was approached by a Harvard dean. “Greg,” he said, “I asked one of your colleagues whether you might be among the faculty taking leave to join the new administration. He told me that you were a Republican. Is that possibly true?” I told him it was. The dean would have been less surprised if I had told him that I was born on Jupiter.
This personal history makes me a bit of an outsider wherever I am. Among most of my friends and colleagues here in Massachusetts, I am that oddball conservative. Among most of my family and political allies, I am that oddball from liberal Harvard. Yet hanging out with both Democrats and Republicans has some benefits. One is that I avoid the disdain that each group often feels for the other.
A classic result in social psychology, called the Robber’s Cave experiment, sheds light on the current dysfunctional political dynamic. It was conducted in 1954 by the psychologist Muzafer Sherif.
Mr. Sherif took a group of 22 boys, 12 years old, to a summer camp in Robber’s Cave State Park in Oklahoma. The boys did not know one another but came from similar backgrounds. They were all being raised in white, middle-class, Protestant, two-parent families. The boys were randomly split into two groups.
During the first week of camp, the groups were separated. The boys within each group participated in various activities together, like hiking and swimming. They bonded with one another, and each group developed its own norms of behavior. The two groups named themselves the Eagles and the Rattlers.
In the second week of camp, the Eagles and the Rattlers were brought together for competitive team activities like baseball and tug-of-war. Even though the boys had similar backgrounds, the competition was far from friendly. Taunting, name-calling and vandalizing the other team’s property were common. The teams were so aggressive that the researchers sometimes had to physically separate them. When the boys were later asked about the experience, they described their own team as virtuous and the opposing team in much more negative terms.
In short, group identity and competition led to irrational and self-righteous hostility. Doesn’t that sound like the political rhetoric we hear on the daily news?
Now imagine that Mr. Sherif had added a wrinkle to his experiment. Suppose that one of the boys had been required to switch teams every day. It seems likely that this boy would have developed friendships in both groups and, at the same time, would have been viewed by both with suspicion. He probably would have said: “Hey, guys, the other team really isn’t so bad. They’re a lot like us.” But his words would most likely have been ignored.
That is how I feel every day. While among Republicans, I want to say President Obama’s goal of universal health insurance has a noble motivation, and it is impossible to achieve without a significant expansion in the role of government. While among Democrats, I want to say President Obama has vastly oversold the Affordable Care Act. The law is unlikely to reduce the cost of health care as promised, will shrink the economy by increasing implicit marginal tax rates and will, by virtue of its scope and complexity, lead to numerous other unintended consequences.
Mr. Sherif did not try my hypothetical wrinkle to his experiment, but he did manage to return some harmony to the Eagles and the Rattlers. After the period of zero-sum competition was over, the boys faced a series of “superordinate” goals that transcended group concerns. For example, the boys had to deal with an interruption in their water supply, a problem that could be solved only if the two groups worked cooperatively. After several joint activities, the animosity lessened. When the camp was over, the boys agreed to return home on a single bus, and they happily socialized with members of the other group.
HOW to apply this lesson to national politics is far from clear. Perhaps it suggests that the best policies are those that transcend traditional partisan divides. Ronald Reagan’s 1986 tax reform and Bill Clinton’s 1996 welfare reform were major legislative achievements that garnered support from both sides of aisle. By contrast, the vote on President Obama’s 2010 health care reform was entirely one-sided, so it is no surprise that the law is still the source of much rancor.
Comity*) is hard to achieve. From a lifetime of experience, I know that most people don’t view Democrats and Republicans symmetrically. In their view, truth and virtue lie entirely with the group to which they happen to belong. If that describes you, just remember that the Eagles and the Rattlers once thought the same thing. *) comity = 1) courtesy and considerate behavior toward others, (2) an atmosphere of social harmony (3) See click: comity of nations.
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Source: NYT & N. Gregory Mankiw, a professor of economics at Harvard. He was an adviser to President George W. Bush.
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This Is Your Brain on Toxins
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This was the marketing line that the former National Lead Company used decades ago:
"Lead helps to guard your health.”
That was the marketing line that the former National Lead Company used decades ago to sell lead-based household paints. Yet we now know that lead was poisoning millions of children and permanently damaging their brains. Tens of thousands of children died, and countless millions were left mentally impaired.
One boy, Sam, born in Milwaukee in 1990, “thrived as a baby,” according to his medical record. But then, as a toddler, he began to chew on lead paint or suck on fingers with lead dust, and his blood showed soaring lead levels.
Sam’s family moved homes, but it was no use. At age 3, he was hospitalized for five days because of lead poisoning, and in kindergarten his teachers noticed that he had speech problems. He struggled through school, and doctors concluded that he had “permanent and irreversible” deficiencies in brain function.
Sam’s story appears in “Lead Wars,” a book by Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner that chronicles the monstrous irresponsibility of companies in the lead industry over the course of the 20th century. Eventually, over industry protests, came regulation and the removal of lead from gasoline. As a result, lead levels of American children have declined 90 percent in the last few decades, and scholars have estimated that, as a result, children’s I.Q.’s on average have risen at least two points and perhaps more than four.
So what are the lessons from the human catastrophe of lead poisoning over so many decades? To me, today’s version of the lead industry is the chemical industry — companies like Exxon Mobil, DuPont, BASF and Dow Chemical — over the years churning out endocrine-disruptor chemicals that mimic the body’s hormones. Endocrine disruptors are found in everything from plastics to pesticides, toys to cosmetics, and there are growing concerns about their safety.
The Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the European Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and the President’s Cancer Panel have all warned about endocrine disruptors — also referred to as E.D.C.’s, for endocrine disrupting chemicals. The World Health Organization and United Nations this year concluded: “Exposure to E.D.C.’s during fetal development and puberty plays a role in the increased incidences of reproductive diseases, endocrine-related cancers, behavioral and learning problems, including A.D.H.D., infections, asthma, and perhaps obesity and diabetes in humans.”
Alarm about endocrine disruptors once was a fringe scientific concern but increasingly has moved mainstream. There is still uncertainty and debate about the risk posed by individual chemicals, but there is growing concern about the risk of endocrine disruptors in general — particularly to fetuses and children. There is less concern about adults.
Scientists are also debating whether the old toxicological models are appropriate for chemicals that mimic hormones and thus may trigger bodily changes, especially in fetuses and children.
These are the kinds of threats that we in journalism are not very good at covering. We did a wretched job covering risks from lead and tobacco in the early years; instead of watchdogs, we were lap dogs.
One common thread is industry’s greed, duplicity and powerful lobbying in Washington and around the country. The chemical industry spent $55 million lobbying in 2012, twice the figure a decade earlier, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
The Chicago Tribune 2012 documented how the chemical industry created a fake movement for flame retardants in furniture, supposedly to prevent fires; in fact, flame retardants don’t reduce fires but do contain endocrine disruptors that may be harmful to our children.
Summer 2013 -18- scientists wrote a scathing letter railing against European Union regulations of endocrine disruptors. That underscored the genuine scientific uncertainty about risks — until Environmental Health News showed that 17 of the 18 have conflicts of interest, such as receiving money from the chemical industry. Meanwhile, more than 140 other scientists followed up with their own open letters denouncing the original 18 and warning that endocrine disruptors do indeed constitute a risk.
Andrea C. Gore, the editor of Endocrinology, published an editorial asserting that corporate interests are abusing science today with endocrine disruptors the way they once did with lead: for the “production of uncertainty.”
She added that the evidence is “undeniable: that endocrine-disrupting chemicals pose a threat to human health.”
When scientists feud, it’s hard for the rest of us to know what to do. But I’m struck that many experts in endocrinology, toxicology or pediatrics aren’t waiting for regulatory changes. They don’t heat food in plastic containers, they reduce their use of plastic water bottles, and they try to give their kids organic food to reduce exposure to pesticides.
So a question for big chemical companies: Are you really going to follow the model of tobacco and lead and fight regulation every step of the way, once more risking our children’s futures?
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Source: NYT
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"Facts" About Drinking that Just Are Not True
This article is NOT meant to encourage you to start drinking more, NO. Daily limits are: one drink for ladies and max two for men. Once a week perhaps a few more - anything else WILL FOR SURE BE A HEALTH HAZARD. Wine & beer are preferred when it comes to health. Hard liquor is acceptable but in wine and beer there is more to drink = you enjoy the drink longer, you drink slower, and you get more satisfaction. Do NOT get drunk - it is, for sure, a health hazard when it is repeated often. With any amount of alcohol drink additional amount of water to avoid dehydration. Start with drinking 16 oz. pure, plain water (no soda).
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There's something great about tossing back a few (or several) brews with friends - but then you may be left to deal with the most miserable hangover you have ever experienced in your life the following morning. So you do your best to prevent that by avoiding the typical things: no beer before liquor, drinking a cup of coffee so you can sober up efficiently before bed, and staying away from the Red Bull and vodkas that you used to love so much. But sadly, none of these things are actually going to help you out.
Alcohol is alcohol no matter how you consume it. While some drinks may be more alcoholic than others, it has nothing to do with their color, even though many believe darker beers are automatically higher in alcohol than their light counterparts. And as for those alcoholic energy drinks you're steering away from, that's probably a good idea, but it's not necessarily going to keep you from getting less intoxicated. People like to believe they can curb the side effects of a hangover by vomiting up the rest of the alcohol in their systems before hitting the hay or consuming lighter colored alcohol rather than dark whiskeys and cognacs, but in reality, if you overindulge at all, you're going to be hungover. Unless you have some super-secret trick up your sleeve we're unaware of. In that case, leave them in the comments section so we can create a whole new story for you!
RELATED: 7 Benefits of Red Wine
The reality of any alcohol-related situation is that drinking can impair your judgment, and can often lead to some pretty gruesome Instagrams and drunk tweets. The best way to avoid a hangover, and embarrassing hazy memories, is to not overindulge at all. Don't get us wrong - we encourage you to enjoy all that alcohol has to offer, but we think it's best to enjoy it in moderation so you don't have to worry about the hangover at all! But in case you had one too many last night, take an aspirin, a Tums, and load up on the fatty foods - these are things that actually will help you, and not just myths.
But we promised to debunk the myths, and that we did! We rounded up ridiculous alcohol myths and set the record straight. If you have more alcohol-related myths, add them to the comments section and we'll do our best to get to the bottom of your boozy questions!
'Beer Before Liquor, Never Been Sicker'
This myth explores whether or not the order in which you drink different alcohols will make you sick. We left it to Myth Busters rather than doing our own hands-on research and they reported that, "If you knock back the same alcohol content by chugging brewskies as you would switching between beer and liquor, you'll be at risk for the same aftereffects: dehydration, memory loss, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound - in other words, a hangover." Regardless of whether you drink your beer before your liquor or your liquor before your beer, you'll still end up with your head in the toilet if you drank too much.
Vomiting Helps to Sober You Up
This is another myth that does have some gray lines. Health Guidance reported that vomiting does expel the alcohol that is in your stomach and will stop it from further entering your blood stream, but the part of the vomiting myth that isn't true is that it will sober you up. The alcohol that is already in your blood stream needs to metabolize, which means that you might not continue to get drunker but you will in fact remain drunk until your body has completely processed all the alcohol in your bloodstream.
RELATED: From Paris to Cognac in 10 Sips
Drinking Lighter-Colored Alcoholic Drinks Will Prevent a Hangover
Drinking lighter-colored drinks like vodka and gin won't necessarily prevent a hangover the next morning, but it may help. The Mayo Clinic reported that congeners, products of alcohol fermentationand one cause of a hangover, are more prevalent in dark liquors such as brandy, whiskey, darker beer, and red wine than they are in clear liquors such as vodka, gin, and lighter beers. The same article reported that drinking too much of anything is going to make you hungover, though - so whether you're drinking light or dark alcohol it probably won't matter if you've had too much to drink anyway.
Alcohol Kills Brain Cells
This myth is unnerving for college students who binge drink regularly. But thankfully, those who overindulged in college can now rest easy - it didn't harm your brain cells. The New York Times reported that former researcher at the State University of New York at Buffalo Dr. Roberta J. Pentney found that "alcohol disrupts brain function in adults by damaging message-carrying dendrites on neurons in the cerebellum, a structure involved in learning and motor coordination. This reduces communication between neurons, alters their structure, and causes some of the impairment associated with intoxication. It does not kill off entire cells, however." So there's nothing to worry about when it comes to your brain cells and alcohol, but that shouldn't give you the go-ahead to binge drink.
Dark Beer is Higher in Alcohol Content
This myth made us laugh a little bit when we came across it. Not all beer is created equal - you are truly in the hands of the brewmaster when it comes to the alcohol content of the beer you are drinking. You may very well have picked a lighter ale with a higher alcohol content than the dark lager your friend is drinking. Some lighter colored beers have a high alcohol content that can easily stand up to a big, bold, dark colored beer. So don't feel less badass because you ordered something lighter in color than the beer veteran standing next to you.
Click Here to see More Alcohol Myths Debunked
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Numbers that Could Save Your Life
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A little bit of math could make a big difference in your health. Here, the stats you need to know.
Exercise minutes: 150
The World Health Organization recommends that adults complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Whether you split those minutes into short, 10-minute bursts or longer sweat sessions, hitting that target will lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and colon and breast cancers.
Related: 12 Ways To Naturally Lower Your Blood Pressure
Blood sugar: A1C less than 5.7%
The percent of sugar in your bloodstream indicates if you're heading towards diabetes - which increases your risk of heart disease, says Tracy Stevens, MD, a New York cardiologist and spokesperson for the American Heart Association. Your doctor will likely check this at an annual physical. Normal blood sugar results are an A1C (a test that measures your average blood sugar for the past few months)*) of less than 5.7 percent and fasting blood glucose (which measures your blood sugar after not eating for at least 8 hours) of less than 100.*) The A1C test is a common blood test used to diagnose type 1 and type 2 diabetes and then to gauge how well you're managing your diabetes. The A1C test goes by many other names, including glycated hemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglobin, hemoglobin A1C and HbA1c. click: A1C test - MayoClinic.com
Think you're not at risk? The American Diabetes Association*) reports that 79 million people are pre-diabetic. But, here's the good news: Losing 7 percent of your body weight and exercising for 150 minutes a week can lower a pre-diabetic's risk of developing type 2 diabetes by a whopping 58 percent. *) American Diabetes Association
Related: Excuses That Are Preventing You From Losing Weight
Blood pressure: 130/80 mm Hg or less
Your blood pressure is a measure of how hard blood is pushing against the walls of your arteries as it circulates through your body. Ideally, your blood pressure should be less than 130/80 mm Hg; a too-high number can lead to weakened and damaged blood vessels, putting stress on your heart and increasing your risk of heart failure. "Everyone should have a blood pressure cuff in their home," says Stevens. "It's affordable and gives you so much information." Keep your blood pressure under control with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.
Target Heart Rate: 85 to 145 beats per minute
This is the pulse rate that signals whether you're exercising hard enough to promote heart fitness. A healthy range for a 40-year-old woman is 85 to 145 beats per minute. Historically, Target Heart Range (THR) has been based on a unisex formula, but now researchers believe that number may be too high for women. THR decreases with age - we've done the math to help you find your female-friendly target.
Cholesterol: below 100 mg/dL for LDL, above 50 mg/dL for HDL
The AHA - American Heart Association's American Heart Association recommended ranges for women's cholesterol levels are below 100 mg/dL for LDL (the "bad" cholesterol), above 50 mg/dL for HDL (the "good" cholesterol), and below 100 mg/dL for triglycerides. Too-high LDL can lead to plaque buildup in arteries, says Stevens, which can contribute to heart attack or stroke. Improve your LDL through exercise and diet, specifically lowering your intake of saturated fats, which are found in fatty cuts of meat and full-fat dairy products. And avoid trans fats, which lurk in margarine and in many ready-made baked goods.
Related: All-Natural Ways To Boost Your Energy And Feel Great
Weight: BMI up to 25
One way to find out if you're at a healthy weight is to calculate your BMI. A body mass index over 25 can raise your blood pressure and risk of diabetes. But losing just 10 pounds can help lower your risk of heart disease. Pay attention to your waist size, too. You can have a normal BMI and still carry excess fat in your midsection, which may put your heart at risk. The AHA recommends that women aim for a waistline smaller than 35 inches.
Daily Steps: 10,000
If formal exercise routine intimidates you, try increasing your daily activity. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park your car at the back of the lot, or get off the train one stop earlier and walk the extra blocks. An easy way to track movement is to wear a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps each day.
Source:(1) Good Housekeeping & (2) STAF, Inc.'s Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program
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Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally
If your blood pressure (= BP) is creeping up or has reached "uh-oh" levels, try these drug-free ways to bring it down. Have a healthy lifestyle - eat healthy FOOD (no fast food, it is no food - no sugar, no soda) - eat fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains (no factory made cereal - that is no food). All information what to eat and what not to eat is in this STAF, Inc.'s website. Material in this website is also developed for College and University teaching in related science areas in all degree levels: Associate, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. - thus you know: you have the most recent scientifically correct information. Apply all information you study in this website - your health and life will start healing and will improve in quality.
Basic, briefest advice to keep your BP low is in these 4 quotes:
Quote: "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. CEO)
Quote: "If it came from a plant eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't" (Michael Pollanmichaelpollan.com)
Quote: "Eat food, not too much, mostly fruit and vegetables" (MichaelPollanmichaelpollan.com)
Quote: "To stay healthy and have long life, you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. CEO)
1.
Raise your pulse Walk daily 10 000 - 25 000 steps - use a pedometer. A day with a walk, jog, or other aerobic challenge is a day with lower BP. That goes for everybody, but is most important for those with rising numbers. Aim for 30 minutes or more of pulse- and respiration-raising exercise most days.
2.
Carry a load Strength training using free weights, machines, or resistance bands can lower BP a few points. Try twice a week, at a level where you can manage 3 sets of 10 reps.
3.
Tighten your grip Squeezing a handgrip or ball (four 2-minute holds, a minute's rest in between) 3 times a week has been shown to lower BP 13 systolic (upper number) and 8 diastolic points. (If pressure is high, ask an M.D. first.)
4.
Unroll your mat Strike some yoga poses two or three times a week, and you may strike a few points from your BP. In a new University of Pennsylvania study, the average systolic BP moved from 133 to 130. That's still considered prehypertension*), so combine yoga with other strategies.*) Prehypertension - MayoClinic.com
5.
Push potassium The mineral relaxes blood vessels, lowering BP and countering the constricting action of sodium. Ideal is 4,700 mg/day, bu t just 750 to 1,000 mg above your usual intake can lower BP 2 to 3 points. That's 2 bananas or 1 potato or 1 cup of cooked spinach.
6.
Get cultured In the Framingham Heart Study, those who ate more than 2% of their calories in the form of yogurt (more than, say, 6 ounces every 3 days) were 31% less likely to develop high BP than those who ate less or none. Other dairy may also help. click: Framingham Heart Study
7.
A daily medium size beet prepared in a blender In one study, a daily beet lowered systolic BP 10 points in people with mild hypertension. Not your cup of juice? Load up on leafy greens and other root vegetables.
8.
Fill your fridge with Dash Diet = same as the nutrition information in this STAF, Inc. website Cardiologists recommend the DASH diet as key to all-natural approaches to better BP. The basics: loads of fruit, veggies, and whole grains, along with protein, nonfat or low-fat dairy, and cutbacks in fats, salt, and sugar.
Broader info DASH Diet Eating Plandashdiet.org/
9.
Learn & practice meditation daily You may feel relaxed watching your favorite sitcom, but BP levels actually rise with the number of hours spent in front of the TV. Try meditation instead; it lowers BP more than muscle-relaxation techniques. (In this STAF, Inc.'s tab you'll find meditation guidance.) Meditation: Take a stress-reduction break wherever you are ...www.mayoclinic.com › ... › Stress management › In-Depth - Meditation — Learn quick and easy ways to meditate, no matter where you are
10.
Scale back Losing weight lifts spirits and can make the difference between controlling BP on your own and needing drugs. In fact, losing just 9 pounds can lower systolic pressure 4.5 points, a review found.
11.
Soak in a bath Add 2 cups of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) to the tub, and your blood vessels will relax, too, as you absorb the mineral through your skin. Epsom Salt Councilwww.epsomsaltcouncil.org/
12.
Wait to inhale Breathing slowly can lower BP. Need a coach? Resperate*) trains you to breathe 5 to 10 times a minute. When used for 15 minutes daily, the device lowers BP about 4 points more than other relaxing input (like soothing music), research shows. *) Resperate: Can it help reduce blood pressure? - MayoClinic.comwww.mayoclinic.com › ... › Expert Answers Resperate is a device that teaches slow, deep breathing — which can reduce blood pressure.
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Source: (1)Good Housekeeping (2) STAF, Inc. Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program
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For every person important information from American Heart Association
American Heart Association Science Advisory
PART A
Healthcare providers should aggressively treat unhealthy lifestyles
See at the end of this article the internet article by Save The American Family, Inc., not-for-profit, the new
leading organization fighting nationwide & worldwide all unhealthy lifestyle matters.
STAF, Inc. developed a totally new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program meant for the U.S. government use in fighting overweight, obesity & other health & life destroying habits in the U.S. The same program fits worldwide for every country's use to conquer the unhealthy lifestyle habits.
To inspect STAF, Inc.'s first 3 pages in its original founding acceptance documents provided by the State of New York:
click the colored click: click - STAF, Inc.'s purpose and its mission statements are in those 3 pages
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It is important to notice that the new STAF, Inc.'s program has the lowest level of costs for food expenses, only about $95 for and adult person per month.
See the details in the article 2 of 2 below this article 1 of 2
Article 1 of 2
American Heart Association Science Advisory
Healthcare providers should aggressively treat unhealthy lifestyles
Statement Highlights:
- Unhealthy habits, such as smoking, poor diet, and being overweight should be treated as aggressively as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other cardiovascular disease risk factors.
- Insurance reimbursement policies need to be improved so that registered dieticians, psychologists and others can become part of the primary practice team.
“We’re talking about a paradigm shift *) from only treating biomarkers**) — physical indicators of a person’s risk for heart disease — to helping people change unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking, unhealthy body weight, poor diet quality and lack of physical activity,” said Bonnie Spring, Ph.D., lead author of the statement and a professor of preventive medicine and psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University in Chicago.
*) paradigm shift = a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions
**) biomarker = a measurable substance in an organism whose presence is indicative of some phenomenon such as disease, infection, or environmental exposure
e.g.: "a biomarker that may predict aggressive disease recurrence in liver transplant recipients"
“We already treat physical risk factors that can be measured through a blood sample or a blood pressure reading in a doctor’s office, yet people put their health at risk through their behaviors. We can’t measure the results of these behaviors in their bodies yet.”
Among the statement’s recommendations, healthcare providers should create “inter-professional practices” to connect patients with behavior change specialists such as dietitians or psychologists and implement the five A’s when caring for patients:
- Assess a patient’s risk behaviors for heart disease.
- Advise change, such as weight loss or exercise.
- Agree on an action plan.
- Assist with treatment.
- Arrange for follow-up care.
Under an effective healthcare system, professionals can work with patients and draw on community and technology resources to provide intensive behavior interventions.
“This isn’t a problem that can be solved alone by the patient or the doctor who is strapped for time,” Spring said. “We need to break out of our silos and get ahead of the curve in prevention.”
She said to achieve the American Heart Association’s 2020 impact goals --to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent -- we must make preventing cardiovascular diseases a priority.
Judith K. Ockene, Ph.D., co-chaired the writing group with Spring. Other co-authors are Samuel S. Gidding, M.D.; Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.PH.; Shirley Moore, R.N., Ph.D.; Milagros C. Rosal, Ph.D.; Michael D. Brown, Ph.D.; Dorothea Vafiadis, M.S.; Debbie L. Cohen, M.D.; Lora E. Burke, Ph.D., M.P.H.; and Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M. Author disclosures and sources of funding are on the manuscript.
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The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association receives funding mostly from individuals. Foundations and corporations donate as well, and fund specific programs and events. Strict policies are enforced to prevent these relationships from influencing the association’s science content. Financial information for the American Heart Association, including a list of contributions from pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers, is available at www.heart.org/corporatefunding
For Media Inquiries: (214) 706-1173
Darcy Spitz : (212)878-5940 ; [email protected]
Julie Del Barto (broadcast): (214) 706-1330; [email protected]
For Public Inquiries: (800) AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and strokeassociation.org
American Heart Association – Building healthier lives, free of ...www.heart.org/
Learn more about the American Heart Association's efforts to reduce death caused by heart disease and stroke. Also learn about cardiovascular conditions, ECC ...
CPR CPR & First Aid. We help save lives. And teach you how. Find a ...
Getting Healthy Nutrition Center - Physical Activity - Weight Management - ...
The New York City Home Page Home page for the NYC office.
Find a Course As the world leader in CPR, first aid and emergency ...
Nutrition Center Healthy Diet Goals - Recipes - Healthy Cooking - Dining Out
Giving When you donate to the American Heart Association, you are ...
More results from heart.org »
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Source: heart.org and strokeassociation.org - American Heart Association
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Article 2 of 2
Below as article 2 of 2
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.'s article placed daily in the internet for nationwide/worldwide view for the new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program, originally developed by STAF,Inc. for the U.S. government use in the new healthcare legislation as the first, real solution to the overweight, obesity & rampant sickness level nationwide in the U.S. and worldwide. The same program is fit for every nation's use worldwide.
The correct nutrition expenses are the lowest in this new program, lower than in any other program, only $95/month, yet it provides all daily nutrients in correct amounts.
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Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - fits every nation worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee - see website.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
Our website page tops have a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future.
Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., P.O.Box 1555, New York, NY 10163-1555, USA. In the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt.
100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
_______________________
See below PART B
PART B
Sections - Click each topic for details of the title
- Alternative Therapies
- Blood, Heart and Circulation
- Bones and Muscles
- Brain and Nerves
- Cancers
- Child health
- Cosmetic Surgery
- Digestive System
- Disorders and Conditions
- Drugs Approvals and Trials
- Environmental Health
- Ear, Nose and Throat
- Eyes and Vision
- Female Reproductive
- Genetics and Birth Defects
- Geriatrics and Aging
- Immune System
- Infections
- Kidneys and Urinary System
- Life style and Fitness
- Lungs and Breathing
- Male Reproductive
- Medical Breakthroughs
- Mental Health and Behavior
- Metabolic Problems
- Oral and Dental Health
- Pregnancy and Childbirth
- Public Health and Safety
- Sexual Health
- Skin, Hair and Nails
- Substance Abuse
- Surgery and Rehabilitation
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Woman Turning into 'Human Statue' Gets Bionic*) Arm
*) bionic = having artificial body parts, esp. electromechanical ones
*) Bionics (also known as bionical creativity engineering) is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology
Click green for further info
At age 3, Ashley Kurpiel was diagnosed with cancerous tumors in her right arm. Only after doctors surgically removed the young girl's arm and shoulder did they discover that she didn't have cancer.
Instead, Kurpiel, 31, has an extremely rare genetic condition known as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, or FOP. The disease is sometimes called "stone man syndrome," because the muscles, tendons and ligaments of people with the disease are gradually turned to bone. "I describe it today like saying 'I'm turning into a human statue,'" Kurpiel told CBS Denver.
Doctors at the Denver Clinic for Extremities at Risk have now given Kurpiel a hand — literally. She was outfitted with a prosthetic arm that attaches to her torso. Sensors on her myoelectric arm prosthesis can detect minute electrical charges created when Kurpiel twitches a muscle. Small motors in the battery-powered arm respond to those twitches, allowing her to move her new prosthetic arm and hand.
The 9 Most Bizarre Medical Conditions
Kurpiel is one of about 800 confirmed cases of FOP worldwide, according to the International Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Association (IFOPA) click: International FOP Association - Wikipedia
The disease strikes men and women equally, and it usually appears in childhood. One of the first signs of FOP is a deformation of the big toe; flare-ups of the disease can occur spontaneously or can follow common events like a fall while playing, an immunization shot or a viral illness like a cold or flu.
There's no known cure for FOP, but in 2006, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania isolated the gene responsible for the disease. Known as the ACVR1 gene, it directs the growth and development of bones and muscles, according to the National Institutes of Health. It's believed that a mutation leaves this gene stuck in the "on" position, resulting in an overgrowth of bone and the fusion of joints over time.
People with FOP gradually lose control of most of their limbs. "Eventually, I will be immobile from head to toe," Kurpiel told CBS. Nonetheless, she remains active and has learned how to surf using a modified board; she plans on taking a cruise in December.
"I've been blessed to meet so many truly amazing people, especially the Dalai Lama — that was a real honor," Kurpiel told the Daily Mail, referring to the religious leader, whom she met in 2007. She's also quickly adjusting to life with her new prosthetic arm, which enables her to hold a drink, handle a cellphone and eat.
Click green for further info
Source: International FOP Association - WikipediaInternational Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Association (IFOPA)
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
Planning to Blow Off That Flu Shot? Think Again
Click green for further info
If you don't know where to get vaccinated, the American Lung Foundation provides a convenient (click: flu-shot finder on its website. Just plug in your zip code and it will list the nearest locations.
Just thinking about getting a flu shot makes my arm sore. Receiving an influenza vaccination isn't pleasant, and its not 100 percent effective, but the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and infectious-disease experts recommend that everyone over 6 months old get one, with only a few exceptions. And now is the time. "This is absolutely the best time to get your vaccination," Andrew Pekosz, PhD, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine tells. It takes about two weeks for the body to develop maximum immunity, and he warns, "We've already seen cases positively diagnosed."
Related: Flu Vaccine Not Tied to Pregnancy Complications
This year, there are many vaccine options, some of which are available for the first time. The variety can be confusing, and the CDC isn't recommending one particular vaccine, but that's not a reason to avoid getting vaccinated. "Go to your health care provider," William Schaffner, MD, professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, says, "and get what they are offering. If you put it off, you may not get vaccinated at all." Schaffner points out that even if you are young and healthy and have never experienced a serious bout of flu, you aren't only protecting yourself; you are protecting others, who may be more vulnerable and at greater risk of severe illness.
The Breast Cancer Shot? Cleveland Doctor Develops a Vaccine
Pekosz agrees. "The flu vaccine is many, many times safer than getting the flu. Why would you submit yourself and others to the disease if you don't have to?" As for ducking*) the shot because you believe you have a strong immune system, that's not a good reason either, he says. "Most people aren't as healthy as they think."
*) =to stay away from someone or something: to avoid someone or something
If you go to your doctor or a clinic and do have a choice of vaccines, here are the current options:
Standard-dose shot. Trivalent shots protect against three strains of flu. This one is the most common vaccine and is appropriate for most populations. It's manufactured in eggs, so if you are allergic to eggs, you should avoid it.
Standard-dose trivalent shot*) grown in cell culture. This one is approved for people over 18, and Schaffner says it's OK for those who have mild allergies to eggs, even though it contains a minute amount of egg protein.
*) trivalent influenza vaccine = A synthetic vaccine consisting of three inactivated influenza viruses, two different influenza type A strains and one influenza type B strain. Trivalent influenza vaccine is formulated annually, based on influenza strains projected to be prevalent in the upcoming flu season. This agent may be formulated for injection or intranasal (= Within the nose) administration. Check for active clinical trials or closed clinical trials using this agent. (NCI Thesaurus) - This gives protection against 3 types of influenza
Standard-dose egg-free trivalent shot. This shot is the best choice if you are between 18 and 49 and allergic to eggs. And, says Pekosz, if you have been avoiding getting vaccinated because of allergies, this is a good one to seek out.
Standard-dose intradermal*) trivalent shot. If you are looking for a less painful shot (um, who isn't?), this vaccine is administered under the skin, not into the muscle, with a smaller needle. It's approved for people 18 to 64 years old.
*) intradermal = areas between the layers of the skin
High-dose trivalent shot. This option is recommended for people 65 years and up. Older people with less robust immune systems don't develop antibodies as easily. "A preliminary review indicates that it provides 25 percent better protection," says Schaffner, "and it's covered by Medicare." However, if you are a senior and can't locate a high-dose shot, Schaffner says a lower-dose vaccine will still offer some degree of protection and can lessen symptoms if you do get the flu.
Standard-dose quadrivalent*) shot This shot is also new this year and protects against four types of flu – two A strains and two B strains (the trivalent protects against only one B strain). "This is the best option for virtually everybody in the population," says Pelosz. He explains that we tend to be more concerned about influenza A, but influenza B can cause severe illness in children, especially those who are exposed to the flu virus for the first time.
Standard-dose quadrivalent nasal spray. This year, the nasal vaccine is available only in quadrivalent form. This is an excellent choice for children because it offers broad protection and doesn't involve a needle. However, it's not approved for children who have experienced respiratory problems in the past because it can trigger wheezing.
The CDC Centers for Disease Control stresses that it is particularly important for certain populations to be vaccinated. These include people with medical conditions such as asthma and diabetes, pregnant women, children under 5, health care professionals, and household caregivers. Although children under 6 months old can't get a flu vaccine via either shot or spray, because the vaccines haven't been properly studied for use in babies, they will receive some protection if their mothers were vaccinated when they were pregnant. More detailed information on who should be vaccinated is available on the CDC website.
And yes, there some people who should avoid being vaccinated—in particular, those who have been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which is a rare paralytic illness. People who are suffering from severe coldlike symptoms accompanied by fever should delay getting inoculated until they are feeling better, since another virus can suppress the immune response to the vaccine. However, "sniffles aren't a contraindication," says Schaffner.
If you don't know where to get vaccinated, the American Lung Foundation provides a convenient (click; flu-shot finder on its website. Just plug in your zip code and it will list the nearest locations. No more excuses!
5 Simple Ways to Stay Cold and Flu Free
Is Jenny McCarthy Wrong About Vaccines and Autism? A New Study Says Yes.
10 Healthiest Foods on the Planet
Click green for further info
Source: HealthArchives (Article 2 of 2 next below)
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
Flu shots may help guard against heart problems
Click green for further info
Source: The Journal of the American Medical Association, online October 22, 2013
JAMA Network | JAMA | Homejama.jamanetwork.com/
American Medical Associationama-assn.org/
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Getting a seasonal flu shot may do more than just prevent influenza. It may also lower a person's risk of heart problems, suggests a new study.
Researchers who took a fresh look at previously collected data found people who got flu shots were less likely to have heart problems during the next year than those who were given a fake shot, or placebo. That was especially true for people with recent heart troubles.
"If there are those out there who for whatever reason don't get the flu shot or don't feel that they need it … this is one more reason why they might help," Dr. Jacob Udell said.
Udell is the study's lead author from the University of Toronto's Women's College Hospital and Peter Munk Cardiac Center at Toronto General Hospital.
Previous reports have shown people who come down with the flu have an increased risk over the near term of having a stroke, heart failure and heart disease, he told Reuters Health.
It's thought the infection triggers inflammation throughout the body and can aggravate existing heart problems.
For the new study, the researchers searched several databases for trials that compared people who received the flu shot to others who did not.
They found five published studies and one unpublished study that included 6,735 participants. Participants were in their late 60s, on average. A little more than a third had a history of heart problems.
Overall, 3 percent of those who received a flu shot went on to have a heart problem including a heart attack or stroke within a year. That compared to about 5 percent of those in the placebo groups.
Among those with recent heart disease, the difference was more dramatic.
The researchers found about 10 percent of participants with a recent heart problem went on to have another after they received the flu shot. That compared to about 23 percent in the placebo groups.
"Clearly if you had a recent heart attack our research is showing … they're going to derive the most protection," Udell said.
"I think it adds a stronger bit of evidence to the recommendations that are currently being made," Dr. David Frid said.
Frid, a preventative cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, was not involved with the new study.
"From the clinical perspective, it gives us more supporting data to say to our patients, ‘Here's a recent study confirming what we've been telling you that if you have heart disease you should be getting the flu vaccine,'" he told Reuters Health.
Dr. Kathleen Neuzil from the global health nonprofit organization PATH in Seattle wrote an editorial accompanying the new study in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
She cautions that the findings can't say the flu shot prevents heart problems. However, Neuzil writes that the known complications of flu among older people warrant the vaccine's use.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/JOTmp1 The Journal of the American Medical Association, online October 22, 2013.
American Medical Associationama-assn.org/
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Important info for you and for everyone
A group of international scientists has located a possible (click) Fountain of Youth
and it's in our kitchens, not in a fast-food (= bad-food) place and not on a department stores' processed food shelves
Eat These and You May Live Longer, New Study Finds The 12-year study, which involved more than 800 participants,
is the first to use a specific biomarker*) (in this case, urine analysis) to measure polyphenol**) levels, instead of relying on questionnaires.
*) biomarker = a measurable substance in an organism whose presence is indicative of some phenomenon such as disease, infection, or environmental exposure. E.g."a biomarker that may predict aggressive disease recurrence in liver transplant recipients"
**)polyphenols = a polyhydroxy phenol; especially : an antioxidant phytochemical (as chlorogenic acid) that tends to prevent or neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals
A group of international scientists has located a possible fountain of youth, and it's in our kitchens, not in a fast-f0od (= bad-food) place and not on a department stores' processed food shelves.
Quotation: "Eat food, not too much, mostly fruit & vegetables " (Michael Pollan)
Quotation: "If it came from a plant,eat it, if it was made in a plant, do not (it kills)
(Michael Pollan)
Quotation: "To stay healthy and have a longer life, you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.'s President; you are on STAF, Inc's website)
A new study in the (click: Journal of Nutrition reports that older adults who consume higher amounts of polyphenols*) have a 30 percent chance of living longer. Polyphenols are micronutrients found mainly in fruits,vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains, coffee, and tea. Evidence suggests polyphenols have a role in preventing cancer,cardiovascular disease, inflammation, osteoporosis, and other degenerative diseases.polyphenols = a polyhydroxy phenol; especially : an antioxidant phytochemical (as chlorogenic acid) that tends to prevent or neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals
Related: Great-Tasting Antioxidant Treats
The 12-year study, which involved more than 800 participants, is the first to use a specific biomarker (in this case, urine analysis) to measure polyphenol levels, instead of relying on questionnaires. "The results corroborate scientific evidence suggesting that people consuming diets rich in fruit and vegetables are at lower risk of several chronic diseases and overall mortality," lead author Raúl Zamora Ros, PhD, of the University of Barcelona, said in a statement. "This methodology makes a more reliable and accurate evaluation of the association between food intake and mortality or disease risk," added colleague Cristina Andrés Lacueva, PhD.
Click Longest-Living Bat Holds Clues to Longevity
A polyphenol-rich diet includes at least 650 milligrams a day. Below is a list of 20 commonly available foods that are among the
click 100 richest dietary sources of polyphenols (polyphenol content listed as mg/100 g serving):
- Cocoa powder (3448 mg)
- Dark chocolate (1766 mg)
- Black olives (569 mg)
- Green olives (346 mg)
- Hazelnuts (495 mg)
- Pecans (493 mg)
- Soy flour (466 mg)
- Plums (377 mg)
- Cherries (274 mg)
- Artichokes (260 mg)
- Blackberries (260 mg)
- Strawberries (235 mg)
- Red raspberries (215 mg)
- Red chicory/radicchio (235 mg)
- Whole-wheat flour (201 mg)
- Almonds (187 mg)
- Black grapes (169 mg)
- Red onion (168 mg)
- Apple (136 mg)
- Spinach (119 mg)
Don't stick to just the top-listed foods, though. "Any plant-based foods are good in their whole form," Angela Lemond, RDN and spokesperson for the (click) Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells. In general, polyphenol-rich foods are bright-or dark-colored and have a strong or astringent flavor. She recommends adding fruits and vegetables to breakfast and lunch, since most people focus on their dinner menus. Another trick is to slip vegetables into sandwiches and pack a colorful salad for lunch. She also says, "Branch out from your favorites and experiment with seasonal produce." The orange and red foods that are now hitting markets and farm stands are great sources of polyphenols. For kids, Lemond suggests cutting fruits and vegetables into snack sizes and storing them at eye level in the refrigerator.
Polyphenols are found in thousands of combinations in hundreds of different foods, and for maximum benefit, its helpful to eat a variety over the course of the day to keep blood levels high. Consume produce when it's fresh, because the beneficial compounds deteriorate with age. "There is also some destruction with heat," says Lemond. Cooking, especially deep-frying and boiling, can destroy them, but steaming retains the highest degree. Because some nutrients are released by cooking, she generally recommends eating a mixture of raw and cooked food. Processing foods can destroy the healthy compounds, so choose whole grains that are minimally processed. Also, leave skins on fruits and vegetables for maximum benefit.
Spices and herbs such as cloves, rosemary, oregano, and many others are superrich in polyphenols, so season your meals liberally. Beverages contain polyphenols too, especially coffee, green and black tea, red wine, and beer. Dark juices and citrus juices are good choices, but to keep calories in check, avoid high levels of added sugar.
To learn more, (click) Phenol-Explorer is an open-access database that lists values for over 500 different polyphenols found in more than 400 foods. It also includes information on the effects of processing and cooking on nutrient retention.
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These 10 "super"foods are proven, expert-beloved disease fighters and energy boosters
Add these to your meals and get on the fast track to a healthy body
Extra bonus information
Related: 6 Fat-Fighting Superfoods
Lemons
Why They're Healthy:
-- Just one lemon has more than 100 percent of your daily intake of vitamin C, which may help increase "good" HDL cholesterollevels and strengthen bones.
-- Citrus flavonoids found in lemons may help inhibit the growth ofcancer cells and act as an anti-inflammatory.
Quick Tip:
Add a slice of lemon to your green tea. One study found that citrus increases your body's ability to absorb the antioxidants in the tea by about 80 percent.
Broccoli
Why It's Healthy:
-- One medium stalk of broccoli contains more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin K requirement and almost 200 percent of your recommended daily dose of vitamin C -- two essential bone-building nutrients.
-- The same serving also helps stave off numerous cancers.
Quick Tip:
Zap it! Preserve up to 90 percent of broccoli's vitamin C by microwaving. (Steaming or boiling holds on to just 66 percent of the nutrient.)
Dark Chocolate
Why It's Healthy:
-- Just one-fourth of an ounce daily can reduce blood pressure in otherwise healthy individuals.
-- Cocoa powder is rich in flavonoids, antioxidants shown to reduce "bad" LDL cholesterol and increase "good" HDL levels.
Quick Tip:
A dark chocolate bar contains about 53.5 milligrams of flavonoids; a milk chocolate bar has fewer than 14.
Related: 8 Spices with Health Benefits
Potatoes
Why They're Healthy:
-- One red potato contains 66 micrograms of cell-building folate -- about the same amount found in one cup of spinach or broccoli.
-- One sweet potato has almost eight times the amount of cancer-fighting and immune-boosting vitamin A you need daily.
Quick Tip:
Let your potato cool before eating. Research shows that doing so can help you burn close to 25 percent more fat after a meal, thanks to a fat-resistant starch.
Salmon
Why It's Healthy:
-- A great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to a reduced risk of depression,heart disease, and cancer.
-- A 3-ounce serving contains almost 50 percent of your daily dose of niacin, which may protect against Alzheimer's disease and memory loss.
Quick Tip:
Opt for wild over farm-raised, which contains 16 times as much toxic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) as wild salmon.
Walnuts
Why They're Healthy:
-- Contain the most omega-3 fatty acids, which may help reduce cholesterol, of all nuts.
-- Omega-3s have been shown to improve mood and fight cancer; they may protect against sun damage, too (but don't skip the SPF!).
Quick Tip:
Eat a few for dessert: The antioxidant melatonin, found in walnuts, helps to regulate sleep.
Avocados
Why They're Healthy:
-- Rich in healthy, satisfying fats proven in one study to lower cholesterol by about 22 percent.
-- One has more than half the fiber and 40 percent of the folate you need daily, which may reduce your risk of heart disease.
Quick Tip:
Adding it to your salad can increase the absorption of key nutrients like beta-carotene by three to five times compared with salads without this superfood.
Related: The Good-Skin Diet: 10 Foods for Healthier Skin
Garlic
Why It's Healthy:
-- Garlic is a powerful disease fighter that can inhibit the growth of bacteria, including E. coli.
-- Allicin, a compound found in garlic, works as a potent anti-inflammatory and has been shown to help lower cholesterol and blood-pressure levels.
Quick Tip:
Crushed fresh garlic releases the most allicin. Just don't overcook; garlic exposed to high heat for more than 10 minutes loses important nutrients.
Spinach
Why It's Healthy:
-- Spinach contains lutein and zeaxanthin, two immune-boosting antioxidants important for eye health.
-- Recent research found that among cancer-fighting fruits and veggies, spinach is one of the most effective.
Quick Tip:
Spinach is a healthy -- and flavorless -- addition to any smoothie. You won't taste it, we promise! Try blending 1 cup spinach, 1 cup grated carrots, 1 banana, 1 cup apple juice, and ice.
Beans
Why They're Healthy:
-- Eating a serving of legumes (beans, peas, and lentils) four times a week can lower your risk ofheart disease by 22 percent.
-- That same habit may also reduce your risk of breast cancer.
Quick Tip:
The darker the bean, the more antioxidants it contains. One study found that black bean hulls contain 40 times the amount of antioxidants found in white bean hulls.
Extra bonus information
Related: 6 Fat-Fighting Superfoods click, learn & eat
Live to 100: Top 10 Diet Tips to Live Longer
The Metabolism-Boosting Superset Workout
What Works (and Doesn't) to Get Rid of Cellulite
Click green for further info
Source: Food & Health
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The text below is placed daily as a comment to multiple internet articles to guide the public to a healthier, financially rich & longer, happy life
You & your family members, including your children:
read this comment - it will benefit you and your family
Read this also to your smaller children who do not read, yet - explain its meaning
to all of your children so they will get used to the idea of having a healthy lifestyle.
__________________________
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - fits every nation worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
STAF, Inc.has 10 private services given a unique lifetime result-guarantee with only a one-time fee - see website.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
Our website page tops have a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future.
Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., GPO 339, New York, NY 10116-0339, USA. In the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt.100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
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Any raw meat can anytime cause sickness
Avoid Salmonella outbreaks & other food poisoning
Tips for Cooking Raw Chicken Safely and how to avoid foodborn illness from any source
Most of us believe that we know how to handle raw chicken - the truth is: most of us do NOT know.
Click green for further info
While chicken salmonella outbreak may have people concerned about eating chicken, experts point out that raw
meat products always carry risk.
"Chicken in general carries risk, whether it's part of certain outbreak or not," said Ben Chapman, a food safety specialist and assistant professor of food science at North Carolina State University.
North Carolina State Universitywww.ncsu.edu/
"There's pathogens*) on raw chicken regardless of where it comes from," he added.
*) pathogen = a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease
In any salmonella outbreak about half of the sick has to be hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Click: Centers for Disease Control and Preventionwww.cdc.gov/
Professor Chapman has some tips for reducing risk of illness when cooking and handling raw meat:
(1) Avoid cross contamination = the process by which bacteria or other microorganisms are unintentionally transferred from one substance or object to another, with harmful effect.
It's important to keep in mind that juices from meat can contaminate other objects and surfaces they come in contact with — such as your hands, kitchen counter, cutting knife or uncooked food — and spread around, Chapman said.
Cross-contamination can happen at any point in the cooking and handling process, starting at the grocery store.
To avoid cross-contamination when buying meat, consumers should first make sure there is nothing dripping from the package, Chapman said.
Professor Chapman said he also places meat in a separate plastic bag so that it doesn't contaminate other food or reusable bags.
When preparing food, people should clean their hands after touching raw chicken products, and clean other utensils and appliances that come in contact with raw chicken, such as a cutting board or knife, before using them again, Professor Chapman said.
(2) Don't wash your chicken
Although some people have been taught to wash raw chicken, this practice really promotes cross-contamination, Chapman said. Washing poultry can spread juices around, and sometimes spread bacteria up to three feet away, according to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. University of Wisconsin–Madisonwww.wisc.edu/
Food safety researchers at Drexel University recently launched a public health campaign to help get the word out about the hazards of poultry washing, and created an animation showing how the practice can spread germs.
click green to see the public health campaign Professor Chapman advised consumers to avoid this practice of washing the chicken. "It can only increase risk," he said.
(3) Thaw properly
There are several methods for thawing raw chicken that has been frozen, including placing it in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. You should not thaw raw chicken on the counter, the USDA says. (click: U.S. Department of Agriculturewww.usda.gov/
Professor Chapman said that, regardless of the method people use, they should ensure that the outside of the chicken is not above 41 degrees Fahrenheit for more than four hours. Consumers should also take measures to prevent the spreading of juices that collect from the meat while it thaws, he said.
(4) Cook properly
Consumers should not look at the color of meat or its juices to determine if it's cooked. The only way to know for sure whether you've reduced your risk of foodborne illness is to cook the meat to an internal temperature of 165 F.
Chapman recommends using a tip-sensitive digital thermometer, and checking the temperature of the meat in several spots.
(5) Reheat to the right temperature
Any leftovers you have should be quickly cooled by placing them in a refrigerator, Chapman said.
If consumers properly cooked their meat the first time to 165 degrees F, and quickly cooled down the leftovers, then they can heat up leftovers to 145 or 155 degrees F, Chapman said. But to be extra cautious — for instance, if there's any question that the meat was cooked properly the first time — consumers can heat leftovers to 165 degrees F, Chapman said.
Using a thermometer is especially important if you reheat leftovers in the microwave, Chapman said, because a microwave may not cook the meat evenly, and some spots of the chicken may be undercooked.
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Top Meats That Can Make You Sick
7 Germs in Food hat Make You Sick
Foodborne Illness - Food-Borne Illnesses Drop, But Food Safety Still Crucial
If the related article links have expired search the web with the title
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Source: Several U.S.gov. information sites
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Flip teaching
(or flipped classroom) is a form of (click: blended learning in which students learn new content online by watching video lectures, usually at home, and what used to be homework (assigned problems) is now done in class with teacher offering more personalized guidance and interaction with students, instead of lecturing.
This is also known as backwards classroom, reverse instruction, flipping the classroom and reverse teaching.
Flipping is still in the early stages, with much experimentation about how to do it right.
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Traditional vs flipped teaching
The traditional pattern of teaching has been to assign students to read textbooks and work on problem sets outside school, while listening to lectures and taking test in class.
"My AP Calculus class was a really anxious environment, it was weird trying to get through way too much material with not enough time. It was exactly the opposite of what I was looking for when I got into teaching."
(A teacher explaining what motivated her to adopt flipped teaching.)
In flip teaching, the students first study the topic by themselves, typically using video lessons prepared by the teacher or third parties such as Mathletics, the Khan Academy and The University Edge. In class students apply the knowledge by solving problems and doing practical work. The teacher tutors the students when they become stuck, rather than imparting the initial lesson in person. Complementary techniques include differentiated instruction and project-based learning.
Flipped classrooms free class time for hands-on work. Students learn by doing and asking questions. Students can also help each other, a process that benefits both the advanced and less advanced learners.
Flipping also changes the allocation of teacher time. Traditionally, the teacher engages with the students who ask questions — but those who don’t ask tend to need the most attention. “We refer to ‘silent failers,’ ” said one teacher, claiming that flipping allows her to target those who need the most help rather than the most confident. Flipping changes teachers from “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side”, allowing them to work with individuals or groups of students throughout the session.
History
Eric Mazur developed peer instruction in the 1990s. He found that computer-aided instruction allowed him to coach instead of lecture. Lage, Platt and Treglia published the paper "Inverting the Classroom: A Gateway to Creating an Inclusive Learning Environment" in 2000.[14] In 1993, King published "From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side"[15] in College Teaching, Vol. 41, No. 1 (Winter, 1993), pp. 30–35. Baker presented "The classroom flip: using web course management tools to become the guide by the side" at the 11th International Conference on College Teaching and Learning. Baker's article presents the model of classroom flipping.[16]
Starting in fall 2000, the University of Wisconsin-Madison used eTeach software to replace lectures in a computer science course with streaming video of the lecturer and coordinated slides.[17] In 2011, two centers at Wisconsin Collaboratory for Enhanced Learning[18] were built to focus on flipped and blended learning.
In 2004, Salman Khan began to record videos at the request of a younger cousin who felt that recorded lessons would let her skip parts she had mastered and replay parts that were troubling her. Khan’s model essentially provides one-to-one tutoring. Khan Academy videos are used as part of some educators' flipped teaching strategy.[19][20]
In the "The Classroom Flip" (2006), Tenneson and McGlasson presented an approach for teachers considering whether to flip their classrooms and how various approaches could enhance their teaching process, along. It also explores computer course management systems.[21]
In 2007, Jeremy Strayer published his dissertation research conducted at The Ohio State University entitled "The effects of the classroom flip on the learning environment: a comparison of learning activity in a traditional classroom and a flip classroom that used an intelligent tutoring system."[22] This study highlighted the importance of attending to the ways the coordination of out-of-class and in-class activities can positively and negatively influence how students engage course tasks.
Clintondale High School
In 2011 Michigan's Clintondale High School flipped every class. Principal Greg Green had been posting Youtube videos on baseball techniques for his son’s team. He then worked with social studies teacher, Andy Scheel, to run two classes with identical material and assignments, one flipped and one conventional. The flipped class had many students who had already failed the class — some multiple times. After 20 weeks flipped students were outperforming traditional students. No flipped student class scored lower than a C+. The previous semester 13 percent had failed. The traditional classroom showed no change.[13]
Clintondale had been designated as among the state's worst 5 percent. In 2010 more than half of ninth graders had failed science, and almost had half failed math. That year, the 9th grade flipped. The English failure rate dropped from 52 percent to 19 percent; in math, from 44 percent to 13 percent; in science, from 41 percent to 19 percent; and in social studies, from 28 percent to 9 percent. After 2011 the now-flipped school's failure rate dropped from 30 to 10 percent. Graduation rates soared above 90 percent. College attendance went from 63 percent in 2010 to 80 percent in 2012. Results on standardized tests went up in 2012 and then dropped, although complicated by student body changes.[13]
Teachers found that shorter videos (3-6 minutes) were the most effective. The school uses audio files, readings and videos from the Khan Academy, TED and other sources. Students favored the changes. Students without tech at home watch videos in school.[13]
Notable schools
Usage of flipped teaching is not regularly implemented at the school wide level due to the level of difficulty of writing new classroom curriculum that does not employ the standard lecture/textbooks/board model. Nonetheless, there are schools actively engaged in developing curriculum and classroom techniques that take advantage of flipped teaching. Notable examples are:
- Quantum Campus in Berkeley and Mountain View are likely the strongest examples of what a flipped classroom can look like. They use advanced curriculum design methods from Duke University, UC Berkeley, and Stanford that focus on teaching students through highly engineered experiences without lecture or textbook. They have coupled these advanced teaching methods with flipped teaching methods that allow for students to have a powerful learning experience in the classroom and then follow that up with video and homework outside of the classroom.
- Rocketship Schools are working fast to develop a series of public charter schools that integrate a flipped teaching methodology right into the school experience itself. The schools are well funded and have purchased computers for students to use during the day learning digitally for up to 50% of the time. This allows for the school to take small groups of students and teach them in more impactful ways. Rocketship schools are dedicated to bringing these advanced methods to low-income neighborhoods.
- Acton Academy in Austin is a private school that uses the flipped classroom model because they believe that students should and can enjoy their experience in the classroom more than they do at other schools. Flipping the teaching allows for powerful social-emotional development of the students.
Flipping is still in the early stages, with much experimentation about how to do it right.
Its most important popularizers are not government officials or academic experts, but Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann, a pair of high school chemistry teachers in Woodland Park, Colo., who wrote a book called “Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day,” drawing almost completely on their own experience. It hasn’t been rigorously studied (most people cite only this one research paper.) Flipping’s track record in schools, while impressive, is anecdotal and short. But many people are holding it up as a potential model of how to use technology to humanize the classroom.
Math[edit]In 2006, Maesumi taught a flipped Calculus I class at Lamar University. Students in the flipped class significantly outperformed the controls in Calculus II.[23]
Stacey Roshan, a high school math teacher in Potomac, Maryland, reduced student anxiety through flexible testing and student created content. Her mother, also a math teacher, used the videos her daughter had created, as well.[3]
In 2012, Crystal Kirch, a high school math teacher in Santa Ana, California, developed a "Watch, Summary, Question" (WSQ, pronounced "whisk") assignment cycle,[24] writing about it on her blog,[25] her class website, and posting to her YouTube channel.[26][27]
In 2012, Graham Johnson, a high school math teacher in Kelowna, British Columbia hosted the first-ever flipped learning conference in Canada.
Science[edit]In 2007, Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, both high school science teachers at Woodland Park High School in Woodland Park, Colorado, implemented their own version of the flipped classroom by first moving all of their direct instruction to online videos, and then introducing the Flipped-Mastery model during the 2008-2009 school year, chronicled in their book "Flip Your Classroom, Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day.[28]
In 2012, Marc Seigel, a chemistry teacher at a public school in New Jersey presented at Flipped Learning Conference in Chicago his strategies, successes and failures in teaching, he also writes about on his blog.
In 2012, Carolyn Durley, a biology teacher in Kelowna, British Columbia, co-hosted Canadian Flipped Learning Conference.
In 2012, Richard Pierce and Jeremy Fox detailed their experiences in Pharmacy Education at Shenandoah University in Am J Pharm Educ. 2012 Dec 12;76(10):196. doi: 10.5688/ajpe7610196. Vodcasts and active-learning exercises in a "flipped classroom" model of a renal pharmacotherapy module.
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Source: Wikipedia
Additional info: Five internet links below - click:
- Flip teaching - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip_teaching
- More Teachers 'Flipping' The School Day Upside Down : NPR
- Flip Your School | Scholastic.comwww.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=37570
- How high school teacher 'flips' classroom: Students watch lectures at .3
- 'Flipping' classrooms: Does it make sense? - The Answer Sheet
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U.S. Adults Fare Poorly in a Worldwide Study of Skills
Published: October 8, 2013
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American adults lag well behind their counterparts in most other developed countries in the mathematical and technical skills needed for a modern workplace, according to a study released October 8, 2013 - OECD study - OECD link at the end of this article.
The study, perhaps the most detailed of its kind, shows that the well-documented pattern of several other countries surging past the United States in students’ test scores and young people’s college graduation rates corresponds to a skills gap, extending far beyond school. In the United States, young adults in particular fare poorly compared with their international competitors of the same ages — not just in math and technology, but also in literacy.
More surprisingly, even middle-aged Americans — who, on paper, are among the best-educated people of their generation anywhere in the world — are barely better than middle of the pack in skills.
Arne Duncan, the education secretary, released a statement saying that the findings “show our education system hasn’t done enough to help Americans compete — or position our country to lead — in a global economy that demands increasingly higher skills.”
The study is the first based on new tests developed by the OECD - Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a coalition of mostly developed nations, and administered in 2011 and 2012 to thousands of people, ages 16 to 65, by 23 countries. Previous international skills studies have generally looked only at literacy, and in fewer countries.
The organizers assessed skills in literacy and facility with basic math, or numeracy, in all 23 countries. In 19 countries, there was a third assessment, called “problem-solving in technology-rich environments,” on using digital devices to find and evaluate information, communicate, and perform common tasks.
In all three fields, Japan ranked first and Finland second in average scores, with the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway near the top. Spain, Italy and France were at or near the bottom in literacy and numeracy, and were not included in the technology assessment.
The United States ranked near the middle in literacy and near the bottom in skill with numbers and technology. In number skills, just 9 percent of Americans scored in the top two of five proficiency levels, compared with a 23-country average of 12 percent, and 19 percent in Finland, Japan and Sweden.
“The first question these kinds of studies raise is, ‘If we’re so dumb, why are we so rich?’ ” said Anthony P. Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. “Our economic advantage has been having high skill levels at the top, being big, being more flexible than the other economies, and being able to attract other countries’ most skilled labor. But that advantage is slipping.”
In several ways, the American results were among the most polarized between high achievement and low. Compared with other countries with similar average scores, the United States, in all three assessments, usually had more people in the highest proficiency levels, and more in the lowest. The country also had an unusually wide gap in skills between the employed and the unemployed.
In the most highly educated population, people with graduate and professional degrees, Americans lagged slightly behind the international averages in skills. But the gap was widest at the bottom; among those who did not finish high school, Americans had significantly worse skills than their counterparts abroad.
“These kinds of differences in skill sets matter a lot more than they used to, at every level of the economy,” Dr. Carnevale said. “Americans were always willing to accept a much higher level of inequality than other developed countries because there was upward mobility, but we’ve lost a lot of ground to other countries on mobility because people don’t have these skills.”
Among 55- to 65-year-olds, the United States fared better, on the whole, than its counterparts. But in the 45-to-54 age group, American performance was average, and among younger people, it was behind.
American educators often note that the nation’s polyglot nature can inhibit performance, though there is sharp debate over whether that is a short-run or long-run effect.
The new study shows that foreign-born adults in the United States have much poorer-than-average skills, but even the native-born scored a bit below the international norms. White Americans fared better than the multicountry average in literacy, but were about average in the math and technology tests.
OECD links below click: green to connect:
United States - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and ... - OECDwww.oecd.org/unitedstates/
The United States should do more to foster innovation and provide more ...
OECD Statistics - Development - Careers - United States - About the OECD
OECD.Stat OECD.Stat enables users to search for and extract data from ...
Statistics Data Lab - Statistical Resources - Better Life Index - Newsroom
Italy OECD Integrity Review of Italy. This report provides guidance ...
More results from oecd.org »
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Source: NYT & OECD study
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This article is placed to remind all parents that
the PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE
for their children's behavior and for their wrong doings
3-part article: READ ALL PARTS: A - B - C - important info
See below the end of PART C the link connecting to information "Parental Responsibility Laws in all U.S. 50 states"
PART A (B + C parts next below Part A)
Sheriff Would Arrest Cyberbully Suspect's Parents & School Administrators
Date: October 17, 2013
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Florida officials are still actively investigating the parents of a teenage girl accused of cyberbullying
Rebecca Sedwick to suicide, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
"If I could, they would already be in jail," Judd told ABC News Wednesday. "But I can tell you this, that we're keeping our options open."
The charge would be "contributing to the delinquency of a minor," the sheriff said.
Sheriff: Suicide of Girl, 12, 'Broke My Heart'
Two girls, ages 12 and 14, were arrested earlier this week and charged with felony aggravated assault for leading the digital torment against the 12-year-old Rebecca, police said. She jumped from a concrete silo tower to her death Sept. 9.
Meanwhile, the parents of the two suspects and school officials bare the bulk of responsibility, Rebecca's mother said.
"I would rather see the parents and administrators behind bars, and see the kids get help they need," Tricia Norton of Lakeland, Fla., told ABC News.
The parents of the older suspect monitored their daughter's Facebook activities nightly and saw no signs of bullying, leading them to believe someone hacked her account, they told ABC News.
Sheriff Judd doesn't buy their story and accused the older suspect of gloating on Facebook after the suicide about bullying Rebecca.
Parents of Alleged Cyberbully Blame Facebook Hack
"Yeah, that's baloney. Those parents haven't cared from the very beginning," Judd said. "After this initial event, after the initial interviews, why did they let her stay on Facebook any longer?"
Judd said he's only investigating the older suspect's parents, whom he described as being "in denial."
"When the parents don't take care of the children and it becomes criminal conduct, then it becomes my responsibility, and my deputies and I know how to take control," Judd said.
The younger suspect's parents "are remorseful, and they see the big picture. They recognize that was a major malfunction. They care," Judd said.
The sheriff released the names and mug shots of the accused juveniles earlier this week to send a message to others in the community about cyberbullying. ABC News is not revealing either girl's identity because they have been charged as juveniles.
Rebecca was bullied online for 10 months and Norton said her daughter had been physically attacked five times before that, police say. Eventually, Norton pulled Rebecca from Crystal Lake Middle School in Pompano Beach to end the bullying and keep her daughter away from the two suspects, who also attended classes there.
"I made several, several reports to the school. I did an online bullying report because I thought nothing was being done by the school. And nothing was being done on that either," Norton said.
Polk County school officials refused to comment when asked about Norman's allegations, but they told ABC News that progress on bullying is being made.
"We have seen an increase in the reporting of bullying," Polk Schools Assistant Superintendent Nancy Woolcock said."Parents seem to be paying attention now."
One mother who has a child attending Crystal Lake Middle School said bullying should not be tolerated under any circumstance.
"We don't need no more lives taken. One time is enough. Zero tolerance is zero tolerance," the unidentified mother said.
But even after Rebecca left the school for a fresh start this fall, her tormentors continued their assault online, police said. She jumped to her death at an abandoned concrete plant.
"When I stood there at the base of that cement tower, and saw that baby, that 12-year-old, deceased on the ground, it broke my heart and I know it would break the hearts of everyone else across the country if they were in the position I was in," Judd told "Good Morning America" Wednesday.
Rebecca would have celebrated her 13th birthday this weekend.
The 12-year-old suspect told them she bullied Rebecca and expressed remorse, Police said. She was released into her parents' custody and has been placed on home detention, pending further proceedings.
The older suspect remains in the juvenile wing of the Polk County Jail until her arraignment Oct. 25.
Article source: ABC News
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PART B (part A next above, part C next below) READ ALL PARTS: A - B - C - important
See below at the end of PART C the link connecting to information "Parental Responsibility Laws in all U.S. 50 states"
Comment from public to the above article
Article: Sheriff Would Arrest Cyberbully Suspect's Parents If He Could - 10/171/13
My daughter was part of a cross-age aide program at her school. While on her way to help in a kindergarten, she was cited for being on the wrong playground by a school aide. When she protested that she was there legitimately, her punishment was doubled. I fought back and had the punishment lifted and forced the school to issue passes to the students who needed free access to off-limits areas. At the same time, I often told my kids that if they did something wrong, I would not hide them from the police, but I would visit them in prison. Parents can support their children while still letting them know that they are responsible for their actions. No child is too young to learn that there are limits. "Because I said so" is a perfectly reasonable position to take and no child needs an explanation if it is used consistently.
PART C (part A + B next above ) READ ALL PARTS: A - B - C - important
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PARENTAL LIABILITY IN THE UNITED STATES
See below at the end of PART C the link connecting to information "Parental Responsibility Laws in all U.S. 50 states"
PART C (part A + B next above ) READ ALL PARTS: A - B - C - important
In the United States there have always been mechanisms to hold parents accountable for their children's actions (Cahn, 1996; Humm, 1991). For example, "early parental liability statutes authorized the juvenile courts to assert jurisdiction over parents (and often over any other adult) who had contributed to the delinquency of a minor" (Cahn, 1996, p. 405). However, in the past 10 years, parental liability laws have increased in popularity in response to fears of increasing juvenile crime (Cahn, 1996; Parents did nothing..., 1996; Counselling issue helped..., 1996; Humm, 1991). There is strong public support for laws which hold parents accountable for their actions as parents when their dependent children commit crimes.
California was the leader in enacting additional, more punitive parental liability legislation with the introduction of the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act of 1988 (Cahn, 1996). The legislation holds parents/legal guardians criminally liable when they have not exercised "reasonable care, supervision, protection, and control over the minor child" (California Penal Code Section 272, as quoted in Cahn, 1996, p. 409). Punishments range from misdemeanours and fines to imprisonment for a year or probation for five years. At least nine other states have passed similar legislation and roughly half of the states in the U.S. have passed or tightened parental responsibility/liability ordinances (Michigan parents convicted..., 1996).
The United States' interest in holding parents liable for their children's crimes has grown rapidly
(Parents did nothing..., 1996; Michigan parents convicted..., 1996). St. Clair Shores, Michigan adopted a "Parental Responsibility Ordinance" in 1994 which allows parents to be fined up to $100 for failing to control their children's actions or seek professional assistance (Are parents responsible..., 1996; Parents did nothing..., 1996). Dozens of towns have since adopted parental responsibility ordinances similar to the St. Clair Shores ordinance. In most cases where these ordinances have been enforced, parents settle out of court (Michigan parents convicted..., 1996).
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Source: Internet legal advisers
The U.S. LAW
There is a political movement for greater parental accountability following of a number of highly publicized violent crimes committed by children. While all US states allow parents to be sued for the various actions of their children, the idea of criminal legislation to enable the prosecution of adults for “neglectful” parenting is relatively new. For example, a number of states have enacted or proposed laws that will:
- automatically hold parents financially responsible for all expenses associated with a second false bomb threat or 911 call made by a child;
- impose a prison term of up to 18 months and order payment of restitution to any victims if the child commits a serious crime;
- imposes a fine and/or a prison term if a child uses a gun owned by the parent to commit a crime
- fine and/or imprison parents whose children fail to attend school or skip school more than 10 times in a year.
The Canadian law
Parental responsibility legislation has been enacted in three Canadian provinces: Manitoba (1997), Ontario (2000), and British-Columbia (2001).
Under the Parental Responsibility Act, 2000, a "child" is anyone under the age of 18 years, and "parent" means:
- either the biological, adoptive, or legal guardian parent of the child,
- 0or the person who has lawful custody of, or a right of access to, the child.
See further info - click the green link below
Parental Responsibility Laws in All 50 U.S. States Matthiesen, Wickert、...www.mwllaw.com/wp.../03/parental-responsibility-in-all-50-states.pdf
Almost every state has some sort of parental responsibility law that holds parents or legal guardians ... The age of majority in most of the United States is 18-years-old, but there are .... Parents are liable for restitution for minor's criminal acts
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Information for everyone who wants to work
Data Reveal a Rise in College Degrees Among Americans
Date: June 12, 2013
“Maybe you don’t need a bachelor’s to change bedpans*),” Ms. Baum said,
“but today if you’re an auto mechanic, you really have to understand computers and other technical things”
The number of Americans graduating from college has surged in recent years, sending the share with a college degree to a new high, federal data shows.
The surge follows more than two decades of slow growth in college completion, which caused the United States to fall behind other countries and led politicians from both parties, including President Obama, to raise alarms.
Last year, 33.5 percent of Americans ages 25 to 29 had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 24.7 percent in 1995, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In 1975, the share was 21.9 percent. The number of two-year college degrees, master’s degrees and doctorates has also risen recently.
The increases appear to be driven both by a sharp rise in college enrollment and by an improvement among colleges in graduating students. The trends could bring good news in future years, economists say, as more Americans become qualified for higher-paying jobs as the economy recovers.
College attendance has increased in the past decade partly because of the new types of jobs that have been created in the digital age, which have increased the wage gap between degree holders and everyone else. The recent recession, which pushed more workers of all ages to take shelter on college campuses while the job market was poor, has also played a role.
“Basically, I was just barely getting by, and I didn’t like my job, and I wanted to do something that wasn’t living dollar to dollar,” said Sarah O’Doherty, 24, a former nail salon receptionist who will graduate next month from the County College of Morris in New Jersey with a degree in respiratory therapy. “After I had my son, I wanted to do something I felt passionate about, to have a career.”
The attainment of bachelor’s degrees has risen much faster for young women in the past decade than for young men. It has also risen among young whites, blacks and Hispanics, though relatively little among Asians, who already had the highest rate of college completion. The share of people with a college degree also varies tremendously by state, with 48.1 percent of people ages 25 to 34 in Massachusetts holding a bachelor’s degree, but just 20.4 percent in Nevada, according to the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, a research and development center founded to improve management at colleges.
Despite the recent improvement, higher education experts emphasized that college completion rates were still distressingly low, with only about half of first-time college freshmen who enrolled in 2006 having graduated by 2012, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.
“There are worrisome signs that the demand for high-skilled talent is increasing more rapidly than we’re actually educating people,” said Jamie P. Merisotis, the chief executive of the Lumina Foundation, an Indianapolis group that focuses on higher education, which is releasing a report on Thursday analyzing the federal data. “We can’t expect our citizens to meet the demands of the 21st-century economy and society without a 21st-century education.”
The recent jump in college graduation mirrors similar increases in educational attainment during previous severe downturns, economists said.
“It was sort of one of these ironic good things about the Great Depression, that it got all these kids to graduate from high school, which turned out to be really good for workers later on,” said Claudia Goldin, an economics professor at Harvard.
The G.I. Bill then created a second surge in educational investment after World War II, which also helped fuel the postwar economic boom. Of course, in those cases, Professor Goldin said, education was free or very cheap; college today is not.
Cost may be one reason that college completion has not risen nearly as much for low-income students, many of whom take on large amounts of debt and often do not graduate. The share of 24-year-olds from low-income families who hold college degrees has remained relatively flat over the last several decades, according to Tom Mortenson, a higher education policy analyst with Postsecondary Education Opportunity, a newsletter.
Low-income students are less likely to graduate from high school than more affluent students, less likely to enroll in college after high school and less likely to graduate from college after enrolling. Only about 1 out of 10 Americans whose parents were in the lowest income quartile held four-year college degrees by age 24 in 2011; the comparable share for people from the highest quartile was about 7 in 10, according to Mr. Mortenson.
Some of the recent increase in college completion has come among students who enroll in college, or return to it, at older ages, and experts say any future increases will probably need to come among this group as well, given its growth potential.
For-profit colleges — despite being more expensive and having lower completion rates than other colleges — are taking in many of these older and lower-income students. Professor Goldin estimates that for-profit colleges account for about one-fifth of the increase in bachelor’s degrees over the last decade.
“Community colleges just don’t have the money to expand,” she said. “At the for-profits, every person who comes there they’re making money on, so boy, are they expanding.”
The increase in college degrees is likely to fuel a debate about the wisdom of having so many people flock to college, given high debt levels and stories of unemployed graduates who are stuck on their parents’ couches.
Many economists point out that college graduates have fared much better than their less-educated peers and argue that rising educational levels will help the economy in the long run. Since the recession began in December 2007, the number of Americans with bachelor’s degrees who have jobs has risen by 9 percent, while employment has fallen for everyone else.
The unemployment rate for graduates of four-year colleges between the ages of 25 and 34 was 3.3 percent in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For high school graduates in the same age group who had not attended college, it was 11.8 percent.
Today’s premium for college degrees is caused partly by increasing selectiveness among employers about whom they hire and screening based on education even for positions that do not require higher skills. But jobs themselves have changed, too.
“Think about jobs 15 years ago that didn’t need any college education,” said Sandy Baum, a senior fellow at the George Washington University Graduate School of Education. Many of them now do, she added.
“Maybe you don’t need a bachelor’s to change bedpans,” Ms. Baum said, “but today if you’re an auto mechanic, you really have to understand computers and other technical things.”
*) bedpan = A metal, glass, or plastic receptacle (= container) for the urinary and fecal discharges of persons confined to bed
Source: New York Times
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Five myths about college debt
The trillion-dollar student debt burden has spawned many debates about the value of college. Some argue that we educate too many young people. Indeed, average tuition costs have gone up faster than the rate of inflation. The cost of college today is, in inflation-adjusted terms, roughly double what it was in 1980. This creates legitimate concerns about the continued affordability of a college education.
But the debaters often have their facts wrong. Very few Americans graduate with $100,000 in debt; college makes more sense today than ever; and no, our universities aren’t plundering their endowments to fund college dorms and football stadiums.
1. The financial return for going to college is less now than it used to be, because of the high cost of tuition and challenging employment prospects for recent graduates.
If anything, the value of an investment in college is higher now than it’s ever been. The college premium (the difference between the earnings of college graduates and high school graduates) is at its highest level ever.
It is true that in the years since the Great Recession, wages for recent college graduates have declined about 5 percent, but wages for those without a college degree have declined more than twice that, between 10 and 12 percent, increasing the college premium. Furthermore, the proportion of recent graduates who have gotten jobs coming out of college has been virtually unchanged from before the recession. In contrast, the employment rate for high school graduates and associate-degree holders has dropped by 8 to 10 percent.
Similarly, throughout the recession, the overall unemployment rate for bachelor’s degree holders has consistently been half that of non-college graduates.
2. Colleges are not preparing students with the skills needed in the current workplace.
All of the economic data suggests the exact opposite — that the productivity of U.S. college graduates in the workplace is increasing.
The broadest measure of the productivity differential between high school graduates and college graduates is how much employers are willing to pay for the latter over the former. This is known as the college premium, and it has increased steadily since the 1970s. This is not due to a diminished supply of college graduates (indeed, the supply has risen over that period).
The college premium is larger in the United States than in virtually any other economically developed country. Across the 34 countries that make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, employers on average are willing to pay 1.8 times as much for a college graduate as they are for an unskilled worker. But in the United States, employers pay 2.6 times as much for a college graduate. This, in spite of the fact that the supply of college graduates in the United States is among the highest in the OECD.
A recent Milken Institute study found that for each additional year of college attained by the residents of a region, the per capita gross domestic product of the region increases a remarkable 17.4 percent. The authors argue that the increased regional productivity is largely the result of the increased productivity of a college-educated workforce. (Interestingly, they do not see a similar jump in productivity for additional education at the high school level.)
3. On average, students are now borrowing $______ to pay for their college education.
This is a myth, or at the very least misleading, for almost any figure reported in the national press. (Though the reported figures vary, the amount is generally more than $25,000.) There are several reasons for this, principally that the data being reported are generally based on one or another report of outstanding student loan balances or average debt levels for those with loans.
What most people are interested in, and what most people interpret these figures to represent, is how much a typical student must borrow to finance an undergraduate (bachelor’s) degree.
Unfortunately, most figures reported lump together all student loan debt — for both undergraduate degrees and professional degrees. Furthermore, they report data on the average (mean) debt level among those who borrowed, not the median debt among all students, both those who borrowed and those who did not.
Data on debt levels at time of graduation is far harder to obtain. The Department of Education periodically gathers this information, but its most recent report covers those who received bachelor’s degrees in 2008. This study showed the following debt levels among the graduating seniors nationwide.
- 34.4 percent graduated with no debt.
- 12.0 percent graduated with $1-$9,999 in debt.
- 18.2 percent graduated with $10,000-$19,999 in debt.
- 15.5 percent graduated with $20,000-$29,999 in debt.
- 8.9 percent graduated with $30,000-$39,999 in debt.
- 5.3 percent graduated with $40,000-$49,999 in debt.
- 5.3 percent graduated with $50,000-$99,999 in debt.
- 0.5 percent graduated with over $100,000 in debt.
The report also breaks this down by sectors: median debt at public institutions is less than $10,000; at private nonprofit institutions it is in the $10,000-19,999 range; and at private for-profits it is in the $30,000-39,999 range.
These levels have no doubt gone up since 2008, but they are nowhere near what is usually reported as the “average student indebtedness.”
4. College indebtedness — now at more than a trillion dollars and second only to mortgage debt — is at a crisis level.
College debt now exceeds total credit-card debt and total auto loans, both of which have dropped since the beginning of the recession. It is in fact the only kind of household debt that continued to increase throughout the recession.
There are three reasons for the increase. First, more students are going to college. Second, a higher percentage of them are borrowing to finance their education. And third, the amount they are borrowing has increased.
Obviously, the first reason is to be applauded. It is in the interest of the students and the nation that more high school graduates go on to college.
The fact that more students are borrowing more to attend college is the result of several different factors, only partly the increased cost of tuition. Another major factor is a marked decline in college savings. According to Moody’s, during the past three years, the proportion of families with any college savings dropped from 60 percent to 50 percent, and those who saved set aside an average of only $11,781, down from $21,615 three years ago (a 45 percent decline).
What this means is that more families are substituting debt for college savings. But these are just alternative ways of
spreading the cost of college over multiple years. This is certainly no more worrisome than the switch from buying refrigerators with debt rather than layaway plans.
But even more important is the fact that college spending is an investment in human capital. The Hamilton Project estimates that a student’s spending on college has a financial return of over 15 percent, more than twice the average return of a stock market investment over the past 60 years.
When corporate America increases its debt to invest in physical capital — new factories, etc. — we do not consider it a crisis. It is a positive investment in future productivity. Similarly, when individuals borrow to invest in their own human capital, this is an investment in future productivity.
We should arguably celebrate the fact that college debt, an investment in the future, exceeds credit-card debt, which represents current consumption.
5. College costs are increasing faster than inflation largely because of wasteful spending on, for example, lavish dorms, recreation centers and sports facilities.
In a university’s overall budget, capital costs for “amenities” (such as recreation centers) constitute a very small fraction of the budget. Amortized*) over the life of the asset, they may account for a few dollars of the annual tuition bill, but not much more.
*) to amortize = reduce or extinguish (a debt) by money regularly put aside
Ironically, one of the main factors pushing up costs at universities is the fact that the college premium — the wages paid to highly educated employees — is higher than ever. College costs are dominated by employee salaries, and most of these employees (whether faculty, staff or administrators) are themselves highly educated. So the same phenomenon that increases the financial return of going to college for students also increases the cost of attending college!
Source: John Etchemendy is Stanford University’s provost; he wrote this article with Vivek Wadhwa, who writes regularly for Innovations.
Published first in Washington Post
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President Obama’s Plan Aims
to Lower Cost of College
Proposal links aid to a new set of ratings & rankings
Date: August 22, 2013
Click green for further info
President Obama announced a set of ambitious proposals aimed at making colleges more accountable and affordable by rating them and ultimately linking those ratings to financial aid.
A draft of the proposal, obtained by The New York Times and likely to cause some consternation among colleges, shows a plan to rate colleges before the 2015 school year based on measures like tuition, graduation rates, debt and earnings of graduates, and the percentage of lower-income students who attend. The ratings would compare colleges against their peer institutions. If the plan can win Congressional approval, the idea is to base federal financial aid to students attending the colleges partly on those rankings.
“All the things we’re measuring are important for students choosing a college,” a senior administration official said. “It’s important to us that colleges offer good value for their tuition dollars, and that higher education offer families a degree of security so students aren’t left with debt they can’t pay back.”
Mr. Obama hopes that starting in 2018, the ratings would be tied to financial aid, so that students at highly rated colleges might get larger federal grants and more affordable loans. But that would require new legislation.
“I think there is bipartisan support for some of these ideas, as we’ve seen in states where the governors have been working on them,” said the administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to disclose information not yet made public.
Ohio, Tennessee and Indiana have made moves toward linking aid to educational outcomes. But in the divisive Congressional atmosphere, it is not clear how much backing there would be for such proposals.
In February, the administration introduced an online college scorecard, making public some of the information to be included in the ratings, to help families evaluate different colleges. Graduates’ earnings, however, will be a new data point, and one that experts say is especially tricky to make meaningful.
“There are all kinds of issues, like deciding how far down the road you are looking, and which institutions are comparable,” said Terry W. Hartle, senior vice president of the American Council on Education, a group representing colleges and universities. “Ultimately, the concern is that the Department of Education will develop a formula and impose it without adequate consultation, and that’s what drives campus administrators nuts.”
Almost all of the federal government’s $150 billion in annual student aid is distributed based on the number of students a college enrolls, regardless of how many graduate or how much debt they incur. Under the new proposal, students could still attend whatever college they chose, public or private, but taxpayer support would shift to higher-ranked schools.
With rising tuition and declining state financing, students and families are assuming a growing share of college costs. Tuition revenues now make up about half of public university revenues, up from a quarter 25 years ago. And with colleges facing larger pensions, health care and technology costs, the pressure to keep raising tuition is intense.
The average borrower now graduates with more than $26,000 of debt. Loan default rates are rising, and only about half of those who start college graduate within six years.
Mr. Obama has focused on these concerns for some time, exhorting colleges and universities, and state legislators, to make higher education more affordable.
In his 2012 State of the Union address, he said he was putting colleges on notice that if tuition did not stop rising faster than inflation, financing from taxpayers would drop. And in this year’s State of the Union speech, he urged Congress to consider affordability and value in awarding federal aid, and followed up with a policy plan recommending that those measures be incorporated into the accreditation system.
Mr. Obama’s proposal urges colleges to experiment with approaches that reduce costs. The plan mentions so-called competency-based degrees, in which college credits are based not on the hours students spend in classrooms, but on how much they can show they know.
Another approach mentioned in the plan is online education through what have become known as “massive open online courses,” or MOOCs, which are mostly free. Mr. Obama also urged consideration of three-year degree programs and dual enrollment programs in which high school students can begin to earn college credits.
“This isn’t something that’s going to be fully driven by the federal government, but the president can tell colleges that there’s people out there doing good things, you should look at them, try them and try to do better — and here’s where we can help,” the official said.
There is some money available for such efforts, including $500 million for community colleges, and the administration is seeking more. So far, though, it has failed to persuade Congress to pay for Race to the Top competition for higher education, under which grants would go to those colleges with promising approaches.
With or without more financing, the president plans to offer regulatory waivers to colleges that serve as experimental sites promoting high-quality, low-cost innovations in higher education, especially those that make it possible for students to get financial aid based on how much they learn, rather than how much time they spend in class. He also wants to let colleges offer Pell Grants, federal aid based on need, to high school students taking college courses.
In a letter to supporters this week, Mr. Obama said that tinkering around the edges would not be enough, and that the changes he was proposing in his two-state, three-campus tour beginning Thursday, “won’t be popular with everyone — including some who’ve made higher education their business — but it’s past time that more of our colleges work better for the students they exist to serve.”
Mr. Obama is championing his ideas on a two-day bus tour, at town hall-style meetings on college campuses across upstate New York and Pennsylvania.
In the proposal, the president plans to change aid practices to make sure those receiving financial aid are moving toward a degree by, among other things, stretching out the disbursement of Pell Grant money over the semester, rather than giving it out in a lump sum at the start. While “satisfactory academic progress” is required by the current law, it is left to each institution to define such progress, and students who fail out of one college can simply transfer to another and receive more aid.
“That doesn’t make sense,” said Sandra Baum, an economist who is a senior fellow at the George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development. “Students need a structure that will help them make progress.”
Mr. Obama would also like to expand his existing pay-as-you-earn program for student borrowers so that borrowers could cap their payments at 10 percent of their discretionary monthly income. That expansion would require Congressional approval.
But even without it, the administration next year will direct the Education Department to call all debtors behind in their payments to make sure they understand repayment options.
Source: NYT
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College Costs Scare Middle Class
Students entering college in 2014 have more options on loan repayment. Student borrowers can limit their payments to 10 percent of income. Those with a good payment record become eligible for debt forgiveness after 20 years, or after ten for those in public service such as teachers, nurses, and soldiers.
Quote: Secretary, US Department of Education:
"Everywhere … I find both a strong sense of urgency about the importance of getting a college education, and a great deal of anxiety about whether middle-class families are getting priced out of college."
Most Americans agree: College is too expensive, and reliance on federal and private loans has increased dramatically. College debt has grown over the past 30 years, with more loans, and higher loan balances per person.
Graduates face a less than inspiring labor market. Nonetheless, college degrees remain synonymous with future success, so people risk long-term debt to go to school.
The administration is trying to tackle the problem of student debt.
“Everywhere … I find both a strong sense of urgency about the importance of getting a college education, and a great deal of anxiety about whether middle-class families are getting priced out of college,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan stated to the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association Annual Meeting in July.
A college student expressed the anxiety he described. Desiree Lukens, an undergraduate at Portland State University, began her college career eight years after her medical discharge from the military.
After leaving the service, “I had no idea what I was going to do with my life,” she said. “School was the best option, my only option. I couldn’t pay for it. Disability wasn’t nearly enough. The Pell Grant wasn’t enough to live off of, so I had to take out loans.”
Lukens has plenty of company.
The Pew Research Center reported one in five households have some form of student debt.
Student loans affect income-to-debt ratio. It delays young people from buying homes. Reducing balances can take years, or decades.
“We’re trying to make a better life for ourselves by getting an education. It’s not fair that we’re accruing debt to make a better life for ourselves, and there’s no guarantee for a job after graduating. The job market right now is scary,” said Lukens.
Student debt has become a serious economic issue. President Barack Obama, who felt burdened by debt from his and his wife’s Ivy League educations, according to his autobiographies, has spoken about college affordability many times.
“In the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college,” said Obama in a 2010 speech.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that the majority of graduates owe less than $25,000.
In 1977 Congress banned federal student loans from being discharged in bankruptcy, leaving disability or death as the two options for having student loans discharged or forgiven. People who cannot find good work after school can face unaffordable loan repayments.
In an effort to offer solutions to degree-seekers, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act*) - web links at the end - allows students entering college in 2014 more options on loan repayment. Student borrowers can limit their payments to 10 percent of income. Those with a good payment record become eligible for debt forgiveness after 20 years, or after ten for those in public service such as teachers, nurses, and soldiers.
Lukens summed up the fears of many who took the plunge of student loans, “It’s scary out there, I’m petrified about graduating.”
- The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act | The White Housewww.whitehouse.gov/.../education/...education/making-college-affordabl...
The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act represents a historic investment in higher education – expanding educational opportunity for America's ... - [PDF]The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Actwww.dpc.senate.gov/healthreformbill/healthbill61.pdfThe Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. Together with the Patient Protection and Affordability Act, the Health Care and Education. Reconciliation Act ...
Source: Epoch Times STAF, Inc. endorses The Epoch Times -
Click: The Epoch Times
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Born Digital: Meet the college class of 2017
Click the green title below for further info
In case the link has expired search the web with the title
Born Digital:Meet the college class of 2017
Eighteen-year olds headed off to college for the first time in fall 2013
were mostly born in 1995 — the year yahoo was founded......
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For further info click the green title below
In case the link has expired search the article with the below title
in The New York Times website
CUNY - City University of New York news
- Amid Departures, Hunters College's President
- is Assailed for the Management style
- Amid Exits, President of Hunter College Is Assailed for Her .... Jennifer J. Raab, Hunter College's president for 12 years. ...Ms. Anderson's departure came amid those of three senior administrators: Hunter's legal ...to what they describe as a highly temperamental style of management.
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The cheating activity is widely spread - something must be done about it - It degrades everyone - the honest & the crooked ones
42 percent of incoming Harvard freshmen cheated
in past: survey
PART A
Well, at least they're honest about being cheats.
A survey by the Harvard Crimson says 42 percent of incoming Harvard freshmen admit they've cheated on a homework assignment or problem set in the past. One in 10 (= 10 %) copped (= admitted) to having cheated on an exam.
The jocks*) especially have a lot to answer for. The Crimson's survey found that those recruited to play sports for Harvard were more likely to have cheated in the past than other students. *) jock = an enthusiast or participant in a specified activity (in this case sports); also: disc jockey; computer jock;
Additionally, male freshmen were "twice as likely as their female counterparts to have cheated on an exam and one-and-a-half times more likely to admit to cheating on a paper or take-home assignment."
The number of students who admitted to cheating pre-Harvard is higher than those who graduated from the university last spring. In a similar survey, 7 percent of Harvard's class admitted to cheating on an exam, paper or take-home test during their undergraduate years. Thirty-two percent said they had cheated on homework or a problem set at Harvard.
The survey, which covered other topics including student finances, sexual experience and drug use, comes a year after Harvard was embroiled in a cheating scandal that resulted in dozens of students being forced to withdraw.
Incoming freshmen would be well-advised to learn from their mistakes.
PART B
After going public a year ago with their investigation into Harvard’s largest cheating scandal in recent memory, administrators went to great lengths to promote a culture of academic integrity in the Harvard community.
But the results of a Crimson survey of the Class of 2017 conducted last month suggest that some of the newest members of that community are already guilty of academic dishonesty.
Ten percent of respondents admitted to having cheated on an exam, and 17 percent said they had cheated on a paper or a take-home assignment. An even greater percentage—42 percent—admitted to cheating on a homework assignment or problem set.
Recruited athletes were even more likely to admit to cheating—20 percent admitted to cheating on an exam, compared to 9 percent of students who were not recruited to play a varsity sport at Harvard. Twenty-six percent of recruited athletes said they had cheated on a paper or take-home assignment, compared to 16 percent of non-recruits.
Across the board, the incoming freshman class reported higher rates of cheating than did Harvard’s Class of 2013 in a Crimson senior survey conducted last spring. In that survey, 7 percent of graduating seniors said they had cheated on an exam, and 7 percent said they had cheated on a paper or take-home test. Thirty-two percent of graduating seniors said they cheated on a problem set or homework assignment during their undergraduate careers.
The Crimson’s survey of the Class of 2017 generated responses from more 1,300 incoming freshmen—nearly 80 percent of the class. Part III of a four-part series on the results of the survey focuses on the academic and extracurricular lives of freshmen.
ACADEMICS
Recruited athletes were not the only demographic to be more likely to cheat. Men were more likely than women to report having cheated. Male freshmen were twice as likely as their female counterparts to have cheated on an exam and one-and-a-half times more likely to admit to cheating on a paper or take-home assignment.
Despite the number of freshmen who admitted to academic dishonesty, their responses indicate that they overwhelmingly expect to prioritize academics at Harvard. Eighty-four percent of respondents put academics first when asked to rank their anticipated priorities among academics, extracurriculars, varsity sports, paid employment, and social life. Not a single respondent put academics at the bottom of their list.
The academic interests of the new freshman class were not always consistent with concentration numbers at the College. Twenty-six percent of surveyed freshmen said they plan to concentrate in economics or government, the two most populous concentrations at Harvard that represent 21 percent of current Harvard concentrators. And not a single freshman expressed plans to study African and African American Studies, Germanic Languages and Literatures, or South Asian Studies.
And just three months after a faculty committee released a set of reports advocating the revitalization of the study of the arts and humanities at Harvard, just 11 percent of surveyed freshmen said they plan to concentrate in that discipline. That figure is even lower than the current percentage of arts and humanities concentrators, who already make up just 16 percent of the student body.
Surveyed freshmen were also ambitious in their undergraduate academic plans. Fifty-nine percent said they plan to pursue a secondary field, and 36 percent a language citation. Among all surveyed freshmen, 23 percent plan to pursue both.
The survey results suggest that these high achievers are self-motivated. Eighty-two percent identified their greatest source of pressure as their own expectations. Just 8 percent named their parents as their greatest source of pressure. But not everyone was stressed out—7 percent of respondents said they are not under pressure.
The majority of surveyed freshmen said they expect to spend more time studying in college than they did in high school. A plurality of respondents—36 percent—indicated that they anticipate studying between 20 and 29 hours a week in college, and 26 percent said they anticipate spending between 30 and 39. Four percent said they anticipate studying 50 or more hours a week, and only 2 percent said they anticipate studying for 10 or fewer.
In comparison, 58 percent said that they studied for 19 or fewer hours in high school. However, pre-college study habits varied widely between respondents who went to public and private secondary schools. Only 17 percent of students who attended a non-denominational private school said they studied for 10 or fewer hours a week, compared to 39 percent of public, non-charter school students.
EXTRACURRICULARS
Although a large majority of respondents ranked academics as their anticipated highest priority for college, a plurality—40 percent—ranked extracurriculars*) second, and another 35 percent ranked it third.
*) = extracurriculars = Being outside the regular curriculum of a school or college, e.g.: Sports and drama are the school's most popular extracurricular activities
Surveyed freshmen were also enthusiastic about their secondary school extracurriculars. A large majority—84 percent—were involved in community service in high school. Also popular were music clubs/bands and student government, at 39 and 37 percent, respectively.
Respondents also reported being drawn to academic clubs in high school: 34 percent were involved in math clubs or competitions, 32 percent in science clubs or competitions, and 25 percent in other academic clubs.
Of those who were involved in student government in high school, 79 percent said they believe that student government has the power to effect change. Respondents who did not participate in student government were a bit more skeptical, with 60 percent expressing faith in the potential of student government.
Many surveyed freshmen rose to the top of their high school extracurriculars. A plurality of respondents—27 percent—were the president or top leader of two clubs in high school, and 26 percent were in charge of one. Two percent were the leaders of six or more clubs, and 9 percent were the editors-in-chief of their high school newspapers.
But not all freshmen obtained a top leadership role in their extracurriculars—19 percent led zero clubs.
ATHLETICS
One particularly popular high school extracurricular was athletics. Sixty-nine percent of surveyed freshmen reported being involved in athletics in high school, but just 12 percent of respondents were recruited to play a varsity sport at Harvard. An additional 9 percent of the class planned to walk on to a varsity team at Harvard.
Three quarters of freshman athletes, including both walk-ons and recruits, said they were likely or very likely to play their sport for all four years. However, recruited athletes were more likely than intended walk-on athletes to envision themselves graduating as four-year athletes, coming in at 93 and 47 percent, respectively.
Intended walk-on athletes were disproportionately drawn to certain sports. Among the intended walk-on athletes, more than 27 percent said they plan to try out for the men’s or women’s lightweight or heavyweight crew teams. Only three were ambitious enough to say they plan to walk on to the men’s basketball team that made it to March Madness the past two seasons.
Twenty-two percent of incoming recruited and walk-on athletes reported having received at least one concussion while playing a sport. Of those, two-thirds said they had been concussed once. But for most, these experiences did not dissuade them from playing their sports. Just 5 percent of all athletes and 19 percent of those who had been concussed from sports said they felt that concussions had affected their approach to their sport or desire to play that sport.
Athletes and non-athletes reported differing academic backgrounds. Coming into Harvard, 33 percent of incoming recruited athletes said that BC Calculus was the highest level of math they had completed prior to college, compared to 43 percent of non-athletes.
Athletes also expressed different academic plans for Harvard than their non-athlete counterparts. Although the “Gov Jock” is a commonly referenced stereotype among Harvard students, just one incoming recruited athlete expressed plans to concentrate in government. In comparison, 11 percent of non-athlete respondents were interested in becoming government concentrators.
On the other hand, economics, the most popular concentration among Harvard students, was disproportionately represented among incoming recruited athletes. Thirty-two percent said they expect to become economics concentrators, compared to 15 percent of non-athletes.
Click green for further info
Source: Harvard Crimson
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For Better Social Skills, Scientists Recommend
a Little Chekhov
Click Anton Chekhov - Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramaturge (= a playwright)
and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history
Click green for further info
Say you are getting ready for a blind date or a job interview. What should you do? Besides shower and shave, of course, it turns out you should read — but not just anything. Something by Chekhov or Alice Munro Alice Munro
will help you navigate new social territory better than a potboiler by Danielle Steel Danielle Steel
That is the conclusion of click: a study published in the journal Science.
It found that after reading literary fiction, as opposed to popular fiction or serious nonfiction, people performed better on tests measuring empathy, social perception and emotional intelligence — skills that come in especially handy when you are trying to read someone’s body language or gauge what they might be thinking.
The researchers say the reason is that literary fiction often leaves more to the imagination, encouraging readers to make inferences about characters and be sensitive to emotional nuance and complexity.
“This is why I love science,” Louise Erdrich, whose novel “The Round House” was used in one of the experiments, wrote in an e-mail. The researchers, she said, “found a way to prove true the intangible benefits of literary fiction.”
“Thank God the research didn’t find that novels increased tooth decay or blocked up your arteries,” she added.
The researchers, social psychologists at the New School for Social Research in New York City, recruited their subjects through that über-purveyor of reading material, Amazon.com. To find a broader pool of participants than the usual college students, they used Amazon’s Mechanical Turk service, where people sign up to earn money for completing small jobs.
People ranging in age from 18 to 75 were recruited for each of five experiments. They were paid $2 or $3 each to read for a few minutes. Some were given excerpts from award-winning literary fiction (Don DeLillo, Wendell Berry). Others were given best sellers like Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl,” a Rosamunde Pilcher romance or a Robert Heinlein science fiction tale.
In one experiment, some participants were given nonfiction excerpts, but we’re not talking “All the President’s Men.” To maximize the contrast, the researchers — looking for nonfiction that was well-written, but not literary or about people — turned to Smithsonian Magazine. “How the Potato Changed the World” was one selection. “Bamboo Steps Up” was another.
After reading — or in some cases reading nothing — the participants took computerized tests that measure people’s ability to decode emotions or predict a person’s expectations or beliefs in a particular scenario. In one test, called “Reading the Mind in the Eyes,” subjects did just that: they studied 36 photographs of pairs of eyes and chose which of four adjectives best described the emotion each showed.
Is the woman with the smoky eyes aghast (= filled with horror or shock) or doubtful? Is the man whose gaze has slivered to a squint suspicious or indecisive? Is she interested or irritated, flirtatious or hostile? Is he fantasizing or guilty, dominant or horrified? Or annoyed that his tech stock dropped half a percent on the Nasdaq in a round of late trading after news from the Middle East? (Just kidding — that last one isn’t on the test.)
The idea that what we read might influence our social and emotional skills is not new. Previous studies have correlated various types of reading with empathy and sensitivity. More recently, in a field called “theory of mind,” scientists have used emotional intelligence perception tests to study, for example, children with autism.
But psychologists and other experts said the new study was powerful because it suggested a direct effect — quantifiable by measuring how many right and wrong answers people got on the tests — from reading literature for only a few minutes.
“It’s a really important result,” said Nicholas Humphrey, an evolutionary psychologist who has written extensively about human intelligence, and who was not involved in the research. “That they would have subjects read for three to five minutes and that they would get these results is astonishing.”
Dr. Humphrey, an emeritus professor at Cambridge University’s Darwin College, said he would have expected that reading generally would make people more empathetic and understanding. “But to separate off literary fiction, and to demonstrate that it has different effects from the other forms of reading, is remarkable,” he said.
Experts said the results implied that people could be primed for social skills like empathy, just as watching a clip from a sad movie can make one feel more emotional.
“This really nails down the causal direction,” said Keith Oatley, an emeritus professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Toronto who was not involved in the study. “These people have done not one experiment but five, and they have found the same effects.”
The researchers — Emanuele Castano, a psychology professor, and David Comer Kidd, a doctoral candidate — found that people who read literary fiction scored better than those who read popular fiction. This was true even though, when asked, subjects said they did not enjoy literary fiction as much. Literary fiction readers also scored better than nonfiction readers — and popular fiction readers made as many mistakes as people who read nothing.
There is much the study does not address: How long could such effects last? Would three months of reading Charles Dickens and Jane Austen produce larger or smaller effects, or have no impact? Are the differences in scores all attributable to the type of material read? Would the results hold if the same person read all of the types? And would it matter if the literary fiction was particularly difficult? (Nobody was asked to read James Joyce or Thomas Pynchon. James Joyce -- Thomas Pynchon
The study’s authors and other academic psychologists said such findings should be considered by educators designing curriculums, particularly the Common Core standards adopted by most states, which assign students more nonfiction.
“Frankly, I agree with the study,” said Albert Wendland, who directs a master’s program in writing popular fiction at Seton Hill University. “Reading sensitive and lengthy explorations of people’s lives, that kind of fiction is literally putting yourself into another person’s position — lives that could be more difficult, more complex, more than what you might be used to in popular fiction. It makes sense that they will find that, yeah, that can lead to more empathy and understanding of other lives.”
He added: “Maybe popular fiction is a way of dealing more with one’s own self, maybe, with one’s own wants, desires, needs.”
In popular fiction, said Mr. Kidd, one of the researchers, “really the author is in control, and the reader has a more passive role.”
In literary fiction, like Dostoyevsky click Fyodor Dostoyevsky, “there is no single, overarching authorial voice,” he said. “Each character presents a different version of reality, and they aren’t necessarily reliable. You have to participate as a reader in this dialectic, which is really something you have to do in real life.”
Dr. Castano added that, in many cases, “popular fiction seems to be more focused on the plot.”
“Characters can be interchangeable and usually more stereotypical in the way they are described,” he said.
Ms. Erdrich, the author, said the study made her feel “personally cheered.”
“Writers are often lonely obsessives, especially the literary ones. It’s nice to be told what we write is of social value,” she said. “However, I would still write even if novels were useless.”
Want to help the researchers with their work? Click: You can participate.
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
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- Important scientist -
Helped spur*) the development of a class of drugs that target
cancer, diabetes and other diseases
Anthony Pawson,
Biologist in Cell-Protein Breakthrough, Dies at 60
*) to spur = to incite to action or accelerated growth or development - stimulate
- Click: Anthony Pawson - Wikipedia Anthony 'Tony' James Pawson, (October 18, 1952 – August 7, 2013), was a British-born Canadian scientist whose research has ...Biography - Honours and awards - Selected publications - References Anthony Pawson, a Canadian cell biologist whose path breaking insights about how cells communicate with one another resolved one of science’s oldest mysteries and helped spur the development of a class of drugs that target cancer, diabetes and other diseases, died on Aug. 7 in Toronto. He was 60.Family members and colleagues declined to disclose the cause.
In his 1990 breakthrough, Dr. Pawson and his research team identified the specific protein interactions involved in cell signaling, the process by which cells tell one another what to do, when to do it and when to stop.
Scientists had long known that cells communicated, but no one knew the exact cellular mechanism involved until Dr. Pawson’s research pinpointed it: a protein structure on the surface of every cell membrane. The structure, which he called the SH2 domain, serves as a landing pad for signaling proteins, which in turn set off a molecular chain reaction carrying information to the cell’s nucleus.
SH2 domain proved to be the linchpin of the cell communications system, and its discovery basically confirmed Dr. Pawson’s initial theory, that “when cells fail to communicate properly, disease happens,” as he defined it in an interview.
Anthony Hunter, a professor of molecular and cell biology at the Salk Institute Cancer Center in San Diego, called the identification of the SH2 domain an “enormously influential idea” that introduced scientists to a fundamentally new principle about how cells work.
“It was a seminal finding,” said Dr. Hunter, who collaborated with Dr. Pawson on several papers about cell communication.
Dr. Pawson’s research opened a new field of study into the causes and effects of breakdowns in cellular communication. And studies based wholly or in part on his discoveries have produced new treatments for cancer, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and heart ailments, essentially by blocking or unraveling intercellular miscues.
Perhaps the best-known of these is Gleevec, a cancer drug that blocks the abnormal cell signal that causes a rare form of blood cancer called chronic myelogenous leukemia.
Dr. Pawson, who was frequently nominated and widely considered to be a shortlisted candidate for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, received many international awards for his work, including the 2008 Kyoto Prize in basic sciences and the Wolf Prize in Medicine in 2005. British-born, he was named to the Order of the Companions of Honour in 2007 by Queen Elizabeth II.
Dr. Pawson had worked at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in Toronto since 1985, serving as director of research there from 2000 to 2005. At his death, colleagues said, he was continuing his cellular research, a pursuit he recently summarized as “understanding how life works.”
In accepting the Kyoto Prize, Dr. Pawson said he had been unaware of the larger implications of his work when he first recognized the SH2 domain. (SH2 is short for the protein subunit known as the Src homology 2 domain.) “Had I known how important it was to be,” he said, “I would have tried to think of a more memorable name.”
Anthony James Pawson — who was known as Tony to his friends and often published papers under the name Tony Pawson — was born on Oct. 18, 1952, in Maidstone, England, the eldest of three children in a well-off family. His father, also known as Tony, a world-class cricketer, champion fly fisherman, and member of the British national soccer team at the 1948 Olympics, wrote about cricket for The London Observer. His mother, Hilarie, was a botanist and high school biology teacher who inspired his interest in science.
Dr. Pawson told friends that he had left Britain in part to escape the shadow of his father’s enduring popularity with sports fans. Receiving an award in England recently, he told Dr. Hunter that a fellow scientist had approached him to shake his hand, saying, “I’ve always wanted to meet Tony Pawson.”
“He meant Tony’s father,” Dr. Hunter said.
Dr. Pawson attended Winchester College for boys, graduated from Cambridge University with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and earned his Ph.D. in molecular biology from King’s College at London University in 1976. He was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of California at Berkeley in the late 1970s before moving to Canada in 1981 to become an assistant professor of microbiology at the University of British Columbia.
His wife, Margaret, died of lung cancer two years ago. His father died last year at 91.
Dr. Pawson is survived by his sons, Nick and Jeremy; a daughter, Catherine Westcott Pawson; a brother, John; a sister, Sarah Mantle Pawson; and a granddaughter.
At the time he won the Kyoto Prize, Dr. Pawson praised the scientists who had developed drug treatments based on his findings, and he went on to make a larger point. He had spent decades studying a virus related to cancer in chickens, he said, before he happened upon a tiny bit of information that led him to his work on cell communication. That, in turn, led to breakthroughs in cancer treatments for humans.
“Governments increasingly want to see immediate returns on the research that they support,” he said. “But it is worth viewing basic science as a long-term investment that will yield completely unexpected dividends for humanity in the future. I believe that this progress underscores the importance of giving free rein to human inventiveness.- Click green for further info
- Source: NYT
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This “Golden Spice of Life” Brings Health and Happiness
The new study, the researchers added in the statement, “provides the first human clinical indication that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe treatment for patients with MDD*) without concurrent suicidal ideation (= the formation of ideas or concepts) or other psychotic disorders.” However, further research, including large clinical studies, is needed to rigorously evaluate if the golden spice is an effective therapy over the long term.
*)MDD = Major depressive disorder
Also several other diseases may be healed with curcumin - see below
Curcumin, found in the yellow Indian spice turmeric,
has amazing health benefits, including elevating mood and combatting depressive symptoms as effectively as the prescription drug Prozac, suggests a recent study published in click: Phytotherapy Research.
Used as an herbal medicine and food for nearly 4,000 years, turmeric is a well-documented treatment for a wide range of disorders, inspiring researchers to dub it “the golden spice of life”click: in a scientific review. Indeed, over the past 25 years, more than 3,000 papers have explored the savory flavoring’s medicinal properties in lab tests, animal studies, and human trials.
A “safe and effective” herbal treatment for depressionIn the new study, researchers conducted a clinical trial that included 60 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). The patients were randomly divided into three groups, with one receiving 20 mg of fluoxetine (the generic form of Prozac) daily, another getting 500 mg of curcumin twice a day, and the third group receiving both treatments.
Neither the researchers nor the patients knew which treatment they were taking. After six weeks, the curcumin and fluoxetine groups had comparable improvements in mood, based on their score on a standard rating scale for depression that evaluates mood, feelings of guilt, suicidal ideation, insomnia, anxiety and other symptoms. While the group that received both therapies did even better, the difference in depression scores was not statistically significant.
"It is a novel and surprising application for this natural medicine,” study coauthor Dr. Ajay Goel, of the Baylor Research Institute and Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center,click: Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Dallas
said in a statement. He adds curcumin was also used with “excellent results” in an animal study in which it was compared to both fluoxetine and imipramine (an older drug for depression).
The new study, the researchers added in the statement, “provides the first human clinical indication that curcumin may be used as an effective and safe treatment for patients with MDD without concurrent suicidal ideation (= the formation of ideas or concepts) or other psychotic disorders.” However, further research, including large clinical studies, is needed to rigorously evaluate if the golden spice is an effective therapy over the long term.
Patients taking antidepressants should not stop or change their treatment without consulting their healthcare provider. Also talk to your doctor before taking any type of supplement to make sure it’s appropriate for you. Turmeric may slow blood clotting. Taking it along with medications that also slow clotting, such as aspirin, heparin, or other blood thinners, may increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.
Curcumin and its colorful compounds are found in many foods, including mustard, curry powder, some cereals, cheeses, butter, baked goods, sauces, and many other yellow foods. It is on the FDA’s “generally recognized as safe” list as a food ingredient.
Fights Inflammation, Gum Disease and Other Disorders
Studies also show that curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. In fact, another new clinical trial suggests that a 1 percent solution of curcumin (in water) works nearly as well as for killing mouth bacteria as a standard dental mouth rinse (0.2 percent chlorhexidine gluconate or CHX) in 23 patients with chronic periodontal (gum) disease.
The patients were randomly assigned to use curcumin or CHX, while a control group used a saltwater rinse for six months. After one month, the curcumin group showed greater reduction in such problems as bleeding gums, redness, amount of dental plaque, and other signs of gum disease. By the 6-month mark, the CHX group had slightly better results on some measures, and similar ones on others.
An even newer randomized study of 45 patients with the painful and debilitating bowel disorder ulcerative colitis reported that after 8 weeks, 43.4 percent of patients treated with a curcumin preparation called NCB-02 (administered as an enema) achieved remission after eight weeks, compared to only 36.4 percent of patients given a placebo treatment.
The research was published in 2013 October in the Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis click Journal of Crohn's and Colitis, with the study authors recommending that the golden spice be investigated as a novel therapy for ulcerative colitis. click: Ulcerative Colitis click: Colitis - Wikipedia-
Crohn's disease - MayoClinic.com
Earlier studies and trials suggest that
curcumin and turmeric may also be helpful for the following problems, according to the research review cited above:
- Healing peptic ulcers, according to a clinical trial with 45 patients. After 4 weeks of treatment with turmeric capsules (300 mg each, twice a day), the ulcers disappeared in 48 percent of cases, with ulcer-free cases increasing to 76 percent after 12 weeks. Another trial found the spice to be beneficial for people suffering from indigestion or stomach or intestinal ulcers, but not as effective as antacids.
- Fighting respiratory symptoms. In some studies, turmeric oil was helpful in relieving cough, congestion, and asthma.
- Improves wound healing in animal studies.
- May reduce joint pain and inflammation from arthritis.
- Enhances heart health by lowering blood pressure and making cholesterol less likely to clump into artery-clogging plaque, in animal studies.
- Turmeric oil repels mosquitoes.
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Click the smile link below
A slide show with plenty of good, beneficial & scientifically correct information
If the link has expired, search the web with the title
10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Smile
About mouth & teeth & water: Drink Plenty of Water - daily in ounces the amount your normal, healthy weight is (not overweight)
Water is the healthiest drink for your smile and your body. It helps flush teeth clean and discourages tooth decay. Tap water is the best choice as it has the recommended dosage of fluoride. Many times bottled water comes from a source where the fluoride levels are not monitored, or contain no fluoride at all. A healthy level of fluoride promotes tooth health and discourages decay.
Frequent consumption of acidic or sugary drinks increase decay rates dramatically. Athletes are quickly becoming an at-risk group as the effects of sports drinks are taking a toll on their teeth. Instead, they should be reaching for water.
23 Diet Plans Reviewed: Which One Works Best? Click to see the slide show but: YOU do not need a diet - eat natural, healthy food (not processed, not fast-food = bad-food), much fruit & vegetables, chew well, follow food combining rules (search the web), sleep 7 - 8 hours (shorter sleep can cause overweight & sickness).
Quote: "If it came from a plan, eat it - if it was made in a plant, don't" Michael Pollan (click)
Quote: "To stay healthy and have a long life, you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. President)
Click green for further info
Source: click: Phytotherapy Research
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U.N. Climate Panel Seeks Ceiling on Global Carbon Emissions
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STOCKHOLM — The world’s top climate scientists on Friday 9/27/13 formally embraced an upper limit on greenhouse gases for the first time, establishing a target level at which humanity must stop spewing them into the atmosphere or face irreversible climatic changes. They warned that the target is likely to be exceeded in a matter of decades unless steps are taken soon to reduce emissions.
Unveiling the latest United Nations assessment of climate science, the experts cited a litany of changes that were already under way, warned that they were likely to accelerate and expressed virtual certainty that human activity is the main cause. “Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time,” said Thomas F. Stocker, co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations sponsored group of scientists that produced the report. “In short, it threatens our planet, our only home.”
The panel, in issuing its most definitive assessment yet of the risks of human-caused warming, hoped to give impetus to international negotiations toward a new climate treaty, which have languished in recent years in a swamp of technical and political disputes. The group made clear that time was not on the planet’s side if emissions continued unchecked.
“Human influence has been detected in warming of the atmosphere and the ocean, in changes in the global water cycle, in reductions in snow and ice, in global mean sea level rise, and in changes in some climate extremes,” the report said. “It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century.”
The new report is a 36-page summary for world leaders of a 900-page report that is to be released next week on the physical science of climate change. That will be followed by additional reports in 2014 on the most likely impacts and on possible steps to limit the damage. A draft of the summary leaked last month, and the final version did not change greatly, though it was edited for clarity.
Going well beyond its four previous analyses of the emissions problem, the panel endorsed a “carbon budget” for humanity — a limit on the amount of the primary greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, that can be produced by industrial activities and the clearing of forests. No more than one trillion metric tons of carbon could be burned and the resulting gases released into the atmosphere, the panel found, if planetary warming is to be kept below 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above the level of preindustrial times. That temperature is a target above which scientists believe the most dangerous effects of climate change would begin to occur.
Just over a half-trillion tons have already been burned since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, and at the rate energy consumption is growing, the trillionth ton will be burned sometime around 2040, according to calculations by Myles R. Allen, a scientist at the University of Oxford and one of the authors of the new report. More than three trillion tons of carbon are still left in the ground as fossil fuels.
Once the trillion-ton budget is exhausted, companies that wanted to keep burning fossil fuels would have to come up with ways to capture carbon dioxide and store it underground. In the United States, the Obama administration is moving forward with rules that would essentially require such technology, which is likely to be costly, for any future coal burning power plants; the president’s Republican opponents have accused him of waging a “war on coal.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a worldwide committee of hundreds of scientists that issues major reports every five or six years, advising governments on the latest knowledge on climate change.
The group has now issued five major reports since 1990, each of them finding greater certainty that the world is warming and greater likelihood that human activity is the chief cause. The new report finds a 95 to 100 percent chance that most of the warming of recent decades is humancaused, up from the 90 to 100 percent chance cited in the last report, in 2007.
But the new document also acknowledges that climate science still contains uncertainties, including the likely magnitude of the warming for a given level of emissions, the rate at which the ocean will rise, and the likelihood that plants and animals will be driven to extinction. The scientists emphasized, however, that those uncertainties cut in both directions and the only way to limit the risk is to limit emissions.
Climate-skeptic organizations assailed the new report as alarmist even before it was published.
The Heartland Institute, a Chicago organization, issued a document last week saying that any additional global warming would likely be limited to a few tenths of a degree and that this “would not represent a climate crisis.”
One issue much cited by the climate doubters is the slowdown in global warming that has occurred over the past 15 years. The report acknowledged that it was not fully understood, but said such pauses had occurred in the past and the natural variability of climate was a likely explanation.
“People think that global warming means every year is going to be warmer than the year before,” said Gerald A. Meehl, an American scientist who helped write the report. “It’s more like a stair-step kind of thing.”
Climate scientists not involved in writing the new report said the authors had made a series of cautious choices in their assessment of the scientific evidence. Regarding sea level rise, for instance, they gave the first firm estimates ever contained in an intergovernmental panel report, declaring that if emissions continued at a rapid pace, the rise by the end of the 21st century could be as much as three feet. They threw out a string of published papers suggesting a worst-case rise closer to five feet.
Similarly, the authors went out of their way to include recent papers suggesting that the earth might be less sensitive to carbon dioxide emissions than previously thought, even though serious questions have been raised about the validity of those estimates.
The new report lowered the bottom end of the range of potential warming that could be expected to occur over the long term if the carbon dioxide level in the atmosphere were to double, reversing a decision that the panel made in the last report and restoring a scientific consensus that had prevailed from 1979 to 2007. Six years ago, that range was reported as 3.6 to 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit; the new range is 2.7 to 8.1 degrees.
In Washington, President Obama’s science adviser, John P. Holdren, cited increased scientific confidence “that the kinds of harm already being experienced from climate change will continue to worsen unless and until comprehensive and vigorous action to reduce emissions is undertaken worldwide.”
Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, spoke to delegates at the meeting on Friday by video link, declaring his intention to call a meeting of heads of state in 2014 to push such a treaty forward. The last such meeting, in Copenhagen in 2009, ended in disarray.
Source:
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations sponsored group of scientists produced the report
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Bold Plan to Aid Sex-Trafficking Victims
- the nation's first statewide system now in the Empire State (= New York State)
Date: New York 9/26/13
The creation of the nation’s first statewide system of specialized criminal courts to handle prostitution-related offenses and make services available to help sex-trafficking victims escape their abusive situations and forge new lives.
Click green for further info
As understanding of the cruel dynamics of sex-trafficking has grown in recent years, a consensus has emerged among criminal justice professionals that it makes more sense to treat people charged with prostitution as the exploited and abused victims a vast majority are, rather than as criminals. An important new initiative by New York State’s chief judge, Jonathan Lippman, aims to put that humane insight into practice.
A handful of cities across the country, including Baltimore and Phoenix, have specialized courts that deal with sex-trafficking offenses. On Wednesday, Judge Lippman announced the creation of the nation’s first statewide system of specialized criminal courts to handle prostitution-related offenses and make services available to help sex-trafficking victims escape their abusive situations and forge new lives.
“This new initiative will stop the pattern of shuffling trafficking victims through our criminal courtrooms without addressing the underlying reasons they are there in the first place,” Judge Lippman said.
Three courts created as pilot projects are up and running in Queens, Manhattan and Nassau County. Eight additional Human Trafficking Intervention Courts will be in operation in urban, suburban and rural areas around the state by the end of October. They will be overseen by judges familiar with the particular challenges facing trafficking victims — many of them lured into the sex trade as underage girls — and the services available to them.
The program borrows, in some respects, from the state’s system of specialized courts that deal with domestic violence and low-level drug offenses. It calls for prostitution-related cases to be evaluated by the judge, defense lawyer and prosecutor. If they agree, the court will connect defendants to critical services like safe shelter, medical and drug treatment, immigration assistance and education and job training that can help prevent a return to the sex industry. Contingent upon the defendants’ compliance with court-ordered services and programs, the charges may be dismissed or reduced, enabling the defendants to avoid a criminal record with damaging repercussions for housing, employment, college financial aid, government benefits and immigration status.
Judge Lippman was joined at his announcement by an array of people whose efforts will be needed to make the program effective. The group included Kathleen Rice, Nassau County’s district attorney who leads the state’s District Attorneys Association; Steven Banks, the Legal Aid Society’s attorney in chief; and representatives from Sanctuary for Families’ Anti-Trafficking Initiative and other service providers involved in the plan.
New York’s court budget is already severely stretched. But the special trafficking courts will require minimal new spending, just more creative management of existing resources, Judge Lippman said. Much will depend, though, on whether service providers can obtain sufficient financing from government and private sources. Of course, the program, by itself, cannot end the scourge of sex-trafficking. But reorienting the court system to serve the needs of victims is an enlightened step, one with real promise.
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
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SLEEP FACTS
Important sleep information for every person - a-must-to-know info
Half of the population worldwide in the developed countries is not sleeping enough.
A baby sleeps close to 24 h, children up to 10 years should sleep 12 hours, teenagers should sleep 9 - 11 hours, every adult needs 7 - 8 hours sleep. Babies sleep close to 24 h because the important growth hormone develops during the sleep.
No matter what our age, we all need growth hormone - it develops during our sleep. Growth hormone is necessary for healthier, longer life. Start sleeping more. If some practical things do not allow you to sleep e.g. 8 h in one "session", add a 2nd or 3rd session to sleep the needed hours given above (per 24 h).
Minimum sleep session should be 1 to 1-1/2 hours because REM sleep (= rapid eye movement) to start and end needs that amount of time. REM sleep is the time we dream - dreaming is necessary. Research shows that REM sleep is important for our good mental, emotional & physical health.
In your sleeping area avoid noise, do not have music on, do not listen any recordings (sleep-learning is not effective). Traffic and other noise will lower our sleep quality.
Do not keep any electronics in the bedroom - their radiation (also TV) affects our sleep quality. Use earplugs to avoid noise if e.g. traffic or any noise is a challenge.
Avoid sleeping pills - you can learn to sleep without - sleeping pills have negative side effects you do not want.
To get help for sleep apnea (link below at the end) contact a medical doctor specializing in sleep disorders (- not just any doctor) - seek treatment for sleep apnea without any delay as it can be a deadly condition.
Things that Happen While You Sleep
Click green for further info
Sleep - such a peaceful word, isn't it? It evokes images of closed eyes, slow breathing, dreams and relaxation. But while you're dozing, your body's systems are doing lots of things. Don't worry: They're all normal. Still, you may never think of hitting the hay the same way after reading this.
1.Your body temperature drops.
Just before you fall asleep, your core body temperature begins to decrease, says Michael Breus, PhD, a clinical psychologist and sleep specialist in Scottsdale, AZ, and author of The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan: Lose Weight Through Better Sleep. This drop signals to your brain to release melatonin*), which affects your circadian rhythm (or sleep/wake cycle) *) and tells your body it's time for bed. Your temperature is lowest around 2:30 A.M., so if you're able to, program your thermostat to rise one degree at that time for an hour or two. Otherwise, you may find yourself stealing your spouse's covers for extra warmth. *) Melatonin - Wikipedia - *) Circadian rhythm - Wikipedia
2.You lose weight. One reason you should always step on a scale in the morning, not in the evening: You lose water through perspiring and breathing out humid air during the night, according to Dr. Breus. This happens during the day too, but eating and drinking while you're awake negates any weight loss. If you're sleeping just four or five hours per night, you could be canceling out whatever smart diet and exercise choices you're making during the day. To whittle your waistline, get at least seven hours of sleep per night.
3.You get taller.
You won't exactly wake up feeling like the Jolly Green Giant, but you do gain height while you sleep. "The discs in your spine that act as cushions between the bones rehydrate and get bigger because the weight of your body isn't pressing down on them, like it is when you're standing," says Dr. Breus. "If you have a firm mattress, sleeping on your side in the fetal position may be best for getting taller because it decreases the load on your back."
4. Your blood pressure and heart rate decrease.
When you're resting, your body doesn't need to work as hard or pump as much blood, so these systems slow down. Blood pressure needs to dip at night so your cardiac muscle and circulatory system have time to relax and repair, says Dr. Breus. It's especially important for people with high blood pressure to get at least seven hours of sleep to experience that temporary drop-it reduces the risk for heart disease. And if you have sleep apnea (link to sleep apnea info at the end*) , get treatment right away because that condition can increase nighttime blood pressure, says Dr. Breus.
5. Your muscles are temporarily paralyzed.
Sounds scary, but it's actually what keeps you from acting out your dreams, says Lisa Shives, MD, an internist and sleep medicine specialist in Evanston, IL, and the medical expert for SleepBetter.org. Comedian Mike Birbiglia, the writer and star of the film Sleepwalk With Me, has a rare condition called REM Behavior Disorder. In his performances, he shares how dangerous it can be to do whatever weird thing is going on in your head in the middle of the night. So this is one type of paralysis you want.
6. Your eyes twitch. (twitch = a short, sudden jerking or convulsive movement)
During REM (= rapid eye movement) sleep, your eyes dart from side to side, not that scientists know why exactly. Dreams occur during REM sleep, so it can be disconcerting to wake up during this deep-not light-sleep stage. You might feel most refreshed if you wake up right after you cycle through all the sleep stages, with REM occurring toward the end. Though it varies from person to person, one sleep cycle usually lasts 90 minutes, so try sleeping in intervals of 90 minutes. For example, you may find it easier to awaken after sleeping for 7.5 hours (five cycles) than after 8 hours (5⅓ cycles).
7. You get sexually aroused.
Just as men get erections during REM sleep, women become sexually stimulated then, too. And no, it's not tied to whether you're having that Brad Pitt dream again. Your brain is more active during REM sleep (since you're dreaming), so it requires more oxygen-as a result, blood flow all over the body increases. "There is natural clitoral engorgement because blood rushes to that area and causes swelling," says Dr. Shives. Does that make you more likely to orgasm if you engage in middle-of-the-night nooky? Scientists aren't sure, but go ahead and experiment!
8. You're more likely to have gas.
You won't be happy to hear this, but during the night, your anal sphincter muscles loosen slightly, making it easier to let out a toot or two. Luckily, your sense of smell (and your spouse's) are reduced while you sleep-that's why fire alarms were invented, because it's hard to smell smoke while you're snoozing. So even if you experience flatulence, rest assured: Nobody is likely to notice.
9. You may have a full-body spasm.
"As people fall asleep, many of them experience a full-body jerk, and it's totally normal," says Dr. Shives. As many as 70% of people experience this phenomenon in which muscles suddenly contract (the technical name for it is "hypnic jerk"). Some experts think that these spasms may have to do with anxiety and/or an irregular sleep schedule, while others think they're unavoidable. So if you like to snuggle with your spouse as you wind down in bed, be sure to pry yourselves apart before you're both out cold, or else you may accidentally shake each other awake.
10. Collagen production in your skin increases.
Collagen is a protein that strengthens blood vessels and gives skin its elasticity. When you're asleep, you're in a fasting
state, so growth hormone is released to tell your fat cells to release energy stores-as it turns out, growth hormone also stimulates collagen growth. "Since collagen production spikes while you sleep, moisturizing facial creams that contain retinols (Retinol - Wikipedia) and retinoids (Retinoid - Wikipedia) are best to use before bed because these products boost collagen turnover, combat pigment problems and fight fine lines and wrinkles," says Melanie Palm, MD, a dermatologist in Solana Beach, CA, an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Diego, and a staff physician at Scripps Encinitas Memorial Hospital.
Growth hormone increases during our sleep - gives better health and a longer life.
Click green title for further health info
7 Sweat-Free Tummy Toning Exercises
8 Calming Foods That Ease Stress
6 Foods That Cure Stomach Aches
8 Foods To Eat For Healthier Skin
Dreams - Common Dreams Decoded - Uncover the meaning of various sleep scenarios to learn more about your waking life Dream Interpretations - Different Dream Meanings
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Click green for further info
What Is Sleep Apnea? - NHLBI, NIHwww.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea/What Is Sleep Apnea? Sleep apnea (AP-ne-ah) is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Other Names for Sleep Apnea - Signs & Symptoms - How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?
NIH - NHLBI Heart, Lung and Blood Institutewww.nhlbi.nih.gov/
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) provides global leadership for a research, training, and education program to promote the prevention and ... _______________________________________________________________________________.
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Do iPads & Tablets Impact Our Sleep and Cause Insomnia? The answer is YES - a danger
Click green for further info
Our environment is increasingly impacting our health, separating us from the natural forces that interact with our physiology to keep us well. The most pervasive forces are light and darkness. The lights we use or are exposed to at night cause the greatest disruption.
Every bit of light has an effect on our melatonin (click: Melatonin production, our own homemade sleep remedy, to the extent that perfect production for a good night’s sleep would have to take place deep in a cave. However, caves have other drawbacks that are not conducive to sleep, and there aren’t enough of them to go around.
The presence of modern light pollution is labeled “light noise,” according to clinical psychologist Rubin Naiman.
Most of us can sleep in spite of it. We handle the intrusion of outside lights by covering our heads with a pillow or putting up a shade.
“There is strong evidence showing there is a dose-dependent relationship between exposure to light at night and a significant increased risk for breast cancer,” says Naiman.
Satellites have measured nighttime light intensity in urban areas. A study by William J. Blot and others showing a link to breast and prostate cancer occurring in the most lit-up areas was written up in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 1977, vol. 59.
It has been found that red light does not inhibit melatonin production, but as light progresses toward the blue end of the spectrum, melatonin ceases to be produced. TV screens, iPhones, and now iPads emit light at the blue end.
IPhones are small and TV screens are usually across the room. But iPads are read close up and could cause insomnia if read just before bedtime because they emit light, according to expert Frisca Yan-Go, M.D., who runs the Sleep Center at UCLA Santa Monica. She recommends old-fashioned books, as they are less likely to keep you awake after you stop reading.
Alon Avidan, director of UCLA Neurology Clinic, would agree with Yan-Go. “The take-home lesson is that insomnia and electronic gadgets emitting light should not [be] mixed before bedtime. … Kindle is better for your sleep,” Dr. Avidan says. Kindle, which is not backlit, is like book print.
There were also many comments online from those who fell asleep while reading from an iPad, but their melatonin production is unknown.
“I’ve been reading solely from my iPad now for two weeks, including in bed at night. I’ve never been sleepless yet. In fact, I’ve fallen asleep twice while reading. Once I woke up in the morning at my usual time to find my iPad under me. The second time, it was on the carpet next to my bed in the morning,” said an iPad user.
Others called for studies to show whether their bedtime companion was really bad for them.
Computer or monitor screens can also keep you awake to finish a job, as I know from staying up until 3 a.m. on occasion. However, I haven’t had much trouble sleeping afterward. Making a habit of such behavior, however, as in the case of students and nightshift workers, can lead to health problems from not getting enough sleep and lowered melatonin production.
According to Richard G. Stevens, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center, there are clock genes. U.S. geneticists Ron Konopka and Seymour Benzer discovered these clock genes in the 1970s in fruit flies: (copy the link & search the web): Thebrain.mcgill.ca/flash/capsules/histoire_bleu08.html. When mutated, these genes caused changes in the circadian rhythms extending or contracting them from 24 hours or even deleting them.
Stevens has been studying the role of these genes in breast cancer. In mammals, there are eight or nine clock genes. Some of these genes control the destruction of abnormal cells while others control cell division.
Night work for women disrupts the production of melatonin, which in turn creates excessive hormone production, leading to malfunction of the clock genes. This then opens the door for the click: development of cancer.
So the introduction of the iPad & tablets is just another layer of an enormous environmental iceberg leading to serious health problems. It’s all brought about by artificial light during the night hours, which shuts off our production of melatonin and disrupts our clock genes.
If insomnia were the only problem, we could all get more work done. Interrupting the functions of our hard-working cells and not getting enough sleep lead to much more serious maladies, both mental and physical
Click the green title - if the link has expired, search the web with the title
10 TIPS to avoid sicknesses caused by a too short or disturbed sleep
APPLY FOR YOUR HEALTH & HAPPINESS -study together with your spouse/partner & your children
Do not keep any computers or other technology in your bedroom - they radiate harmful elements
(1) Creating a cave-like bedroom, (2) going to bed every evening about the same time, (3) NOT watching TV news or reading negative news articles or working on any computer close to the bed time, (4) taking a brief walk outside with your whole family (when safe, a few blocks), and getting six, seven to eight hours of sleep are worth considering. Teenagers need 8- 10 hours, younger children 9 - 11 hours. (5) Do NOT start taking any sleeping pills, do not start taking any supplements (as melatonin, no ), (6) do not drink tea, coffee or any drinks with caffeine in the evening (leave 5 + hours between), (7) eat dinner 3 hours before your bedtime, (8) use quality earplugs during nigh time if there is any noise (also if your partner is snoring - one big reason for unnecessary divorces), (9) go together to a specialist sleep doctor (not just any M.D.) to avoid life-threatening sleep-apnea (overweight + snoring leads to sleep apnea)- see below the links for sleep apnea and study the info together with your spouse/partner and with your children so they can learn and avoid the conditions later, (10) Do not listen any recordings, spoken or music while sleeping - perhaps for a few minutes before bed time classical baroque music or other smooth music.
Getting full-spectrum daylight outdoors (for Vitamin D) is also important, but that is the subject of another article.
- What Is Sleep Apnea? - NHLBI, NIHwww.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea/
Sleep apnea (AP-ne-ah) is a common disorder in which you have one or more ... Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition that disrupts your sleep.Other Names for Sleep Apnea - Signs & Symptoms - How Is Sleep Apnea Treated? - Sleep apnea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_apnea
Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing or instances of shallow or infrequent breathing during sleep. Each pause in ...Obstructive sleep apnea - Sequela - Polysomnography - Snoring
- Melatonin supplements side effects: What are the risks? - MayoClinic.comwww.mayoclinic.com › ... › Adult health › Expert AnswersMelatonin side effects include daytime sleepiness, dizziness and headaches. Medication interactions also are possible.
STAF, Inc.'s advice: DO NOT USE ANY MELATONIN SUPPLEMENTS - apply the natural, no-negative side effects tips given above.
Click green for further info
Source: Various internet & The Epoch Times
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Additional Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep
Poor sleeping patterns are caused by a number of different things such as stress, too much external noise, poor health, and an unbalanced body. To combat poor sleeping patterns, one needs to work on being able to let anxiety and emotional distraught go, create a good environment for restfulness, work on the ability to relax, and eat foods that offer the right nutrition.
To create a good sleep environment, make sure that you are able to keep you room dark, neither too cool nor too hot, clean, and quiet. Avoid watching television right before bed, as this will make it more challenging to fall into a restful slumber. Instead, take some time to meditate, breath deeply in a relaxing manner, or practice some light stretches before retiring to bed.
Be sure to be exposed to some bright light during daytime hours because it is known to be the most powerful regulator of our biological clock. Outdoor light, sunny or cloudy, is considered the brightest and most effective light for this. If you wake up at night, still try to avoid light.
Keep a pen and pad next to your bedside if you have the tendency to wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble getting back to sleep. Write down anything that may be weighing on your mind and think of a time the following day when you’ll be able to address it. Then let it go.
Plan an ideal bed and wake time. Setting this pattern helps reinforce a good nights sleep because our body gets used to the routine.
Nutritionally, there are five fruits known for their sedative powers. They are apples, kiwi, jujube, grapes, and mulberries.
An apple's full-bodied aroma has a very strong sedative and hypnotic effect. They are rich in vitamin B, vitamin C, potassium, zinc, iron, phosphorus, and calcium.
Click: Apples - The World's Healthiest Foods
Kiwi fruit is rich in magnesium, vitamin C, and calcium. This nutrient combination stabilizes emotion and inhibits sympathetic nerve activity. A recent study shows that eating two kiwi fruit every day will improve the quality of one’s sleep by 40 percent.
Click: Kiwifruit - Wikipedia
Jujube is a blood tonic herb used in Chinese medicine. It calms the spirit and tonifies the spleen and stomach. Click: The Spleen (Human Anatomy): Picture, Location, Function, and ...www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/picture-of-the-spleen Click: Jujube - Wikipedia Warning: Do not use any herbs or any food grown in China - too polluted, life-threatening - find jujube fruits grown in some other country known to be safe - you do NOT need jujube to sleep well, the 10 first tips listed above will do the trick - this additional info is to strengthen your healthy sleep knowledge. If you have interest, time & money look into these fruit tips.
Jujube contains protein, sugar, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other beneficial nutrients.
Recent studies performed in Italy have confirmed that melatonin, which can be found in grape skins, improves sleep quality. Experts also speculate that melatonin levels in wine might be increased as an effect of its interactions with the antioxidants and alcohol wine contains.
Mulberry can be used for treating insomnia, according to Chinese medicine. Other health benefits of the mulberry include nourishing blood, sharpening vision, and quenching one’ thirst. It also assists vital energy and eliminates excessive fluids. Warning: Do not use any herbs or any food grown in China - too polluted, life-threatening - find fruits grown in some other country known to be safe - you do NOT need mulberry to sleep well, the 10 first tips listed above will do the trick - this additional info is to strengthen your healthy sleep knowledge. If you have interest, time & money look into these fruit tips.
Click green for further info
Source: various internet articles
STAF, Inc. Editor’s note: Before taking any herbal treatment, please consult your physician. Due to documented presence of heavy metals in herbs coming from China, it is recommended that the reader avoid consuming herbs or fruit or fish or meat grown in China.
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Excellent information for every family
Early to bed and early to rise Study suggests it's keeping adults, teenager & kids of all age leaner and healhtier
Bedtime found to be as important for preteens and teens as getting enough sleep
– Ben Franklin was right, at least on the healthy part. "Early to bed and early to rise" appears to have helped a cross-section of early-bird Australian youths keep slimmer and more physically active than their night-owl peers, even though both groups got the same amount of sleep.
A study in the Oct. 1 issue of the journal SLEEP recorded the bedtimes and wake times of 2,200 Australian participants, ages 9 to 16, and compared their weights and uses of free time over four days. Children who went to bed late and got up late were 1.5 times more likely to become obese than those who went to bed early and got up early. Furthermore, late-nighters were almost twice as likely to be physically inactive and 2.9 times more likely to sit in front of the TV and computer or play video games for more hours than guidelines recommend.
"The children who went to bed late and woke up late, and the children who went to bed early and woke up early got virtually the same amount of sleep in total," said co-author Carol Maher, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow with the University of South Australia. "Scientists have realized in recent years that children who get less sleep tend to do worse on a variety of health outcomes, including the risk of being overweight and obese. Our study suggests that the timing of sleep is even more important."
Maher said mornings are more conducive to physical activity for young people than nights, which offer prime-time TV programming and social networking opportunities. This relationship between time of day and available activities might explain why more sedentary and screen-based behaviors were observed with later bedtimes, she said. At a time when research is showing that teenagers have a natural tendency to stay up late and wake late, the results of this study could stand as a warning.
"It is widely accepted that the sleep patterns of adolescents are fundamentally different from children and adults, and that it is normal for adolescents to stay up very late and sleep in late in the morning," Maher said. "Our findings show that this sleeping pattern is associated with unfavorable activity patterns and health outcomes, and that the adolescents who don't follow this sleep pattern do better."
Other findings from the University of South Australia study:
- Early-bed/early-risers went to bed 70 to 90 minutes earlier, woke up 60 to 80 minutes earlier and accumulated 27 minutes more moderate to vigorous physical activity each day than late-risers.
- Late-bed/late-risers watched TV, played video games or were online 48 minutes longer each day than early-bed/early risers, primarily between 7 p.m. and midnight.
- Only 12 percent of late-bed/late-risers had an average of two hours or less screen time per day, which is recommended for children and teens by the Australian Department of Health and Aging. In comparison, 28 percent of early-bed/early risers met the recommendation for screen time.
- On a broad scale, late-bed/late-risers replaced about 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity with 30 minutes of sedentary behavior each day, relative to the early-bed/early-rise group.
- Body-mass index (BMI) scores were higher in late-risers than early-risers, and late-risers were more likely to be overweight or obese.
- Late-bed/late-risers tended to have few siblings, live in major cities, come from lower household incomes and have a part-time job.
The Australian Food and Grocery Council contributed financially to this study.
Read more about sleep and children from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on the Sleep Education Blog at http://sleepeducation.blogspot.com/search/label/children.
The monthly, peer-reviewed, scientific journal SLEEP is published online by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The AASM is a professional membership society that is the leader in setting standards and promoting excellence in sleep medicine health care, education and research (www.aasmnet.org).
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Loud subway trains can be a pain in the ear
and cause hearing loss - protect your hearing - HOW?
This can be a worldwide challenge - the article has the details from the New York City subway
New Yorkers are willfully resigned to a life of noise, particularly while riding through the city's 109-year-old subway system.
But the heavy machinery and train cars that create a daily metal-on-metal cacophony can be harmful to your ears.
"What you're essentially doing is stressing out your ears," said Dr. Chris Herget, an audiologist who practices at New York City Hearing and Balance in midtown.
On a recent Monday afternoon, a week before the start of National Protect Your Hearing Month, amNewYork joined Herget at several Manhattan stations to find out exactly how loud the subway system can get.
Using a sound-measuring device, trains barreling into transit hubs like Times Square and smaller local stations ranged from 92 decibels to 102 decibels, a level people can be exposed to for up to 15 minutes without damaging hearing. And even though trains can enter and leave stations quickly, repeatedly listening to that level of sound from a platform can contribute to hearing issues, like tinnitus, the ringing in one's ear, over time, Herget said.
"You're not going to get hearing damage immediately," he said. "It's going to be a process of possible years and decades."
Herget said riders can use ear plugs, likening them to wearing sunglasses at the beach. But he lamented that few people like to wear them for comfort or aesthetic reasons.
"It's a shame hearing protection isn't as fashionable as sunglasses," Herget said.
The measurements were consistent with a comprehensive 2009 study into transit noise in the American Journal of Public Health. The study concluded that "given sufficiently long exposure durations, noise levels associated with mass transit are high enough to produce [noise-induced hearing loss] in riders."
"Even those short bursts [of train noise] are potentially dangerous," said Dr. Robyn Gershon, a former Columbia University professor who supervised the study. "Enough of them and they will hurt your hearing."
The MTA has been trying to quiet its noisy subway system since the mid-1970s, including lubricating tracks on sharp curves, using quieter train wheels, and installing composite brake shoes on all subway cars to stop wheels from screeching, according to agency spokesman Kevin Ortiz.
"In combination, these efforts help create a quieter subway environment than just two decades ago," Ortiz said in a statement.
For MTA workers, the agency requires an annual hearing test and hearing protection for employees exposed to at least 85 decibels over an eight-hour shift.
Tom Carrano, the director of subway safety at the Transport Workers Union Local 100, said that the union pushes for ways to quiet the workplace by using newer machines or relocating a noisy piece of equipment away from workers.
Still, he noted that decades of noise exposure has taken its toll on MTA workers - click MTA.
"We have guys that retire and they're legally deaf," Carrano said. Workplace noise for an MTA employee "definitely affects you, your family, your safety."
But riders said the noise is just a fact of life in New York City, even if it can be annoying.
"The decibels have got to be a lot higher than we're accustomed to hearing," Larry Parent, a Staten Islander and infrequent train rider, said while waiting in Union Square, a station notorious for screeching No. 4, 5 and 6 trains. "I'm not the only one holding their ears."
Afiya Benn, a 26-year-old secretary from Canarsie, said she is used to the sound, though admitted to cranking up the volume on her music device when a station get too loud.
"Maybe in the future," Benn said, "I'll pay for it."
Source: MTA
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Article 1 of 5 (Articles 2 - 5 of 2 next below)
Things Your Body Is Telling You
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The body is telling how to protect it from injury. It turns out that our bodies routinely transmit this evolving wisdom, gently steering us away from activities or indulgences we can no longer tolerate to ones that will ensure continued good health.
1. When you're dehydrated
Over the course of a lifetime, our kidneys, which transport water to our tissues, gradually lose a bit of their efficiency. Also, nerves that signal thirst gradually decline. The combination means that you may be unaware of the fact that you're not getting adequate hydration.
Listen to your body: Sip water & eat fruit & vegetables throughout the day. Make a habit of consuming enough fluids every day. 8 glasses of water a day is not always a correct amount. Our body is over 70 % water as the whole world/earth is. Roll somewhat the water in your mouth to mix with saliva. You need to drink daily in ounces that amount your normal, healthy weight would be (not the overweight/obesity weight).
Your urine will show if you have had enough water: clear urine means you are drinking enough water or getting water from fruit and vegetables in addition to plain water drinking. The darker your urine the smaller your water intake - that condition creates sickness. Drink water daily as guided here to stay healthy - water is cleaning and eliminates toxins. Your every cell needs water to function properly. No soda, no-diet soda - plain water. Coffee, tea & herbal tea count as your water intake.
2. When to go easy on dessert
From early adulthood to late middle age, our metabolic rates fall by an average of 10%. "That's because people tend to become more sedentary as they age," says Barbara Bushman, PhD, a professor of exercise physiology at Missouri State University, "and that inactivity reduces muscle mass, in turn lowering metabolism. The metabolic drop is also due to a decline in cellular activity, so even women who maintain a consistent level of fitness find that they need fewer calories to maintain the same weight."
Listen to your body: Think of the metabolic slowdown as your body's way of getting you to be more mindful of what's on your fork or spoon. Instead of an ice cream sundae, think: healthier fruit parfait.
3. When to hit the hay
"My body can no longer handle being awake until 2 am and then getting up at 6," says Riconda Solis Lamb, 44, a mom of two teens who has long relied on the midnight hours to catch up on everything from reading to cleaning to exercise. "Now if I'm up late, it's like I have narcolepsy at the office the next day." The National Sleep Foundation says that's because the architecture of sleep changes as we age; we spend more time in light stages of sleep and less in those that are deeper and more restful. Combine this with the fact that most of us don't get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, and a late night really hurts.
Listen to your body: Get more sleep than you think you need-always at least 7 hours. Switch off phones, computers, and the television an hour earlier, and turn to these 20 Ways To Sleep Better Every Night before you turn in.
4. When you need to stretch
Even as our body wisdom increases, our flexibility declines. Lamb, who lives in Rogers City, MI, says she's made peace with feeling like Oz's Tin Man after a rainstorm. "I used to jump out of the car after a 2-hour drive and feel fine," she says. Now it takes a little effort to unfold her legs. By our mid-40s, most of us have lost between 3 and 4 inches in the sit-and-reach test. "The elasticity of tendons, ligaments, and joints decreases," increasing the potential for injuries, says Bushman. New evidence also links poorer flexibility to heart disease: Japanese researchers found that middle-aged and older people who do poorly on the sit-and-reach test have stiffer arteries than more flexible people. (Taking a long drive? These 3 yoga poses for car trips will make you feel better fast.)
Listen to your body: Do more activities like yoga and tai chi, which boost both flexibility and balance. And after any workout, take time to stretch, holding each pose for 15 to 20 seconds while breathing deeply.
5. When to drop a grudge
Psychologists have known for some time that people tend to become more forgiving the older they get. Researchers at the City University of Hong Kong have a new explanation for this phenomenon: Our sense of the future becomes more constrained and regulating our emotions becomes more important, so we are motivated to kiss and make up.
Listen to your body: Cultivate a kinder heart. A recent study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that cardiac patients who undergo forgiveness counseling--they learn to work though and overcome hostile feelings, and thus grudges, they hold toward others--have significantly fewer heart symptoms, such as angina, than those who don't get the counseling.
That means forgiving yourself, too. Here are click: 12 ways to extend that forgiveness inward.
6. When to skip that extra glass of wine
A moderate amount of booze eases stress and anxiety and may protect against heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and stroke. Alas, aging seems to reduce women's ability to tolerate alcohol. Why? The body retains less water, so alcohol becomes more concentrated, and therefore more potent. Drinking even a little more than usual increases the risk of tipsy mishaps, including falls.
Listen to your body: A little vino now and then is a good idea, but stick to no more than one glass at a time, and don't exceed seven servings per week.
Click green for further info
Source: Health Archives
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Article 2 of 5
Are You Working Out for the Wrong Reasons?
It Might Be Holding You Back
Source: Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center at the University of Michigan
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Scientists have found that the more we focus on our weight or appearance, the less likely we are to succeed at our fitness goals. That's because, .... (see below in the article)
What makes you pry yourself away from your comfy bed to hit that treadmill at the gym or push yourself after a long day at work to squeeze in a sweat-inducing spinning class? Sure, you want to be healthy, but if you're truly being honest with yourself, chances are your top reason is to look good or to lose weight. In fact, weight management is the number one motivation for women to work out.
And yet most of us fail to reach our weight loss goals, and end up right back where we started. So what gives?
The truth: We've been working out for the wrong reasons.
Michelle Segar, Ph.D., associate director of the Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center for Women and Girls at the University of Michigan, has spent years studying the motivations people have for engaging in exercise. Segar's research has found that working out to lose weight is actually one of the least successful ways of getting in shape.
It's true that many of us should be concerned about our waistlines. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than a third of Americans are obese and another 33.5 percent are overweight. Anyone with a BMI higher than 24.9 has an increased risk of diabetes, heart problems and a whole slew of other diseases. So it's not surprising that so many of us focus on that (not so) little number on the scale and use it as our main motivation for exercising.
Click: How To Calculate BMI - BMI Formula - Free BMI Calculator
But when it comes to losing weight, intensifying exercise simply isn't that good of a strategy. "Understand that you can't out-exercise your diet," says Brynn Jinnett, founder of Refine Method, a New York-based exercise program heavily grounded in the science of fitness. She's 100 percent right. Studies have found that increased daily exercise by itself produces moderate weight lossresults at best.
When scientists asked men to work out for either 30 or 60 minutes a day, for example, they found that both groups lost weight when compared to a control group that didn't work out at all, but doubling the exercise didn't double the results. In fact, the guys who worked twice as hard lost the same amount of weight as those who made half the effort.
How can that be? Well, it turns out that our bodies tend to like to stick to the status quo. To lose weight, we have to use our fat reserves for energy, which means overall, we need to lower our calorie intake to expense ratio. But creating this negative energy balance triggers protective mechanisms meant to prevent starvation. Our bodies compensate for the missing calories by eating more or becoming more sedentary overall. That's what happened to the men who worked out twice as hard-though they burned double the calories during their workouts, they ate more calories per day, which may explain why they lost less weight than expected.
The other downside of our tendency to equate exercise with weight loss is that we lose sight of how important exercise is for other reasons. Scientists have found that physical activity and exercise help keep our brains happy and healthy-a much better reason to work out five days a week. Exercising not only strengthens muscles, it also helps normalize and stabilize the neurotransmitters involved in mood and stress, thus improving overall mental health. Studies have found that working out even has a positive effect on all kinds of mental disorders from obsessive-compulsive disorder to substance abuse. In general, exercise decreases anxiety and depression, putting us in an overall happier state.
Not only does working out not lead to as much weight loss as we'd like, slugging ourselves to the gym because we want to lose weight also decreases our desire to exercise. When it comes to physical activity, motivation matters more than you might think.
At Refine Method, Jinnett helps clients focus on what they really want to get results. "A vague desire to feel stronger will have less power than a clear commitment to build a stronger back so that you can lift your child safely," she explains. "Goals that are well-defined, rooted in your values as a person and a bit too easy will have greater sticking power. We encourage our clients not to focus on losing five pounds, but rather to define clearly what 'looking better' means to them and understand why changes to their body composition are important to their greater goals and values."
It's more than just dialing in on specifics, though, says Segar. People with the right kind of motivation work out more regularly, enjoy their fitness activities more and get better results.
Scientists have found that the more we focus on our weight or appearance, the less likely we are to succeed at our fitness goals. That's because, for the most part, we focus on appearances to please others. Successful exercise motivations, on the other hand, are those that are intrinsic, focusing on benefits that are felt solely by the person performing the activity. These include reducing stress or enjoying a sport. People with these intrinsic goals work out more often, stick to a routine and reap the most rewards, including lower overall body fat and improved health. In contrast, people who work out to lose weight or get fit-extrinsic motivators with the ultimate goal of impressing others-tend to be flakier about their workout regime, don't exercise as often and tend to have higher BMIs and lower self-esteem.
In fact, Segar's research found that middle-aged women who worked out because they wanted better quality of life-with immediate goals such as sleeping better or feeling centered-exercised 34 percent more than women with goals related to weight loss and appearance and 25 percent more than those whose goals were related to fitness and health.
Click: Boost Your Mood With These Yoga Poses
The way Segar sees it, exercise has a branding problem. "The specific socialization to exercise that individuals have had through the media, health care and society in general has explicitly branded exercise primarily as a vehicle that promotes 'weight loss,' 'health benefits' and 'disease prevention,'" she and her colleagues explain. Those are all good things-but it also has created a culture where many people exercise because others tell us we have to, not because we actually want to. Without intrinsic motivation, we simply don't work out as much as we know we should.
Instead of distant, intangible motivations, such as preventing future disease, Segar suggests focusing on immediate benefits, such as increased energy, less stress or a better mood. "Start small," she says. "You have your whole life to be active. Why not set yourself up for success instead of failure?"
The more we focus inward on how exercise makes us feel-the happy buzz of endorphins or reduced stress-the more likely we are to stick to our workouts and get the results we want on all fronts. If you're one of those people who tends to lose momentum or quit after a few months, here's the real scoop: Don't work out because you should or because you think you need to lose weight. Work out because it will make every day a little better. Work out because you have fun doing Zumba, like the peacefulness you feel during yoga, or love having time to think while you're running or whatever it is you do to break a sweat.
MORE: The 5 Best Exercises You Can Do
Really, the key to success is to stop working out because of what other people might think or because you're trying to achieve some unrealistic ideal body that no one can live up to. Exercise for yourself, and you'll be surprised at just how easy it is to keep at it.
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Source: Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center at the University of Michigan
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Article 3 of 5
If You Hate to Exercise, Should You Do It?
The stress of forcing yourself to do a fitness activity you can’t stand may outweigh the benefits
If you dread your workouts, you may not be getting all of the benefits for which you’re torturing yourself. A number of studies point toward an inverse relationship between exercise benefits and the psychological stress associated with being forced to exercise.
Really, the key to success is to stop working out because of what other people might think or because you're trying to achieve some unrealistic ideal body that no one can live up to. Exercise for yourself, and you'll be surprised at just how easy it is to keep at it.
One good solution
Start walking - walk everywhere - walk the stairs up & down - walk, walk, walk 30-50K steps a day - us a pedometer
Click: How to Fall in Love With Fitness
The studies, using rats, make a distinction between voluntary exercise and forced exercise. In voluntary exercise groups, the rats engage in “free wheel running.” They have running wheels in their cages, and they can get on and off at will and run at whatever speeds suit them. They exercise when and how they want to. The forced exercise groups engage in “forced treadmill running.” This training requires the rats to run when, how long and how fast the experimenters choose. They often have to be prodded using negative stimuli.
The result? As you might expect, both groups burned calories and improved fitness levels. However, differences appear in psychological behavior outcomes and in neurological, endocrine and immune system function.
For example, the forced rats displayed more anxiety and were less likely to explore new environments. In contrast, voluntary free wheel running reduced behavioral depression and learned helplessness that often accompanies exposure to stress. Learned helplessness behaviors in rats resemble the behaviors of people suffering from anxiety and depression. They respond to situations with exaggerated fear and fail to escape stresses from which they could normally remove themselves. Voluntary exercise minimizes or even prevents these depression behaviors.
Click: Bust a Bad Mood With Exercise
Voluntary exercise is also more effective than forced exercise in promoting healthy neurons (nerve cells) in the brain and in enhancing the recovery of movement after a stroke. A 2011 animal study examined the effects of voluntary versus forced exercise on Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and motor recovery. BDNF is a growth factor involved in preserving and forming nerve cells and is critical for learning and memory. In this animal study, rats who had suffered strokes underwent rehabilitation that involved physical exercise. The rats in the voluntary exercise group improved their movement deficits significantly more than those in the forced exercise group. They also had significantly higher levels of BDNF (= Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) than the forced exercise group.
Yet another animal study looked at the effects of voluntary exercise on the ability to deal with acute stress. Rats engaged in either voluntary running or no running for a period of four weeks. Those in the voluntary running group showed less behavioral depression and no suppression of the immune system in response to acute stress. Those in the sedentary group took longer to recover from behavior depression and had immune system impairment.
Clearly, links exist between positive exercise experiences and positive health effects. There are also ties between negative exercise experiences and negative health effects. Some negative effects may come from the physical stress of the activity, such as exercising for too long, too often or too intensely, or from the type of activity itself. Others may stem from psychological stress. While none of us are “forced” to exercise in the same way rats are (unless you have an unusually aggressive and innovative personal trainer), many of us do indeed feel like we force ourselves to exercise, using negative motivation such as thoughts of having a heart attack, getting diabetes or becoming even heavier if we don’t get on that treadmill. Or we may simply stick to our dreaded program, because we made a commitment to do it and that commitment is all that’s keeping us going… otherwise we’d be failures, right? It’s all stress, stress, stress.
Click: How Reducing Stress Can Help You Weigh Less
Now some pointers. To make the physical stress of your workouts positive and not negative, keep the duration, frequency and intensity at lengths and levels that make you feel good and energized. If your program saps your strength and energy for the rest of the day or the next day, you’re likely exercising for too long or too hard. If your exercise seems to disrupt your sleep routines, change the duration, intensity or the time of day that you exercise. If you hurt after exercising, decrease the duration or intensity and make sure you are using the correct form or exercise technique. If those changes don’t help, it may simply be the wrong activity for you. Try a different one.
Now for the psychological stress. Try, try and try again to find something you look forward to or at least something that doesn’t give you “the dreads.” Two of the largest obstacles to exercise enjoyment are the activity choice itself or the intensity of the activity. Choose an activity you enjoy. If you like to dance, take an actual dance class or try Zumba, BodyVive or another aerobic dance class. If you can’t leave the house, work out to a DVD. If you like to play basketball, join a league or find a place to play pick-up games. If you like to walk, then walk. Don’t feel like you have to run. Walking is great exercise. You don’t need to push harder than is comfortable for you. Lots of happy walkers have turned into unhappy joggers.
That brings us to the intensity point. When you have an activity you enjoy, do it at an intensity you can at least happily tolerate. If you don’t like the sensation of pushing yourself hard, don’t do it. You will dread it, and you will likely stop altogether. Or if you don’t stop, your commitment alone will keep you going, and you’ll embody that forced exercise mentality that may rob you of some health benefits… both emotional and physical. Better to go a little longer and enjoy the sensation of moving. You may also try some intense but short bouts, i.e. interval training. These can deliver high fitness benefits and be easily tolerated by even intense-averse people. The ultimate goal is to reap all of the health benefits exercise can provide and enjoy the process of getting them at the same time.
Click: Get Fit in Less Time
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Source: Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center at the University of Michigan
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Article 4 of 5
Conquer the Psychological Barriers to Weight Loss
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When you’re planing to lose weight, it’s easy to get stuck in the specifics of what you can and can’t eat, how many calories to consume and when to go to the gym. But even if you follow a diet plan down to the letter, experts agree you may be overlooking the one step critical to your success: getting your brain on board. “When clients want to lose weight, I tell them to ditch the idea of ‘good’ foods they should be eating and the ‘bad’ foods they need to avoid. That shouldn’t be their focus,” explains Bonnie Kane, a certified health coach based in Philadelphia. “I enable my clients to shift their thinking about food and how they take care of themselves. Losing weight can only occur when you’re mentally and emotionally prepared.”
We spoke to dieticians, psychologists and weight loss experts to find out how to get your mind in sync with your weight loss goals--no calorie-counting required.
1) Think to Past Successes. I never lose weight. Diets don’t work. Do those phrases get frequent playtime in your brain? If so, then you’re sabotaging your attempts to slim down, even if you’re eating all “good” foods. To get your attitude on track, remember the times you have succeeded, explains Marlyn Diaz, a Los Angeles based nutritionist. “The success doesn’t have to be related to weight loss. It could be related to career, parenting, the time you drove cross-country on your own. The skills you used to become your best in that arena are transferrable to weight loss.” Say you planned a huge conference for work. That means you’re a pro at project-management—and what is weight loss if not a project? “Once you know you have the skills and know-how to succeed because you’ve done it before, you’ll have more confidence in whatever weight-loss plan you try,” says Diaz.
2) Set a Healthy Goal That Has Nothing to Do With the Scale. Maybe it’s running a 10k. Or maybe it’s bringing lunch to your office or getting your family on board with Meatless Monday dinners. This triggers your internal determination, explains Danielle Girdano, a master personal trainer in Dallas, TX. “When people frame goals this way, they focus more on overall health, rather than just a number on the scale or on a clothing tag.” Focusing on something you can control makes it less likely you’ll get discouraged and give up if your weight fluctuates or your weight loss stalls.
Click: What Can a Vegetarian Diet Do for You?
3) Cheat a Little. Love chocolate? Then don’t throw it all away. Live for Friday pizza night? That’s all right, too. The trick is to give yourself allowances for the stuff you love, so a taste won’t totally derail you from your efforts. “Focusing on restriction will only lead to willpower problems,” explains Katherine Leonard, a holistic nutritionist in San Diego, Calif. If pizza night is a tradition with your family, you don’t have to skip it as your family indulges. Instead, think of ways you can make it healthier—either by starting with a big salad or getting a whole wheat crust and extra veggies, suggests Leonard.
4) Take a Taste of Temptation. There are donuts in the office kitchen…but you also have a Greek yogurt in the fridge. What do you do? Steve Levinson, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and author of “Following Through,” suggests going for the donut—after you’ve eaten your Greek yogurt. “Giving yourself permission to eat what you want after you eat what you’d planned works because it prevents your cravings from interfering with your efforts to build a healthy new habit,” Levinson explains. “Once you get in the habit of doing the ‘right’ thing, you’ll be less compelled to do the wrong thing.” Not only that, but by delaying grabbing a donut, you may just find the temptation gone when you return to the kitchen.
5) Think Beyond the Gym. If you already love the gym, then by all means, keep going. But if you haven’t gone since the last millennium, there’s no reason to splurge for a membership. “Nerves or self-consciousness can be a huge hurdle,” says David Goldman, a dietician in Menlo Park, Calif. If the idea of heading into a cardio class makes you break out into a cold sweat (and not the good kind) then it’s unrealistic and unfair to yourself to force yourself into a Zumba class. Instead, take a walk, take the stairs or blast music while cleaning the kitchen. “Our bodies are designed to move, and we can make fitness gains quickly,” explains Rea Frey, a certified personal trainer and author of “Power Vegan.” Once you get comfortable moving your body, then you can assess whether or not a gym membership is right for you.
6) Tame Your Triggers. “We turn to food for comfort and distraction,” says Nina Savelle-Rocklin, Psy.D., a Los Angeles psychoanalyst who specializes in eating disorders. In the past, if your knee-jerk reaction to a project your boss dumps on your desk has been to run to the vending machines, it will require Herculean willpower to ignore the urge—unless you find a new behavior to swap in. Taking a moment and figuring out what causes you to crave sugar can help you swap in a healthier habit. “The more you figure out what you’re hungry for—love, recognition or a moment to breathe, whatever—the less likely you are to turn to food,” says Savelle-Rocklin. Feeling overwhelmed? See if there’s a way to push the project deadline back. Unappreciated? Take time to text a friend who always reminds you you’re awesome.
Click: QUIZ: Do Your Daily Activities Add Up to More Exercise Than You Thought?
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Source: Several interviews with specialists
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Article 5 of 5
The Reasons of Being Fat: Eating "Everything in Moderation" is a Myth
Not only that, but "calories-in-calories-out" is pretty much a joke
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Source: (1) Harvard university, (2) Institute for the Psychology of Eating in Boulder, Colo
You can chow down on those Cheetos as long as you log an extra 30 minutes on the treadmill, right? Um, no. Sorry to burst your caloric-counting bubble, but it’s not so simple.
“Calories in versus calories out” has become a sort of one-size-fits-all mantra for those wanting to fit into that one-size-too-small dress. This widespread theory has bred a generation of calorie-counting devotees that can rationalize eating anything as long as they keep below their daily calorie limit—or put in extra time at the gym.
Click: COLUMN: All Foods Aren't Created Equal, from Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen
Out of the calorie-obsessed culture sprouted the uplifting idea of "everything in moderation," which may have started as a way to help people feel less obsessed with food, but has spiraled into a free pass to "treat yourself" to a supersized ice cream sundae every week.
What’s the Deal?
“Caloric theory is woefully inadequate and dramatically incomplete,” says Marc David, an expert in nutritional psychology and founder of the click: Institute for the Psychology of Eating in Boulder, Colo. “In the way nutritional science understands calorie burning as it relates to weight, it’s very primitive.”
Though David admits there are useful aspects to the theory, he believes that it oversimplifies the understanding of weight. “The mass media wants to make it ‘Here’s what everybody should do and here is the simple answer,” says David. “But weight is much more complex and involves many other factors.”
One problem with counting calories is that you are (wrongly) assuming that all calories are created equal. Eating fewer calories won't do your health any favors if all those calories come from reduced-fat potato chips and Tasti D-Lite.
Click: Are Low-Fat Foods Making You Fat?
A study conducted at Harvard School of Public Health focused on which diet and lifestyle factors prevent weight gain in the first place. “We found that the conventional wisdom to focus only on total calories, or even on total fat or sugars, will be less effective than focusing on the quality of the overall diet,” says lead author of the study Darius Mozaffarian, M.D., a cardiologist and epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
The results showed that, when it comes to losing weight, it’s actually more about quality than quantity when it comes to what you put in your mouth. “Eating more of several specific foods was actually associated with relative weight loss,” says Dr. Mozaffarian. “This indicates that the path to eating fewer calories is not to simply count calories, but to focus on consuming a more healthy diet in general.”
Dr. Mozaffarian points out that a major problem with caloric theory is that people chose the wrong targets for "good" versus "bad" foods. They select foods as "good" based on low calories, fat or sugar per serving rather than overall dietary quality and health effects. A good example is nuts, which have 165 calories per serving but have actually been proven to aid in weight loss. Soda, on the other hand, has fewer (120) calories per serving, but has been linked to weight gain.
“Or a much more common example is people choosing reduced-fat potato chips or crackers to lower calories when all they are doing is reducing the healthy vegetable oils and leaving starch and salt,” says Dr. Mozaffarian. “’Fat-free’ bagels, other white breads, and ‘sugar-free’ refined breakfast cereals are also considered healthy when they are simply refined grains that have similar effects as eating table sugar—or perhaps even worse given their added salt.”
And then there's the popular weight-loss mantra “everything in moderation.” As in: Go on, girl, eat that cake…just don’t eat the whole cake. "Everything in moderation’ can mean anything to anyone, providing a free pass to eat whatever you want,” says Dr. Mozaffarian. Not to mention that the general public's perception of portion sizes is so skewed that "only one" piece of cake could really be the equivalent of say, three.
Even if you eat small portions, there are such things as “bad” foods, and even a small amount of a bad thing does not equal a good thing. “The food you eat affects your proteins and genes long after it has passed out of your body,” says
You Beauty co-founder click: Dr. Michael Roizen. “For example, if you consume too much sugar it changes your protein structure for the entire life of that protein, which is 180 days—so that means that the protein stops doing it's job for 180 days.”
A huge reason the caloric theory is so widespread is that many national and government organizations still recommend cutting calories by reducing fats, such as recommending low-fat or non-fat salad dressings, as well as eating and cooking click: vegetables, fish and other foods without added fat.
But research has shown that cutting out fat has little relation to weight gain and in some cases, “good fat” can actually aid in weight loss. “Our findings show that fat content, per se, has little relation to which foods or beverages were associated with weight gain,” says Dr. Mozaffarian. “For example, non-fat foods such as refined breads and cereals were associated with weight gain, some higher fat foods such as whole-fat milk and cheese were neutral and other higher fat foods such as nuts were associated with relative weight loss.”
How to Help Yourself
Now that your fat-and-calorie-counting mind has been blown, try these simple dietary changes that can have a big impact.
Go for quality over quantity Eat more minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains, recommends Dr. Mozaffarian. Aim to consume fewer starches and refined foods like potatoes, white bread, low-fiber breakfast cereals, processed meats, sweets and soda. And it bears repeating that it’s important to break a sweat regularly and get enough sleep to prevent the number on the scale from creeping up.
Watch stress levels—one of the biggest impacts on metabolism. click: “Stress chemistry day in and day out slows down the calorie-burning metabolism,” says David. “It’s a profoundly hidden reason, but it’s huge when it comes to losing weight.”
Stop counting calories Kicking the calorie-counting habit once and for all. “The goal is for people to relax, enjoy the pleasures and tastes of their food and reduce obsessions over nutrition labels and calorie or fat counts,” says Dr. Mozaffarian.
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Source: (1) Harvard University, (2) Institute for the Psychology of Eating in Boulder, Colo
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This short article is more important than it looks - study and apply the info
Need another good reason to exercise?
Here's one:
According to a new study published in the journal Hypertension,
being physically active in your down time can help drop your blood pressure.
Leisure-Time Exercise Can Keep Blood Pressure Healthy, According to a New Study
It sounds obvious, but it's more important than you might think: Almost 78 million adults in the United States have high blood pressure (140 mmHg or higher over 90 mmHg or higher). Lots of folks don't even know they have it. It's caused by a combo of genetics, diet and lifestyle factors, and it can lead to heart disease and stroke. So it makes sense to jump on anything you can do to lower your risk.
Apparently exercise is the answer. When researchers form Shandong University School of Public Health in China pooled results from 13 studies involving more than 130,000 people in the United States, Europe, and East Asia, they found that those who exercised more than four hours per week outside of their work hours had a 19 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure.
What's wacky is researchers found no relation between physical exertion at work and high blood pressure risk -- which is to say that even if you're active on the job (teachers, waiters, etc.), you don't necessarily get the same cardiovascular benefit as, say, a lunchtime workout or a weekend tennis game.
These days the health guidelines that urge people to exercise generally don't distinguish between work versus leisure-time activity. But given these new findings, the authors of the study think they probably should.
Tennis anyone?
Source: Journal HypertensionClick: Journal of Hypertension
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Lessons About Longevity
from a "256-Year Old"
His habits fit with modern science findings
about longevity
See below
According to legend, Mr. Li Qing Yun (1677–1933) was a Chinese medicine physician, herbal expert, qigong master, and tactical consultant. He was said to have lived through nine emperors in the Qing Dynasty to be 256 years old.
His May 1933 obituary in Time Magazine, titled “Tortoise-Pigeon-Dog,” revealed Li’s secrets of longevity: “Keep a quiet heart, sit like a tortoise, walk sprightly like a pigeon and sleep like a dog.”
Mr. Li is said to have had quite unusual habits in his daily living. He did not drink hard liquor or smoke and ate his meals at regular times. He was a vegetarian and frequently drank wolfberry (also known as goji berry) tea.
- Goji - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goji
Goji, goji berry or wolfberry is the fruit of Lycium barbarum Description - Etymology - Significance - Cultivation
He slept early and got up early. When he had time, he sat up straight with his eyes closed and hands in his lap, at times not moving at all for a few hours.
In his spare time, Li played cards, managing to lose enough money every time for his opponent’s meals for that day. Because of his generosity and levelheaded demeanor, everyone liked to be with him.
Mr. Li spent his whole life studying Chinese herbs and discovering the secrets of longevity, traveling through provinces of China and as far as Thailand to gather herbs and treat illnesses.
His life advice:
(1) Keep a quiet heart (= do not worry)
(2) Sit like a tortoise (= meditate)
(3) Walk sprightly like a pigeon (= walk lively full of energy) and
(4) Sleep like a dog (= sleep 8 - 9 hours)
While it is unclear whether Li actually lived as long as is believed, what little we know of his habits fit with modern science’s findings about longevity.
Research
Dan Buettner, author of “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest,” researches the science of longevity. In his book and in a 2009 TED talk, he examined the lifestyle habits of four geographically distinct populations around the world.
- Dan Buettner - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Buettner
Dan Buettner (born 1960 in St. Paul, Minnesota) is an American explorer, educator,... Buettner reported his interest in "blue zones" in his cover story for National ...Biography - References - Select bibliography - External links
All of these groups—Californian Adventists, Okinawans, Sardinians, and Costa Ricans—live to be over 100 years of age at a far greater rate than most people, or they live a dozen years longer than average. He calls the places where these groups live “blue zones.”
According to Buettner’s research, all blue-zone groups eat a vegetable-based diet. The group of Adventists in Loma Linda, California, eat plenty of legumes and greens as mentioned in the Bible. Herders living the in the highlands of Sardinia eat an unleavened whole grain bread, cheese from grass-fed animals, and a special wine.
Buettner found that low-calorie diets help in extending life, as demonstrated by a group of healthy elderly Okinawans who practice a Confucian rule of stopping eating when one is 80 percent full.
Perhaps Li’s wolfberry tea played a crucial part in his health. After hearing Li’s story, medical researchers from Britain and France conducted an in-depth study of wolfberry and found that it contains an unknown vitamin called “Vitamin X,” also known as the “beauty vitamin.” Their experiments confirmed that wolfberry inhibits the accumulation of fat and promotes new liver cells, lowers blood glucose and cholesterol, and so on.
Wolfberry performs a role of rejuvenation: It activates the brain cells and endocrine glands; enhances the secretion of hormones; and removes toxins accumulated in the blood, which can help maintain a normal function of body tissues and organs.
Meditation
Researchers have found numerous benefits to regular meditation. Neuroscientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School asked two groups of stressed-out high-tech employees to either meditate over eight weeks or live as they normally do.
They found that the meditators “showed a pronounced shift in activity to the left frontal lobe,” reads a 2003 Psychology Today article. “This mental shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression, and anxiety. There is also less activity in the amygdala, where the brain processes fear.”
Meditation also click: reduces brain shrinkage due to aging and click: enhances mood
Community
Buettner also found that community is a huge factor in the longevity of blue-zone groups. Typical Okinawans have many close friends, with whom they share everything. Sardinian highlanders have a reverence for the elderly not found in modern Western societies. The Adventists put family first.
A sense of belonging and having healthy friends and family encourage the individual to live healthily as well.
In “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell (web link below) examined a group of Italians called the Rosetans, who migrated to an area west of Bangor, Pennsylvania. Across the board, they had lower incidents of heart disease and generally lived long, healthy lives. After experiments, it was determined that their secret was not genetics or even diet (41 percent of their diet came from fat).
“The Rosetans had created a powerful, protective social structure capable of insulating them from the pressures of the modern world,” Gladwell wrote. “The Rosetans were healthy because of where they were from, because of the world they had created for themselves in their tiny little town in the hills.”
Malcolm Gladwell | The Author's Official Website gladwell.com/An archive of New Yorker articles by the author and information about his book.Outliers - Blink
Purposeful Living
In his travels, Buettner came across a common theme among blue-zone groups: None of them had the concept of retirement. As it turns out, to keep going makes it easier to keep going.
Related Articles Click green or search with the title (if the link has expired search with the title & click to conect to The Epoch Times
- Meditation May Prevent Psychiatric Disorders, Study Suggests
- Study on Yogi Prahlad Jani’s Fasting Miracles Concludes
Purposeful living into the sunset years is a mantra to the Okinawans and Sardinians. In those groups, Buettner met centenarian men and women who continued to climb hills, build fences, fish, and care for great-great-great-great grandchildren.
Interestingly, none of these centenarians exercise purposely as we Westerners who go to the gym do. “They simply live active lives that warrant physical activity,” Buettner said. They all walk, cook, and do chores manually, and many of them garden.
Based on an article about Li Qing Yun from Kan Zhong Guo (Secret China).
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Article 1 of 5 (Articles 2, 3, 4, 5 of 5 next below)
The Morality of Meditation
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By David DeSteno - he is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University, where he directs the Social Emotions Group. He is the author of the forthcoming book “The Truth About Trust: How It Determines Success in Life, Love, Learning, and More.”
MEDITATION is fast becoming a fashionable tool for improving your mind
With mounting scientific evidence that the practice can enhance creativity, memory and scores on standardized intelligence tests, interest in its practical benefits is growing. A number of “mindfulness” training programs, like that developed by the engineer Chade-Meng Tan at Google, and conferences like Wisdom 2.0 for business and tech leaders, promise attendees insight into how meditation can be used to raise individual performance, leadership & productivity.
This is all well and good, but if you stop to think about it, there’s a bit of a disconnect between the (perfectly commendable) pursuit of these benefits and the purpose for which meditation was originally intended. Gaining competitive advantage on exams and increasing creativity in business weren’t of the utmost concern to Buddha and other early meditation teachers. As Buddha himself said, “I teach one thing and one only: that is, suffering and the end of suffering.” For Buddha, as for many modern spiritual leaders, the goal of meditation was as simple as that. The heightened control of the mind that meditation offers was supposed to help its practitioners see the world in a new and more compassionate way, allowing them to break free from the categorizations (us/them, self/other) that commonly divide people from one another.
But does meditation work as promised? Is its originally intended effect — the reduction of suffering — empirically demonstrable?
To put the question to the test, my lab, led in this work by the psychologist Paul Condon, joined with the neuroscientist Gaëlle Desbordes and the Buddhist lama Willa Miller to conduct an experiment whose publication is forthcoming in the journal Psychological Science. We recruited 39 people from the Boston area who were willing to take part in an eight-week course on meditation (and who had never taken any such course before). We then randomly assigned 20 of them to take part in weekly meditation classes, which also required them to practice at home using guided recordings. The remaining 19 were told that they had been placed on a waiting list for a future course.
After the eight-week period of instruction, we invited the participants to the lab for an experiment that purported to examine their memory, attention and related cognitive abilities. But as you might anticipate, what actually interested us was whether those who had been meditating would exhibit greater compassion in the face of suffering. To find out, we staged a situation designed to test the participants’ behavior before they were aware that the experiment had begun.
WHEN a participant entered the waiting area for our lab, he (or she) found three chairs, two of which were already occupied. Naturally, he sat in the remaining chair. As he waited, a fourth person, using crutches and wearing a boot for a broken foot, entered the room and audibly sighed in pain as she leaned uncomfortably against a wall. The other two people in the room — who, like the woman on crutches, secretly worked for us — ignored the woman, thus confronting the participant with a moral quandary. Would he act compassionately, giving up his chair for her, or selfishly ignore her plight?
The results were striking. Although only 16 percent of the nonmeditators gave up their seats — an admittedly disheartening fact — the proportion rose to 50 percent among those who had meditated. This increase is impressive not solely because it occurred after only eight weeks of meditation, but also because it did so within the context of a situation known to inhibit considerate behavior: witnessing others ignoring a person in distress — what psychologists call the bystander effect — reduces the odds that any single individual will help. Nonetheless, the meditation increased the compassionate response threefold.
Although we don’t yet know why meditation has this effect, one of two explanations seems likely. The first rests on meditation’s documented ability to enhance attention, which might in turn increase the odds of noticing someone in pain (as opposed to being lost in one’s own thoughts). My favored explanation, though, derives from a different aspect of meditation: its ability to foster a view that all beings are interconnected. The psychologist Piercarlo Valdesolo and I have found that any marker of affiliation between two people, even something as subtle as tapping their hands together in synchrony, causes them to feel more compassion for each other when distressed. The increased compassion of meditators, then, might stem directly from meditation’s ability to dissolve the artificial social distinctions — ethnicity, religion, ideology and the like — that divide us.
Supporting this view, recent findings by the neuroscientists Helen Weng, Richard Davidson and colleagues confirm that even relatively brief training in meditative techniques can alter neural functioning in brain areas associated with empathic understanding of others’ distress — areas whose responsiveness is also modulated by a person’s degree of felt associations with others.
So take heart. The next time you meditate, know that you’re not just benefiting yourself, you’re also benefiting your neighbors, community members and as-yet-unknown strangers by increasing the odds that you’ll feel their pain when the time comes, and act to lessen it as well.
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Source:
David DeSteno is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University, where he directs the Social Emotions Group.
He is the author of the forthcoming book “The Truth About Trust: How It Determines Success in Life, Love, Learning, and More.”
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Article 2 of 5 (Articles 3, 4, 5 of 5 next below)
Does TM -Transcendental Meditation
Actually Work?
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is easily one of the most hyped (= excessive publicity) forms of meditation.
Since The Beatles first tried it decades ago, it's garnered the following of a bevy*) of celebrities and high profile individuals, like Russell Simmons and Jerry Seinfeld.
*) bevy = a large group of people)
TM also has one of the largest libraries of scientific research supporting it, substantiating claims of everything from increased cardiovascular health to decreased violence to increased creativity. But celebrity endorsements and even the best academic studies can hardly be relied on as conclusive proof.
So why has this method of meditation endured the test of time and received a stamp of approval from doctors and celebrities alike?
In short, because it works.
This writer recently learned the technique at the New York City TM Center and has been pleased with the results. Here's one reason why it may work so well.
Without going too in-depth, the TM technique is relatively simple. One sits comfortably, closes his or her eyes, and repeats a mantra (in Sanskrit) without moving the lips or making a sound for about 20 minutes, two times a day. Yes, that's just about it. The only other crucial piece of information one must know to do the technique correctly is to not 'force' anything. That is, allow thoughts to come and go - and if one realizes he's stopped repeating the mantra in his head, to just gently come back to it.
3 Meditation Techniques for Beginners (the next article below)
But wait - that can't be all there is to it, right!? Actually, that really is most of what it boils down to. So how can this simple method improve cardiovascular health? And how could it possibly make you more creative?
The key here is conditioning, and in fact, the TM technique can be thought of as a conditioning technique.
Conditioning, or programming, is a phenomenon that must take place in order for us to live our lives. Conditioning can happen over time, or in an instant. We learn that a flame is hot, for instance, and condition ourselves to fear making contact with flames. We develop what we believe are "natural responses" to specific stimuli - not all that different from Pavlov's dogs.
When we practice TM, we're conditioning our minds to have a completely new response to thought itself. When we have a thought, we'll usually have one of two reactions, or a combination of the two:
1) Emotion: We'll think of something that triggers some type of emotion. This reaction isn't necessarily extreme, but it's always there. For example, we may think of a relationship or business deal gone bad, and as a result - even if only mild and temporary - we'll have a shift in emotional state. In this example it could perhaps be sadness or anger.
2) Action: Another reaction to thought is action or planned action. The simplest example: You think "I'm hungry," and as a result, get something to eat or make a plan to get something to eat. Note that the action needn't be immediate. For instance, haven't you ever, out of nowhere, thought about an old friend and made a mental note to call her at a later point? "Action" here can also mean internal physiological responses, tied to emotion, such as elevated blood pressure, sweating, increased heart rate and so on.
Now, if you're practicing TM correctly and have an upsetting thought, how will you react? If you answered "You won't," bingo!
As mentioned above, when one practices TM, she gently returns to the mantra once she realizes she has drifted to a thought. This means no reaction. One doesn't dwell on the thought, take the time to invest emotion or carry out action - one simply just returns to the mantra.
And, again, what does this do? It completely changes our standard reaction to thoughts - our 'conditioning' or 'programming,' if you will.
We are reconditioning or reprogramming ourselves to not be reactive to thought.
The two 20-minute sessions of TM one practices daily are no different than practicing for a particular sport. If you've ever tried a combat sport for instance, you have to completely recondition your "natural" response of turning away from - or turning your back to - an attacker. This takes time and repetition, but after a while, you've completely reconditioned a "naturally programmed" response.
TM helps in much the same way: If our "naturally programmed" response is to be reactive, either with emotion or action, TM helps us practice being non-reactive to thoughts.
And this is exactly why it can help lower blood pressure or even increase creativity.
Just think, if you're able to either eliminate or mitigate your action (internal or external) or emotional reaction to thought, wouldn't that lower your blood pressure? If you've been practicing TM consistently, when a thought that may spike blood pressure or the emotions or actions that lead to a spike in blood pressure comes along, your reconditioned, non-reactive response should ensue, thereby averting the emotion or action response that would normally take place.
In the case of creativity, imagine thoughts not disrupting the creative process when you're trying to write, paint or play music. Again, the reconditioned non-response allows you to focus on what you're doing, and not get distracted by thought - for example, "Will people like this song?"
The good news and the bad news is we're not so different from Pavlov's dogs. If we use the ability to condition our response to thought, we can reap tremendous benefits; if we allow ourselves to simply play into existing conditioning, we know just how detrimental that can be. From a neuro-psychological perspective we can see why TM really does work. And while learning the method can be a bit on the expensive side, it may be well worth the long-term return.
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Source: U.S. News & World Report
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Article 3 of 5
3 Easy Meditation Techniques for Beginners
Find your focus
These exercises work for everyone at anytime, anywhere
Meditation is nothing mystical -
It's basically your trained attention
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Gold stars to those who can make it through this article without wondering about dinner or unattended emails, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or scanning half a page before realizing you have no idea what the heck you just read.
Amit Sood, author of the upcoming book "The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living," calls this autopilot daze*), in which we're physically here, but mentally elsewhere – our "default mode." And it's not a great place to be. We spend about half of our day in default mode, in which we're typically unhappy, he says, adding that too much time in this mode can lead to increased depression, anxiety and attention deficit. *) verb 'to daze' = make someone unable to think or react properly; stupefy; bewilder - e.g.: "he was dazed by his revelations" - synonyms: stun, stupefy - noun 'daze' = a state of stunned confusion or bewilderment - e.g. "he was walking around in a daze" - synonyms: stupor, trance, haze
Meditation is essentially the process of cutting through our brain's static and finding focus. The practice not only offers a slew (= many - a large number of..) of health benefits, from stress management, to possibly helping with high blood pressure, heart disease and depression, but it's also something you can weave into your everyday life. If you simply want to give it a try, there's no need for a trip to the doctor's office or a monastery. "Meditation is nothing mystical," Sood says. "It's basically your trained attention."
Beginners can try the three simple meditation exercises below just about anywhere, at anytime. Before jumping in, here's a bit of advice from Catherine Kerr, director of translational neuroscience*) at Brown University's Contemplative Studies Initiative: "Go slow, and be compassionate and gentle with yourself." It's natural for your mind to wander as you try to focus, she says, so when it does, don't distress.
*) definition: Translational Neuroscience is the process of using all technological advances to bring novel therapies with measurable outcomes to patients with neurological diseases.
The concept is derived from the need to translate the wealth of basic understanding about neuroscience, neuropathogenesis, and neuroengineering into a trajectory (= course, path, route, track, line) that will realistically lead to therapies and measurable benefit to individuals at risk for or suffering from neurological disease. Special emphasis pathway for PhD and Postdoctoral training programs. Prepares researchers for productive collaborative work with other clinicians and researchers aimed at advances in the clinical neurology and community setting.
Walking meditation
This practice is "very traditional, simple and well suited for stressed out people today," says Kerr, who used walking meditation to manage the overwhelming emotional energy she felt while grieving for her father. This is how:
Find a space outside, and simply walk at a slow or medium pace, focusing on your feet. Try to distinguish when your toe touches down the ground, when your foot is flat on the ground and when your toe points back upward. Feel the roll of your foot. Observe sensory details: a tingle here, a pull of the sock there.
When your mind wanders, and it will, gently bring your attention back to your feet. You're building a skill of noticing when your attention drifts into default mode and bringing it back into focus. This ability can help you be more present and in control of your attention every day, especially in times of stress.
Plus, Kerr points out, this practice is a mild form of exercise. Start by dedicating a specific time and place to practice, and when you become comfortable with walking meditation, try it as you walk to the bus stop, office or just about anywhere.
Novel experiences
The next two tips come from Sood, and they're a bit more modern. Remember how you jump into focus mode when you see a police car behind you or unexpectedly meet a giraffe? We escape our brain's jumble of day-to-day thoughts when we experience something out of the ordinary. Similarly, Sood points out, you may greet a loved one with more attention after you've been apart for a month compared to if you see him or her daily.
How? Do this: E.g., when you come home and meet your family at the end of the day, pretend like you haven't seen them in 30 days. To an extent, yes, you'll be faking this feeling. But it may help to think about transience, Sood says. There's only a finite number of evenings you'll have with these people you love. For example, Sood thinks of his oldest daughter, who is 8 and 1/2 years old. "She will be off to college in 2,000 evenings, and 2,000 is a very small number."
How? Do this: Another way to support this feeling of novelty is to aim for acceptance. "Our brain is a fault-finding machine," Sood says. "My goal is that, for the first 10 minutes at home, I try to improve nobody."
How? Do this: This practice isn't limited to family. Aim to create a fresh perspective of just about anyone you see in your everyday life, such as co-workers and neighbors, to pull you into focus mode. Sood explains how, after back-to-back-to-back appointments, some doctors run the risk of seeing their patients as problems. When Sood, a doctor of internal medicine, begins feeling this way, he looks at patients in a new light to give them undivided attention. He tries to think, "There's a part of the universe that deeply loves this person and cares for him," he says. "If I carry this feeling with me,
I will find this person novel and meaningful."
Gratitude exercises
What are your first thoughts as you awake? Maybe: What am I going to wear today? When is my first meeting? Where's my coffee? Even as we're still yawning and stumbling out of bed, we often dive head-first into default mode. "I invite people to delay that by two minutes," Sood says. Take two minutes when you first awake to find focus.
How? - Do this exercise right now, as Sood walks us through it:
Close your eyes. (Well, maybe read through this first, and then close them.) With your eyes shut, imagine you're waking up this morning, as you picture the layout of your room. Now think of the first person for whom you're grateful. "Bring that person's face in front of your eyes," Sood says, "and focus on one part of their face that you really like." Now send them what Sood calls a "silent gratitude," or "just a note of thankfulness that this person is in your life." Do this for a second, third, fourth and fifth person – perhaps someone who has died. Picture him or her happy; try to imagine the color of their eyes. Sood, who is also the director of research and practice at the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program, says people often cry when they try this exercise. One man came to tears upon realizing he didn't remember the color of his teenage child's eyes, signaling that he's perhaps spent a lot of their time together in default mode.
These silent gratitudes work for early mornings, as well as between appointments, waiting in the checkout line or during one of Sood's go-tos: stopped at red lights. "I've connected with all kinds of wonderful people in my life – my high school teacher, my grandmother who is no more … you start feeling like you're not missing out on life."
The book mentioned in the article above Click: The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living: Amit Sood MD, Mayo ...www.amazon.com
Source: U.S. News & World Report
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Got Five Minutes?
Meditate in a Garden
Healing, uplifting, refreshing, calming, oxygenating, enjoyable, satisfying, beautifying
Article 4 of 5
Raise your hand if your days are a whirlwind (mine just went up). Meals mostly occurring in meetings? Personal time, if you even have time for it, turbo-charged with a million things to do? Travel lost its glamour years ago? And exercise means power hour at the gym, if you're even able to squeeze it in? Are the results from this busy lifestyle already showing up at your doctor's office in a test result that's a little too high, or maybe in just a general ennui you might be starting to feel?
I have wonderful, welcome, easy-to-use news for you. There is a way to slow down, be fully present, and find your healthy center again, and it's as close as your backyard or even corporate garden (if you're lucky enough to have one). You don't even have to get involved in building, planting, and tending that garden unless, of course, you can't help yourself once you start to see the benefits from being out there. Let's just start with using time in the garden as a quick
(I promise!) moving meditation, and see how it grows (so to speak).
A moving meditation simply means allowing yourself to be fully present in the moment by regulating your breath, noticing your surroundings, and opening your mind to its infinite possibilities, usually while doing something.
I find the habits I have formed by doing moving meditations in the garden to help me to be more productive and successful in achieving my business goals. Why not try it out and see if it works for you, too? My prediction is that the return on this small investment of time will surprise you.
Here are some ways to do a moving meditation in the garden:
1. Take five. Spend five minutes each day in a garden, and use those five minutes to notice five things—something you see, something you hear, something you touch, something you smell, and something you taste. That's it.
2. Strike a pose, or let it flow. You know those yoga poses you keep telling yourself you're going to make time to do, but don't? Do them in the garden. Lay out your mat, or, even easier, just do a few standing poses. Breathe deeply. Stretch. Look to a tree for inspiration for tree pose. If you prefer Tai Chi, gardens provide the perfect backdrop. Their swaying vegetation and flittering butterflies mimic Tai Chi's slow, rhythmic movements, and you may find you have more patience for this exercise in a garden than in a fluorescently-lit workout room.
3. Walk in, walk out. Walking a labyrinth is a time-honored way to conduct a moving meditation, and many cities boast numerous publicly-accessible labyrinths (check churches where you live). You may even find one that's lined with herbs so that as your feet touch them, they give off pleasing, relaxing, and even stimulating fragrances. Talk about efficient use of time and multi-tasking—you get a moving meditation and aromatherapy in one fell swoop. Walking a labyrinth causes you to switch directions unpredictably and this gives both sides of your brain a real workout. Many people find they can solve complex problems doing this, so this moving meditation could certainly lead to the "aha" business breakthrough you may have been seeking.
4. Rake or hoe*). Okay, I know I said you didn't even have to work in the garden, but this will not feel like work once you approach it as a moving meditation. Rake soil or leaves slowly, feeling your muscles flex and relax. Run a stirrup hoe under weeds, gently releasing them and, in doing so, releasing your tension. Smell and touch that soil, which, by the way, contains a strain of bacteria that causes us to release seratonin**), which decreases anxiety and improves mood.
How's that for a fast-acting workday pick-me-up? Before you know it, your boss or employees will be begging you to get out in the garden because of the positive effects it has on you back in the office.
*) hoe = a long-handled gardening tool with a thin metal blade, used mainly for weeding and breaking up soil
to hoe = use a hoe to dig (earth) or thin out or dig up (plants)
**) Click: Serotonin and Depression: 9 Questions and Answers
Click: Serotonin - Wikipedia
Source: U.S. News & World Report
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Article 5 of 5 (Articles 1, 2, 3, 4 of 5 next above)
Meditators Can Affect Quantum Events Quantum = the smallest quantity of some physical property, such as energy, that a system can possess according to the quantum theory - click: Quantum
In quantum physics also known as quantum mechanics click: Quantum mechanics, one of the most enduring mysteries is known as the double-slit experiment, which renowned physicist Richard Feynman described as containing “the only mystery.” click: Richard Feynman - Wikipedia
So what’s so mysterious about it?
This requires a bit of setup: If you take a light-tight box, and inside shoot photons (basically units of light) through one slit onto photographic paper, you’ll see a pattern where it’s darkest right in the middle, and gets fainter as you move toward the edges. Basically, it’s what you would expect: most of the light hits the middle, and the rest of the photons get deflected to various degrees and stray from the middle in predictable ways.
If you change your apparatus and introduce a second slit, and shoot photons through it, you’ll now get an interference pattern—alternating bands of dark and light. What’s happening is the light is acting like a wave on its way to the photographic plate, and the two beams of light are interfering with each other. Sometimes they reinforce each other, and sometimes they cancel each other out.
Now here’s where it gets really interesting: if you shoot one photon at a time through the device, but don’t know which slit the photon goes through, you still get the interference pattern!
But if you shoot one at a time, and you know which slit it goes through, you’ll just get two clusters, like when there’s only one slit open, but in two places.
Numerous theoretical explanations have been offered to explain this mystery, some of which propose that the act of observation by a conscious entity—a mind—plays a crucial role. The act of observation, in effect, alters the state of matter at the quantum level.
This is controversial, probably because it doesn’t fit with the prevailing scientific worldview that matter and energy are primary, and consciousness is more or less something extra, and has nothing to do with the most basic constituents of the universe. If mind isn’t just as fundamental as matter, how could it affect matter at a quantum level?
There are problems with the view that matter is primary and consciousness comes later, but the best way to demonstrate that is probably with experiments, rather than philosophical arguments. (After all, such philosophical arguments have been going on for a long, long time.)
What if it could be shown experimentally that consciousness can affect the results of the double-slit experiment?
The Experimental EvidenceEnter Dean Radin and colleagues, who carried out a series of six experiments demonstrating just this.
Participants were first familiarized with the double-slit experiment by watching a 5-minute animation, then they were brought into an electrically shielded steel room, sat down a few meters from the double-slit apparatus, and were given instructions to try to influence the beam when told to do so.
During randomly assigned periods lasting from 15 to 30 seconds, participants were cued to relax or to try to influence the apparatus. Each session lasted about 15 minutes, not including instruction.
Radin and colleagues found that during those periods when participants were attending to the device, the interference pattern was significantly reduced, compared to when the device was active but no one was present. That means it looked more like when there’s knowledge of which slot the light passed through.
They controlled for various factors, such as electrical shielding, temperature, and vibration, but none of these could explain away the results: focused attention influenced the pattern of light.
And how good one is at focusing turns out to be an especially important factor. Participants’ amount of meditation experience made all the difference as to whether they could affect the pattern or not—those who did not practice meditation on average failed to show a statistically significant effect.
Somehow, those who regularly practice focusing their attention can have more of an effect on this quantum phenomenon.
This brings up a host of new questions: how does focused attention affect this or other phenomena? Are these meditation practitioners different than other people, or is it the meditation itself that produces the effects? If it is amount of practice, what exactly is it about meditation that produces this capability?
Regardless of the answers to those questions, these six experiments present strong statistical evidence that meditators are capable of influencing quantum events. To get these results by chance, you’d have to run the same set of experiments 150,000 times. In contrast, for most psychology studies, if you would arrive at a particular result by chance one out of 20 times, it is considered a valid effect.
Radin and colleagues also examined whether fluctuations in the Earth’s geomagnetic field might be responsible for the results, because previous studies have shown that these magnetic variations are linked to various phenomena related to human behavior, such as stock market activity, suicides, and cardiac health, as well as differences in performance on extra-sensory perception (ESP) tasks.
They found that the results of these experiments are not explained by these variations, but the variations contributed to how strong the effects were, thus further validating that both these geomagnetic influences and the effect on the double-slit experiment are real.
Source: The study was published in Physics Essays
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
About our future - Ecology - Global
Water shortages and pollution problems will be America’s deadliest enemy, worse than Big Oil, killing economic growth, destroying America’s future
America’s new $60 trillion deadliest enemy - An economic time bomb lurks in water shortages and pollution problems
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The decline is already in progress, GDP is predicted to collapse below 1% in this century
Click: List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita - Wikipedia
Can this disastrous trend be stopped? Maybe
Taxpayers cost? $60 trillion, estimates a Scientific American research study
Bad news for a planet where the total GDP of all nations is only $70 trillion
Reuters reports the researchers calculated the impact of “releasing a 50-gigaton reservoir of methane thawing under the East Siberian Sea permafrost.” London’s Guardian newspaper (link at the end) called this an “economic time bomb” that could “undermine the global financial system.”
Global warming: ‘More religion than science?’ Or all Big Oil profits? Political wars will accelerate: Big Oil climate deniers will double down. Ernst & Young researchers estimate “20% of the world’s undiscovered but recoverable oil and natural-gas resources” are also under that same methane-laden Arctic. So Big Oil must fight even harder to protect its $150 billion annual profits, making certain not one dime of America’s $17 trillion GDP is spent to stop the ticking time bomb.
It may already be too late, said Bill McKibben in Foreign Policy, too late to stop the global warming time bomb. Big Oil keeps electing climate deniers to Congress, like the GOP’s Dana Rohrabacher. The Daily Pilot of Orange County, Calif., reports: “He believes global warming is a total fraud.”
A Think Progress headline read: “Steve King: Belief in Climate Change is a ‘Religion, Not Science’.” That “despite the fact that 97% of scientists agree that climate change is real.” King is an Iowa Republican, spoke at “an event sponsored by the climate-denying, Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity.” The “Koch Empire” is in a costly “mother of all wars” to protect their profits.
Americans in denial ... won’t stop till after next global catastrophe
“Sometimes facing up to the truth is just too hard. When the facts are distressing it is easier to reframe or ignore them,” writes Australian Professor of Ethics Clive Hamilton in his behavioral-economics classic, “Requiem for a Species: Why We Resist the Truth about Climate Change”: “Around the world only a few have truly faced up to the facts about global warming ... It’s the same with our own deaths; we all ‘accept’ that we will die, but it is only when our death is imminent that we confront the true meaning of our mortality.”
Yes, we’re in denial. But soon the impact of global warming will be too obvious, costly, disastrous to ignore, even for the Koch Brothers and other Big Oil capitalists.
When reality hits their bottom line, they will change. But by then, it will be too late for America, Miami and New York, Nantucket, Malibu, Silicon Valley and all across the world, in Africa, Australia, China, South America, Oceania. For water kills economies and civilizations:
America: Coastal beach towns can’t stop falling into the oceans
Last year after Superstorm Sandy, Bloomberg Business Week’s cover was clear, “It’s Global Warming, Stupid.” But America quickly went back to sleep.
Recently, in Vanity Fair’s “From Coast to Toast,” we learned that “two of America’s most golden coastal enclaves are waging the same desperate battle against erosion. With beaches and bluffs in both Malibu and Nantucket disappearing into the ocean, wealthy homeowners are prepared to do almost anything — spend tens of millions on new sand, berms, retaining walls and other measures — to save their precious waterfront properties.”
This is a war between rich and rest, “deep-pocketed summer people and local working folks.”
In “Goodbye Miami” Rolling Stone covered more of our water problems: “By century’s end, rising sea levels will turn the nation’s urban fantasy land into an American Atlantis. But long before the city is completely underwater, chaos will begin.”
Other cities at risk: New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, Boston, Norfolk, Va., Galveston, Texas, Tampa, Fla., even California’s Silicon Valley, which sits “by the edge of the bay protected by old levees that could easily fail.”
Africa: Water shortages killing economic growth in emerging nations Business Week warns: “Water, or the lack of it — is one of the biggest issues facing urban Africa, which will see a 66% population increase to 1.2 billion people by 2050 ... Although water shortages have long plagued parts of the continent, they’ve become the potential killer of Africa’s economic takeoff. Ghana’s $35 billion economy, whose estimated growth of 8% in 2013 would outpace the sub-Saharan African average for a sixth straight year, cannot continue at that rate without a modern water network.”
South America: Economic growth and profits beat water for peopleBloomberg Markets magazine warns of “Deadly Water Wars” where “governments and big, often foreign-based companies across Latin America are battling over water with families, communities and farms.” Roots of their water wars: “Leaders across the region, elected on promises to fuel economic growth and lift populations out of poverty, are fast tracking water-use approvals for mining and other industrial uses. ... Water isn’t always where the best mineral or agricultural riches are located so people are losing homes and farms as water is diverted to industrial uses.”
China: Cancer in ‘water you wouldn’t dare swim in, let alone drink’Time magazine: “After more than three decades of economic prosperity, China faces serious environmental challenges, including its increasingly filthy waterways.” After his sister died of cancer, Jin Zengmin, a wealthy entrepreneur, offered “a $32,000 reward to the chief of the local environmental-protection department if he dared to swim in a nearby river for a mere 20 minutes.” He refused to swim in the garbage-infested water. “The river is poisonous,” said Jin. “If we Chinese die of cancer caused by pollution, what’s the meaning of economic growth for us?
Australia’s water crisis: ‘disaster of biblical proportions’In another Rolling Stone feature, “The End of Australia,” Jeff Goodell asks: “Want to know what global warming has in store for us? Just go to Australia, where rivers are drying up, reefs are dying, and fires and floods are ravaging the continent.” University of Melbourne climate researcher David Karoly warns: “Australia is the canary in the coal mine ... What is happening in Australia now is similar to what we can expect to see other places in the future.”
Indian Ocean: Villages flooding, islands sinking, politicians want powerThe New York Times reviewed a documentary, “The Island President.” Mohamed Nasheed, leader of the Maldives, a nation of 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean, warned “rising sea levels could wipe out his country.” Violence erupted: “Protesters burned police stations in the south, and Islamic radicals smashed nearly 30 Buddhist statues dating to the sixth century in the National Museum.”
Nasheed spoke at the 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. He was “forced out because he threatened the interests of the old order that ran the country for 30 years.”
South East Asia: Angkor, water slowly destroyed a great civilizationNational Geographic featured the ancient empire: “Greater Angkor probably encompassed between 600,000 and 1 million inhabitants, at a time when London had perhaps 30,000 people.” Built on the edge of Southeast Asia’s “Great Lake” the people needed a vast irrigation system: “During the monsoon season, vast amounts of water poured through the watershed causing the Mekong River to actually back up behind its delta.”
For centuries the people relied on these vast waterworks for crops, fish, drinking. But “the very system that allowed the Khmer to support such a large population may have been their undoing.” Slowly: In the mid-1200s, a flood “destroyed part of the earthworks.” A century later “monsoons became very unpredictable. ... An extreme drought crippled what remained of the once-glorious Khmer Empire, leaving it vulnerable to repeated attacks and sackings by the Thais. By 1431 ... power shifted south” to coastal cities.
Central America: Mayan civilization, dark metaphor for America 2013
The World Wildlife Fund interviewed Jared Diamond, author of “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail of Succeed”: Diamond explained the lessons of climate change learned from the centuries of a Mayan civilization of two million people:
“There are so many societies in which the elite made decisions that were good for themselves in the short run and ruined themselves and societies in the long run ... The Mayans collapsed “because of a combination of climate change, drought, water-management problems, soil erosion, deforestation ... The kings had managed to insulate themselves from the consequences of their actions.”
Yes, they saw forests “being chopped down.” But “the kings didn’t recognize that they were making a mess until it was too late, when the commoners rose in revolt. ... Similarly, in the United States at present, the policies being pursued by too many wealthy people and decision makers are ones that — as in the case of the Mayan kings — preserve their interests in the short run but are disastrous in the long run.”
One final observation on America’s obsession with economic growth at all costs: Business Week quoted David Owen from his “The Conundrum”: “As long as the West places high and unquestioning value on economic growth and consumer gratification — with China and the rest of the developing world right behind — we will continue to burn the fossil fuels whose emissions trap heat in the atmosphere.”
But “fast trains, hybrid cars, compact fluorescent light bulbs, carbon offsets — they’re just not enough.” Our obsession with growth at all costs will self-destruct — history keeps repeating this cycle.
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Source: MarketWatch
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Click: ESA Online Journals - Ecology - Ecological Society of America
www.esajournals.org/loi/ecol - Ecology, the leading international journal in its field, publishes articles that report and interpret the results of original scientific research in basic and applied .
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Click: World news and comment from the Guardian | World news | The ...www.theguardian.com/world
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
Research Cites Role of Warming
in Extremes
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Scientists have long predicted that global warming will worsen heat waves and torrential rainfalls. In some parts of the world, that is exactly what happened last year, climate scientists reported Thursday.
Rising temperatures add energy to the atmosphere, and computer models warn that this will produce wider and wilder swings in temperature and rainfall and alter prevailing wind patterns. In examining a dozen extreme weather events last year, scientists found that evidence that human activity — in particular, emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels — was a partial culprit in about half of them.
Yet other extreme weather events, including the drought that withered the Midwest, appear to be just part of a natural pattern, the scientists concluded. The research, a series of 19 studies by 18 teams, was published in a special issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
While global warming will likely increase the number and severity of extreme weather events, climate scientists have been reluctant to attribute a particular heat wave, storm or drought directly to global warming, because of the natural variations of weather. But with advances in computer modeling and analysis of climate data, they are now able to tease out the contributions of human civilization.
The extreme weather events “would have likely occurred regardless of climate change,” said Thomas R. Karl, director of the (click: National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.
“The importance of attribution research comes with understanding, however, the impact that climate change adds, or doesn’t add, to any extreme event,” he added.
The articles’ editors likened climate change to someone habitually driving a bit over the speed limit. Even if the speeding itself is unlikely to directly cause an accident, it increases the likelihood that something else — a wet road or a distracting text message — will do so and that the accident, when it occurs, will be more calamitous.
Even when global warming contributes to extreme weather, “natural variability can still be the primary factor in any individual extreme event,” the editors wrote.
To examine causes of the Midwest drought last year, the most severe since the 1950s, researchers ran computer models comparing two situations: one with present-day concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, the other with the much lower greenhouse gas concentrations before the Industrial Revolution. They found little difference in the frequency of Midwest droughts.
But scientists performing a similar comparison for the heat wave that blanketed much of the United States in July last year estimated that such heat waves now occur four times as frequently because of the influence of greenhouse gas emissions.
“It was really clear and it was really stark,” said Dr. Thomas Peterson, principal scientist at the climate center. “Things had changed dramatically.”
Another team, reviewing data on a heat wave in the eastern United States in the spring of last year, estimated that the activities of humans contributed about one-third of the 6.6-degree spike in temperatures.
An analysis of Hurricane Sandy did not look at the dynamics of the storm, but rather how often floodwaters have reached the heights seen last October. Because sea levels have been rising, the chances of Sandy-like flooding inundating the Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan have risen from once every 2,330 years in 1950 to once every 1,570 years today, the researchers said.
If sea level rise over the next 40 years is low, about half a foot, then the chances of flooding increase slightly. If sea level rise is at the top end up of predictions — two yards — then much smaller storms would cause as much flooding as Sandy did and Lower Manhattan could be inundated every couple of years by 2100, the researchers said.
“Coastal communities are facing a looming crisis due to climate-related sea level rise,” said William Sweet, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and one of the authors of the Sandy study.
Record-low ice cover in the Arctic in 2012 was partially caused by global warming, researchers also said. But heavy rains in northern Europe, China and Japan were all explainable by natural variability.
Source: Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
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Important to know
Deadly Salmonella Danger
Less Commonly Known Source
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Salmonella in Spices
Prompts Changes in Farming
Click green for further info
IDUKKI, India — Spices grown in the mist-shrouded Western Ghats here have fueled wars, fortunes and even the discovery of continents, and for thousands of years farmers harvested them in the same traditional ways. Until now.
Science has revealed what ancient kings and sultans never knew: instead of improving health, spices sometimes make people very sick, so Indian government officials are quietly pushing some of the most far-reaching changes ever in the way farmers here pick, dry and thresh their rich bounty.
The United States Food and Drug Administration will soon release a comprehensive analysis that pinpoints imported spices, found in just about every kitchen in the Western world, as a surprisingly potent source of salmonella poisoning.
In a study of more than 20,000 food shipments, the food agency found that nearly 7 percent of spice lots were contaminated with salmonella, twice the average of all other imported foods. Some 15 percent of coriander and 12 percent of oregano and basil shipments were contaminated, with high contamination levels also found in sesame seeds, curry powder and cumin. Four percent of black pepper shipments were contaminated.
Each year, 1.2 million people in the United States become sick from salmonella, one of the most common causes of food-borne illness. More than 23,000 are hospitalized and 450 die. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps that begin 12 to 36 hours after infection and can last three to five days. Death can result when infection spreads from the intestines to the bloodstream and affects vital organs. Infants and older people are most at risk.
Mexico and India had the highest share of contaminated spices. About 14 percent of the samples from Mexico contained salmonella, the study found, a result Mexican officials disputed.
India’s exports were the second-most contaminated, at approximately 9 percent, but India ships nearly four times the amount of spices to the United States that Mexico does, so its contamination problems are particularly worrisome, officials said. Nearly one-quarter of the spices, oils and food colorings used in the United States comes from India.
The findings, the result of a three-year study that F.D.A. officials have on occasion discussed publicly and recently published in the journal Food Microbiology, form an important part of the spice analysis that will be made public “soon,” agency officials said.
“Salmonella is a widespread problem with respect to imported spices,” Michael Taylor, deputy F.D.A. commissioner for food, said in an interview. “We have decided that spices are one of the significant issues we need to be addressing right now.”
Westerners are particularly vulnerable to contaminated spices because pepper and other spices are added at the table, so bacterial hitchhikers are consumed live and unharmed. Bacteria do not survive high temperatures, so contaminated spices present fewer problems when added during cooking, as is typical in the cuisine of India and most other Asian countries.
Mexico’s chief of food safety inspections insisted that Mexican spices are checked daily and are safe, although a separate study found high levels of salmonella contamination in some Mexican vegetables.
“We have a constant, daily scheme of verification” of food products, said Álvaro Pérez Vega, sanitary operations commissioner at Mexico’s Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risk. “We don’t have reports of spices or condiments being out of norm,” he added.
In India, the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices, government officials are taking Washington’s concerns seriously.
“The world wants safe spices, and we are committed to making that happen,” said Dr. A. Jayathilak, chairman of the Spices Board of India, a government agency that regulates and promotes spices.
F.D.A. tests found that contaminated spices tend to have many more salmonella types than is typically found on contaminated meat. The agency, which visually inspects less than 1 percent of all imported foods and performs lab tests on a tiny fraction, rejects imports with any signs of salmonella contamination because as few as 10 cells have been shown to cause serious illness.
Illnesses caused by spices are hard to trace. When asked what might have made them sick, people rarely think to mention adding pepper to a salad. Spices sit on kitchen shelves indefinitely, so linking illnesses that can occur years apart is often impossible.
But sophisticated DNA sequencing of salmonella types is finally allowing food officials to pinpoint spices as a cause of repeated outbreaks, including one in 2010 involving black and red pepper that sickened more than 250 people in 44 states. After a 2009 outbreak linked to white pepper, an inspection found that salmonella had colonized much of the Union City, Calif., spice processing facility at the heart of the outbreak.
The United States is one of the world’s largest spice importers, bringing in 326 metric tons in 2012 valued at $1.1 billion, according to the Department of Agriculture. Of those imports, which account for more than 80 percent of the total United States spice supply, 19 percent were from India and 5 percent from Mexico.
The F.D.A. now has offices in New Delhi and Mumbai, and its commissioner, Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, intends to visit soon.
New agency rules governing imported foods have given the agency the power to restrict imports based solely on suspicion that foods may be unsafe, a powerful cudgel to demand changes.
On a tour through a tropical landscape teeming with pepper and cardamom farms, rubber plantations, tea estates and wild elephants, Indian spice officials showed some voluntary changes they are pushing.
The first stop was Noble Joseph’s 10-acre pepper farm, about a four-hour drive from the southwestern port city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala, up several thousand feet of twisting mountain roads.
Mr. Joseph’s hilly farm is dominated by slim silver oaks and erythrina trees planted every eight feet; each tree is encircled by four or five pepper vines.
During harvest season, starting in February, 15 workers cram into a small farmhouse for nearly two months and use long, single-rail bamboo ladders to pluck the pepper seeds from the vines as high as 40 feet.
Not so long ago, pepper farmers almost universally dried the seeds on bamboo mats or dirt floors and then gathered them for manual threshing. Dirt, dung and salmonella were simply part of the harvest, so much so that in 1987, the F.D.A. blocked shipments of black pepper from India. The ban was lifted two years later, after the Indian government began a testing program.
Now, the Josephs boil their harvest in water to clean the kernels, speed drying and encourage a uniform color. They are then placed on tarps spread over a concrete slab with nets above to catch bird droppings. Ovens would be even more sanitary, but ovens and electricity are expensive “and sunlight is free,” Mr. Joseph said.
The spices board underwrites a third of the cost of concrete slabs, tarps and mechanical threshers, and since most farms are smaller than an acre, it has organized growers’ cooperatives to pool facilities. Board officials recently attended F.D.A. training seminars in Maryland.
Salmonella can survive indefinitely on dried spices, and killing the bacterium on the craggy surface of dried peppercorns without ruining their taste is especially challenging.
Government officials in India emphasized in interviews that spices slated for export are often treated to kill any bacteria. Such treatments include steam-heating, irradiation or ethylene oxide gas. But F.D.A. inspectors have found high levels of salmonella contamination in shipments said to have received such treatments, documents show. Much of the contaminated pepper in the 2010 outbreak had been treated with steam and ethylene oxide and had been certified as tested and safe, officials said.
At another spice farm, in the village of Chemmanar, Bipin Sebastian is in the midst of a four-year transition to organic farming in hope of earning a premium price for his pepper, cloves, cardamom, turmeric and coffee. Mr. Sebastian says he has used government subsidies to buy tarps, netting and a machine thresher.
“We used to put our pepper directly on the ground,” Mr. Sebastian said. “Now, we put down tarps and netting over it to protect it from the birds. And I’ve been getting a higher price. It’s been great.”
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Source: The journal Food Microbiology
Click: International Journal of Food Microbiology - Elsevier - Subjects ...www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-food-microbiology - The International Journal of Food Microbiology publishes papers dealing with all aspects of food microbiology. Articles must present information that...
Guide for authors - Recent Articles - Conferences - Pangborn
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Article 1 of 3 (Article 2 of 3 next below)
Lyme disease numbers going up has much to do with the global warming
Health Officials: Lyme disease is about ten times more common than previously reported
New Lyme disease estimate:
300,000 cases a year
The ailment is named after Lyme, Conn., where the illness was first identified in 1975
It's a bacteria transmitted through the bites of infected deer ticks, which can be about the size of a poppy seed
ATLANTA (AP) — As many as 300,000 Americans are actually diagnosed with Lyme disease each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced. - www.cdc.govLyme Disease Information - lymemd.orgwww.lymemd.org/
Lyme Disease Symptoms and Treatment - WebMDwww.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/arthritis-lyme-disease
Usually, only 20,000 to 30,000 illnesses are reported each year. For many years, CDC officials have known that many doctors don't report every case and that the true count was probably much higher.
The new figure is the CDC's most comprehensive attempt at a better estimate. The number comes from a survey of seven national laboratories, a national patient survey and a review of insurance information.
"It's giving us a fuller picture and it's not a pleasing one," said Dr. Paul Mead, who oversees the agency's tracking of Lyme disease.
Teenager Contracts Lyme Disease - Play video
The ailment is named after Lyme, Conn.*) = the link at the end), where the illness was first identified in 1975. It's a bacteria transmitted through the bites of infected deer ticks, which can be about the size of a poppy seed.
Symptoms include a fever, headache and fatigue and sometimes a telltale rash that looks like a bull's-eye centered on the tick bite. Most people recover with antibiotics. If left untreated, the infection can cause arthritis and more severe problems.
In the U.S., the majority of Lyme disease reports have come from 13 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.
The new study did not find anything to suggest the disease is more geographically widespread, Mead said.
Comments from the public:
STAF, Inc.'s statement: Take seriously the warnings and protect your family (including your pets) as much as you can when you are walking i the parks & wooded areas - see the comments below. Guide your children to know how to avoid the ticks.
(1) I have personally witnessed what this disease does to someone. Friend of mine's son got it at 14, was treated only 2 weeks on antibiotics. Vet society recommends 6-8 weeks for PETS. Basically he didn't get rid off because of short time on AB. 6 yrs later, he is down to 135 lbs, moves like and 80 yr old man, has lost some of his cognitive abilities, and doctors tell him they don't know what is wrong, go see another specialist. This is the most heartbreaking disease I have seen, because you get no help from the medical community, and many simply lose hope.
(2) Almost killed an Uncle of mine..Doctors misdiagnosed the disease. They though he was having a stroke. A 2 month hospital stay, 3 months of rehab and he is much better but still tires easily...He's only 54 years old...Check for ticks people...Lyme Disease is a BAD thing...
(3) Lyme disease , if untreated with antibiotics, mimics MS. One doesn't have to see a bulls eye rash. Even the changes in the brain are similar. If tested negative, doesn't necessarily mean it isn't Lyme. If misdiagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis , the worst thing for the patient is steroids. MS is treated with steroids, not good!
The ailment is named after Lyme, Conn., where the illness was first identified in 1975 - link next below
- Lyme, Connecticut - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme,_Connecticut Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,406 at the 2010 census. Lyme and its neighboring town Old Lyme are ...Geography - History - Demographics - Transportation
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Source: CDC - Center of Disease and Prevention Control - www.cdc.gov
(Article 2 of 3 next below)
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Article 2 0f 3 (Article 1 of 3 next above)
Dangerous Ticks -
More Research is needed to control Lyme Disease
and other tick-born sicknesses
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Residents of the Northeast and the Midwest know that ticks can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. What most don’t know is that the same family of black-legged ticks can also cause other diseases that are even more dangerous.
The worst is Powassan disease, which generally kills about 10 percent of its victims and leaves half the survivors with permanent neurological damage. Only 15 cases of this rare disease have been found in New York State in the last nine years, but there is no treatment and 5 of the patients have died. Fortunately, only a small percentage of ticks in New York are infected with the Powassan virus — between 4 percent and 6 percent at sites in the hardest-hit counties, Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester. By contrast, the Lyme bacterium has been found in 35 percent to 75 percent of the ticks at sites in those areas.
Three other diseases — anaplasmosis, babesiosis and illnesses caused by a newly detected pathogen, Borrelia miyamotoi — are transmitted by the same ticks and can, to varying degrees, cause severe disability and sometimes death. In rare cases a single tick could make a person sick with several diseases at the same time, greatly complicating diagnosis.
Senator Charles Schumer, Democrat of New York, recently urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allocate resources for research to understand the Powassan virus, create a treatment and learn how to prevent further spread. It would make sense to control this virus before it becomes a major threat.
Meanwhile, Lyme disease remains the most widespread tick-borne disease in the United States. Some 30,000 cases are reported annually to the C.D.C., but most cases go unreported because the symptoms are mild or mimic other diseases. The C.D.C. recently click: estimated that there may be 300,000 cases a year in this country, making Lyme “a tremendous public health problem.”
There are huge gaps in what scientists know about how best to diagnose, treat or prevent the disease. Researchers have identified the bacteria, known as spirochetes, that cause Lyme and the black-legged ticks that can transmit the disease from rodents and deer to humans. But they know very little about prevention. There is no vaccine on the market, so health authorities can do little but advise taking sensible precautions against tick bites, like wearing long sleeves and pants, using insect repellent and looking closely for ticks to remove after spending time outdoors. (Even infected ticks don’t always transmit the bacterium, especially if they are removed quickly.)
Lyme disease is best treated if caught early, when antibiotics can head off the worst consequences. But the early flulike symptoms, like fever, headache and fatigue, are so common that people may not realize they have Lyme. There is no reliable diagnostic test to identify Lyme disease within the first month after the tick bite.
Although most cases are relatively mild and easily cured, some victims are left with lasting injuries, like joint pain, persistent fatigue or neurological damage. There is controversy over whether these long-lasting effects can be attributed to Lyme disease or may have been caused by something else that does not respond to the antibiotics used against Lyme disease.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, has introduced click: a bill that would establish an advisory committee in the Department of Health and Human Services to help set priorities and coordinate federal programs for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
With little certainty about the best ways to address the problem, researchers ought to conduct trials of promising approaches to controlling rodents and deer that harbor the Lyme bacteria, study ways to kill the ticks themselves with fungi and plant extracts that are lethal to black-legged ticks but safe for wildlife, and develop new tests that can identify patients at the early stages of Lyme disease.
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Source: NYT
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Article 3 of 3 (Articles 1 - 2 of 3 next above)
Tick May Be Spreading
Vegetarianism
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A tiny tick*) might be to blame for a rash of meat allergies in central and southern regions of the U.S.
A bite from the lone star tick, so-called for the white spot on its back, looks innocent enough. But researchers say saliva that sneaks into the wound might trigger a reaction to meat agonizing enough to convert lifelong carnivores into wary vegetarians.
"People will eat beef and then anywhere from three to six hours later start having a reaction; anything from hives to full-blown anaphylactic shock," said Dr. Scott Commins, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. "Most people want to avoid having the reaction, so they try to stay away from the food that triggers it."
Cases of the bizarre allergy are cropping up in areas ripe with lone star ticks, according to research presented today at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif. But whether the bugs cause meat allergies remains unclear.
Tick Bite Treatment and Lyme Disease
Babesiosis: The New Lyme Disease?
Babesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with Babesia, a genus of protozoal piroplasms. After trypanosomes, Babesia is thought to be the second most common blood parasites of mammals, and they can have a major impact on health of domestic animals in areas without severe winters. Human babesiosis is uncommon, but reported cases have risen recently because of expanded medical awareness.
Click: Babesiosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/
A New Reason to Worry About Ticks?
"It's hard to prove," said Commins. "We're still searching for the mechanism."
Allergies are immune reactions to foreign substances, from pet hair to peanuts. As antibodies attack the substance that caused the reaction, they trigger the release of histamine, a chemical that causes hives and, in severe cases, life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Commins said blood levels of antibodies for alpha-gal, a sugar found in beef, lamb and pork, rise after a single bite from the lone star tick. He said he hopes experiments that combine tiny samples of tick saliva with the invisible antibodies will prove the two are directly connected.
"It's complicated, no doubt," said Commins. "But we think it's something in the saliva."
The long lag between exposure to meat and the allergic reaction complicates things even more.
"Most food allergies occur very quickly," said Dr. Stanley Fineman, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. "It's also a bit unusual to see adults develop a food allergy."
But the tick bite theory could help explain the sudden onset of some meat allergies, Fineman added.
Other Common food allergens include peanuts, shellfish, milk, eggs, soy and wheat. And most food allergy sufferers are glad to discover the source of their misery, even if it means upheaval for their diets.
"Avoidance is the best way to handle any food allergy," he said.
But meat allergies are hard for some brawny barbecuers to swallow.
"Some people are totally destroyed," said Commins. "Others say, 'Maybe I'm better off without it.'"
*) Click: Tick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick
Ticks are small arachnids**) in the order Ixodida. Along with mites, they constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites (external parasites), living by ...
Ticks of domestic animals - Tick-borne disease - Tick (disambiguation) - Skin biopsy
**) Arachnids are a class (Arachnida) of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although the front pair of legs in some species has converted to a sensory function, while in other species, different appendages can grow large enough to take on the appearance of extra pairs of legs. The term is derived from the Greek word ἀράχνη (aráchnē), meaning "spider".
Click: Arachnid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachnid
Almost all extant arachnids are terrestrial. However, some inhabit freshwater environments and, with the exception of the pelagic zone, marine environments as well. They comprise over 100,000 named species, including spiders, scorpions, harvestmen,ticks, mites and Solifugae.
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Source: CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Preventionwww.cdc.gov/
The CDC maintains several departments concerned with occupational safety and health, such as the Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and the National ...
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
As Humans Change Landscape,
Brains of Some Animals Change, Too
Evolutionary biologists have come to recognize humans as a tremendous evolutionary force. In hospitals, we drive the evolution of resistant bacteria by giving patients antibiotics. In the oceans, we drive the evolution of small-bodied fish by catching the big ones.
In a new study = next below as the article 2 of 2,
a University of Minnesota biologist, Emilie C. Snell-Rood, offers evidence suggesting that we may be driving evolution in a more surprising way. As we alter the places where animals live, we may be fueling the evolution of bigger brains.
Dr. Snell-Rood bases her conclusion on a collection of mammal skulls kept at the Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota. She picked out 10 species to study, including mice, shrews, bats and gophers. She selected dozens of individual skulls that were collected as far back as a century ago. An undergraduate student, Naomi Wick, measured the dimensions of the skulls, making it possible to estimate the size of their brains.
Two important results emerged from their research. In two species — the white-footed mouse and the meadow vole — the brains of animals from cities or suburbs were about 6 percent bigger than the brains of animals collected from farms or other rural areas. Dr. Snell-Rood concludes that when these species moved to cities and towns, their brains became significantly bigger.
Dr. Snell-Rood and Ms. Wick also found that in rural parts of Minnesota, two species of shrews and two species of bats experienced an increase in brain size as well.
Dr. Snell-Rood proposes that the brains of all six species have gotten bigger because humans have radically changed Minnesota. Where there were once pristine forests and prairies, there are now cities and farms. In this disrupted environment, animals better at learning new things were more likely to survive and have offspring.
Studies by other scientists have linked better learning in animals with bigger brains. In January, for example, researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden described an experiment in which they bred guppies for larger brain sizes. The big-brained fish scored better on learning tests than their small-brained cousins.
Animals colonizing cities and towns have to learn how to find food in buildings and other places their ancestors hadn’t encountered.
“We’re changing rural populations, too,” Dr. Snell-Rood said. As forests get cut for timber or farming, for example, bats may have to travel farther to find food and still be able to navigate home to roost. Big brains may have benefited them as well.
Other scientists not involved in the research hailed it as the first report of significant changes in brain size in animals outside labs. “I think the results are exciting and deserving of much follow-up work,” said Jason Munshi-South, an evolutionary biologist at Fordham University.
Dr. Munshi-South and other researchers see a need to test Dr. Snell-Rood’s hypothesis in new ways, so as to rule out alternative explanations.
If she’s right, for example, then the same trend she observed in Minnesota should exist in museum collections of skulls from other heavily developed regions of the world.
It should also be possible to continue the research in labs, by breeding small-brained rural mammals with their big-brained cousins. By studying their offspring, scientists could study the genes involved in producing different brain sizes. They could even give the animals tests to see just how much life in a human-dominated world has changed how their brains work.
But the ultimate breeding experiment to test Dr. Snell-Rood’s hypothesis may not be possible outside the movie set for “Jurassic Park.” “What would be really cool would be to raise populations from 1900,” said Dr. Snell-Rood with a laugh, “but we can’t really do that.”
Source: NYT
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
Anthropogenic environments exert
variable selection on cranial capacity in mammals
Anthropogenic = (chiefly of environmental pollution and pollutants) originating in human activity
e.g.: "anthropogenic emissions of sulfur dioxide" cranial = relating to skull; cranium = the portion of the skull enclosing the brain; the braincase
It is thought that behaviourally flexible species will be able to cope with novel and rapidly changing environments associated with human activity. However, it is unclear whether such environments are selecting for increases in behavioural plasticity, and whether some species show more pronounced evolutionary changes in plasticity. To test whether anthropogenic environments are selecting for increased behavioural plasticity within species, we measured variation in relative cranial capacity over time and space in 10 species of mammals. We predicted that urban populations would show greater cranial capacity than rural populations and that cranial capacity would increase over time in urban populations. Based on relevant theory, we also predicted that species capable of rapid population growth would show more pronounced evolutionary responses. We found that urban populations of two small mammal species had significantly greater cranial capacity than rural populations. In addition, species with higher fecundity showed more pronounced differentiation between urban and rural populations. Contrary to expectations, we found no increases in cranial capacity over time in urban populations—indeed, two species tended to have a decrease in cranial capacity over time in urban populations. Furthermore, rural populations of all insectivorous species measured showed significant increases in relative cranial capacity over time. Our results provide partial support for the hypothesis that urban environments select for increased behavioural plasticity, although this selection may be most pronounced early during the urban colonization process. Furthermore, these data also suggest that behavioural plasticity may be simultaneously favoured in rural environments, which are also changing because of human activity.
Click below the green for related info: cognition - cranial capacity - urban evolution - fecundity - rodents
cranial = of or relating to the skull or cranium; cranium = the skull, esp. the part enclosing the brain
fecundity = a measure of fertility, such as sperm count or eggcount or the number of live offspring produced by an organism. The state of being fertile; capable of producing offspring.
The quality of something that causes or assists healthy growth.
The number of offspring produced by an organism in its lifetime.
Science: biology, gynecology,
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Source: University of Minnesota
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Dental Implants
To have or not to have them - any risks?
Notice: Being able and willing to commit several months to complete the process is needed
See risks and side effects below
Dental implant surgery is a common option for replacing missing teeth. Unlike removable dentures that rest on the gum line, dental implants are a long-term treatment that is surgically implanted into the jaw. These implanted, artificial teeth look like real teeth and have the same functionality as well. They are a more permanent solution to ordinary dentures and bridgework.
DENTAL IMPLANT SURGERY
Dental implant surgery is a surgical procedure in which the dental implants are implanted into the jawbone where they replace the roots of the teeth that are missing. The implants contain titanium that, when implanted into the jaw, fuses with the jawbone. Once fusion occurs, the dental implants hold firmly in place, they do not slip or make noise. There are different types of dental implants available and the way that dental implant surgery is performed will depend on the type of implant that is chosen as well as the condition of the jaw.
WHY GO WITH DENTAL IMPLANTS?
Many people choose dental implants for missing teeth replacement. When trying to make a decision about whether or not to have dental implant surgery, it is important to know why the procedure may be more beneficial to you than other types of dental replacements. Certain conditions and circumstances may make dental implants the better option, such as:
ARE THEY SAFE
Dental implants are considered safe for the majority of people. Individuals with certain medical conditions, such as
high blood pressure and diabetes, should check with their health care provider prior to having dental implant surgery. Fortunately, most individuals with these conditions will receive the green light for the procedure, as long as certain precautions are met. Dental implant surgery is not recommended for children as their jaws have not yet reached full growth.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
As with any surgical procedure, there are some health risks associated with dental implant surgery. Complications are relatively rare and when they do occur they are generally mild, requiring minimal treatment.
Possible health risks associated with dental implant surgery include:
HOW TO PREPARE FOR SURGERY
A comprehensive dental exam and evaluation is required before the procedure can take place. This will include dental
x-rays and taking a mold of the mouth to make a model of the mouth. A variety of specialists, including oral and maxillofacial*) surgeons, periodontists and doctors will help to create your personal treatment plan.
*) maxillofacial = of or relating to the jaws and face
It is important to speak with your doctor about any underlying medical conditions you have and to list all of the medications, both prescription and over the counter that you are taking, as well as any herbal or natural supplements. Individuals with certain heart conditions and those with orthopedic implants may have to undergo antibiotic treatment prior to having the surgery.
Prior to the surgery, you will have the chance to discuss with your doctor the different anesthesia options available. You will have a choice of local, general or sedation anesthesia. Together with your dental specialist and health care team you can determine which option is the best choice for you.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Dental implant surgery is performed in several stages, with the entire process lasting anywhere from 3 to 9 months. Much of this time includes time off for healing and the growth of new jaw bone.
The amount of surgeries required is very specific to the individual and varies accordingly.
No matter how many surgeries are required, you may experience certain side effects after each one, including:
CONSIDERATIONS
Occasionally, dental implant surgery is not successful. If the bone does not fuse to the implant, it will have to be removed and the procedure can be repeated. Maintaining good oral hygiene after dental implant surgery can help decrease the risk of complications and problems that may arise with dental implants.
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Sources:
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The purpose of this article of to give you information of choices based on the ancient natural methods
STAF, Inc. is not endorsing any of the products mentioned in the article
There is no denying it—ancient wisdom still prevails today, even in the ways we care for our skin. Beauty regimens from long ago have lasting power for one simple reason—they work!
Yet some of these skin care rituals may surprise you. With all the fancy ingredients in skin care products today, these uncomplicated and cost-effective treatments taken from our ancestors are definitely worth a try.
Rub On Olive Oil
As early as Biblical times, people unlocked the power of olives by using the extra-virgin, first cold-pressed oil in everything from food to anointing the skin.
Nutrient-rich, extra-virgin olive oil is high in antioxidants, protects against bacteria, and assists with the body’s ability to heal itself. Due to its small molecular structure, it absorbs easily into the skin. In fact, its lipid profile is very close to that of human skin.
For many people with oily or acne-prone skin, the thought of putting more oil on the skin may seem counterintuitive. Contrary to what you would think, olive oil can balance overproductive oil glands and can even clear out blackheads, since it is naturally anti-inflammatory.
If you’re not into slathering olive oil on your skin, try Norma Kamali’s Olive Only Soap made with puréed olives. It can be used on both the face and the body.
You can find it for $15–$85 at the Wellness Cafe (www.thewellnesscafe.com).
Take Baths in Milk
Cleopatra, famous for her beauty, reputedly took regular baths in milk, among other beauty rituals. French and English aristocracy also bathed in milk in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Milk contains lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that naturally exfoliates*) the skin. This type of acid gently dissolves proteins to exfoliate dead skin cells and reveal fresh, younger-looking skin underneath. *) come apart or be shed from a surface in scales or layers; e.g. "the bark exfoliates in papery flakes" (bark = the hard outer covering of a tree)
Choose creamier milk, as it is better at moisturizing dry skin.
For products containing milk to be effective, labels should list “milk” or “lac” within the first five ingredients, and the contents should be opaque, according to Cyren Organics, an Australian company that produces a beauty line based on goat’s milk.
The company also warns against soap bars with milk ingredients.
“When milk is used in soap bar manufacturing,” Cyren Organics says on its website (www.cyrenorganics.com), “soaps are naturally alkaline, which negates any benefit ‘lactic acids’ would have on the skin. Lactic acid in milk is already quite mild; put that into a highly alkaline environment and the acid won’t work.”
A nice, no-fuss formula to try is Osmia Organics Organic Milk Bath (www.osmiaorganics.com). It contains organic buttermilk powder, organic oats, and baking soda, combined with essential oils.
Or simply add two to four cups of milk or buttermilk to your bath and soak for 20 minutes.
Slather On Raw Honey
Once again, we turn to beauty icon Cleopatra who used honey and natron, or baking soda, as a facial scrub.
Raw honey has naturally antibacterial, antiseptic, and moisturizing properties.
To blend a honey mask, Jennifer Taveras, an acupuncturist and herbalist in New York, recommended in an email to combine one tablespoon of raw honey with one teaspoon of ground cinnamon and apply as a facial mask for 15 minutes. Then rinse off with warm water.
“Cinnamon works to kill acne by drying out the affected area and bringing blood and oxygen to the surface to open the pores,” says the Acne Skin Site (www.acneskinsite.com).
Once considered an elixir of health and immortality in oriental and ayurvedic medicine, the combination of honey and cinnamon can also be brewed as an anti-aging tea used by an ancient Himalayan tribe called Hunza.Ayurveda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and a form of alternative medicine. The oldest known ...
Health Secrets of the Hunzas - Live a Long & Healthy Lifethepdi.com/hunza_health_secrets.htm
The Health from Nature website (www.health-from-nature.net) recommends using one tablespoon of cinnamon and four tablespoons of honey in one cup of hot water. Drink this four times a day to slow down the aging process.
Use Mud and Clay
Rhassoul clay has been used for over 1,400 years as a soap, shampoo, and skin conditioner, according to the Mountain Rose Herbs website (www.mountainroseherbs.com).
Hailing from the Atlas Mountains in Eastern Morocco, the reddish-brown cosmetic clay contains high percentages of silica, magnesium, potassium, and calcium—topical nutrients that benefit skin and hair. The clay’s properties cause it to swell when water is added to it, which makes it a popular choice in spas and skin care regimens from facial masks to hair care.
One pound of raw Rhassoul clay powder costs only $9 on the Mountain Rose Herbs website and can be used in multiple ways.
Mud from Israel’s Dead Sea is renowned for its therapeutic properties for the skin due to the high mineral content. We still cover our bodies with it today to help heal eczema and psoriasis, and to deliver beautifying minerals to the epidermis.
Can’t travel to Israel to get it? Dead Sea Warehouse Mud Mask is practically the real deal, with minimal processing. It costs $24.95 on the Dead Sea Warehouse website (www.deadseawarehouse.com).
Grind Mint Leaves
Mint leaves have been used for their medicinal and anti-inflammatory properties since the earliest stages of human evolution. Mint was used by the ancient Egyptians and Romans for its fragrance. In Greek mythology, mint symbolized hospitality.
“Mortals rubbed mint leaves on the table to welcome gods,” says one blog post on the Dr. Vita website. “During the Middle Ages, people used mint as a cleaning agent and as a way to purify drinking water.”
Mint leaves and mint oil help heal acne and acne scars due to their high content of salicylic acid, according to Aida Duncan, writer of How to Improve Your Skin with Mint on the How Stuff Works website. It also contains vitamin A, which can strengthen skin tissue and help reduce oily skin.
Duncan recommends a mask, which combines two tablespoons (15 milliliters) of mint with oatmeal and yogurt. Apply this mixture to your face and rinse off with warm water after 10 minutes.
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The purpose of this article of to give you information of choices based on the ancient natural methods
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Source: The Epoch Times - STAF, Inc. endorses you to read The Epoch Times - click green:
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The Epoch Times is an independent voice in print and on the we and reports news responsibly and truthfully so that readers can improve their own lives and ...
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Dangerous Ticks -
More Research is needed to control Lyme Disease
and other tick-born sicknesses
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Residents of the Northeast and the Midwest know that ticks can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. What most don’t know is that the same family of black-legged ticks can also cause other diseases that are even more dangerous.
The worst is Powassan disease, which generally kills about 10 percent of its victims and leaves half the survivors with permanent neurological damage. Only 15 cases of this rare disease have been found in New York State in the last nine years, but there is no treatment and 5 of the patients have died. Fortunately, only a small percentage of ticks in New York are infected with the Powassan virus — between 4 percent and 6 percent at sites in the hardest-hit counties, Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester. By contrast, the Lyme bacterium has been found in 35 percent to 75 percent of the ticks at sites in those areas.
Three other diseases — anaplasmosis, babesiosis and illnesses caused by a newly detected pathogen, Borrelia miyamotoi — are transmitted by the same ticks and can, to varying degrees, cause severe disability and sometimes death. In rare cases a single tick could make a person sick with several diseases at the same time, greatly complicating diagnosis.
Senator Charles Schumer, Democrat of New York, recently urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allocate resources for research to understand the Powassan virus, create a treatment and learn how to prevent further spread. It would make sense to control this virus before it becomes a major threat.
Meanwhile, Lyme disease remains the most widespread tick-borne disease in the United States. Some 30,000 cases are reported annually to the C.D.C., but most cases go unreported because the symptoms are mild or mimic other diseases. The C.D.C. recently click: estimated that there may be 300,000 cases a year in this country, making Lyme “a tremendous public health problem.”
There are huge gaps in what scientists know about how best to diagnose, treat or prevent the disease. Researchers have identified the bacteria, known as spirochetes, that cause Lyme and the black-legged ticks that can transmit the disease from rodents and deer to humans. But they know very little about prevention. There is no vaccine on the market, so health authorities can do little but advise taking sensible precautions against tick bites, like wearing long sleeves and pants, using insect repellent and looking closely for ticks to remove after spending time outdoors. (Even infected ticks don’t always transmit the bacterium, especially if they are removed quickly.)
Lyme disease is best treated if caught early, when antibiotics can head off the worst consequences. But the early flulike symptoms, like fever, headache and fatigue, are so common that people may not realize they have Lyme. There is no reliable diagnostic test to identify Lyme disease within the first month after the tick bite.
Although most cases are relatively mild and easily cured, some victims are left with lasting injuries, like joint pain, persistent fatigue or neurological damage. There is controversy over whether these long-lasting effects can be attributed to Lyme disease or may have been caused by something else that does not respond to the antibiotics used against Lyme disease.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, has introduced click: a bill that would establish an advisory committee in the Department of Health and Human Services to help set priorities and coordinate federal programs for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
With little certainty about the best ways to address the problem, researchers ought to conduct trials of promising approaches to controlling rodents and deer that harbor the Lyme bacteria, study ways to kill the ticks themselves with fungi and plant extracts that are lethal to black-legged ticks but safe for wildlife, and develop new tests that can identify patients at the early stages of Lyme disease.
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Source: NYT
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Article 3 of 3 (Articles 1 - 2 of 3 next above)
Tick May Be Spreading
Vegetarianism
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A tiny tick*) might be to blame for a rash of meat allergies in central and southern regions of the U.S.
A bite from the lone star tick, so-called for the white spot on its back, looks innocent enough. But researchers say saliva that sneaks into the wound might trigger a reaction to meat agonizing enough to convert lifelong carnivores into wary vegetarians.
"People will eat beef and then anywhere from three to six hours later start having a reaction; anything from hives to full-blown anaphylactic shock," said Dr. Scott Commins, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. "Most people want to avoid having the reaction, so they try to stay away from the food that triggers it."
Cases of the bizarre allergy are cropping up in areas ripe with lone star ticks, according to research presented today at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif. But whether the bugs cause meat allergies remains unclear.
Tick Bite Treatment and Lyme Disease
Babesiosis: The New Lyme Disease?
Babesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with Babesia, a genus of protozoal piroplasms. After trypanosomes, Babesia is thought to be the second most common blood parasites of mammals, and they can have a major impact on health of domestic animals in areas without severe winters. Human babesiosis is uncommon, but reported cases have risen recently because of expanded medical awareness.
Click: Babesiosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/
A New Reason to Worry About Ticks?
"It's hard to prove," said Commins. "We're still searching for the mechanism."
Allergies are immune reactions to foreign substances, from pet hair to peanuts. As antibodies attack the substance that caused the reaction, they trigger the release of histamine, a chemical that causes hives and, in severe cases, life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Commins said blood levels of antibodies for alpha-gal, a sugar found in beef, lamb and pork, rise after a single bite from the lone star tick. He said he hopes experiments that combine tiny samples of tick saliva with the invisible antibodies will prove the two are directly connected.
"It's complicated, no doubt," said Commins. "But we think it's something in the saliva."
The long lag between exposure to meat and the allergic reaction complicates things even more.
"Most food allergies occur very quickly," said Dr. Stanley Fineman, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. "It's also a bit unusual to see adults develop a food allergy."
But the tick bite theory could help explain the sudden onset of some meat allergies, Fineman added.
Other Common food allergens include peanuts, shellfish, milk, eggs, soy and wheat. And most food allergy sufferers are glad to discover the source of their misery, even if it means upheaval for their diets.
"Avoidance is the best way to handle any food allergy," he said.
But meat allergies are hard for some brawny barbecuers to swallow.
"Some people are totally destroyed," said Commins. "Others say, 'Maybe I'm better off without it.'"
*) Click: Tick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick
Ticks are small arachnids**) in the order Ixodida. Along with mites, they constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites (external parasites), living by ...
Ticks of domestic animals - Tick-borne disease - Tick (disambiguation) - Skin biopsy
**) Arachnids are a class (Arachnida) of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although the front pair of legs in some species has converted to a sensory function, while in other species, different appendages can grow large enough to take on the appearance of extra pairs of legs. The term is derived from the Greek word ἀράχνη (aráchnē), meaning "spider".
Click: Arachnid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachnid
Almost all extant arachnids are terrestrial. However, some inhabit freshwater environments and, with the exception of the pelagic zone, marine environments as well. They comprise over 100,000 named species, including spiders, scorpions, harvestmen,ticks, mites and Solifugae.
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Source: CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Preventionwww.cdc.gov/
The CDC maintains several departments concerned with occupational safety and health, such as the Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and the National ...
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
As Humans Change Landscape,
Brains of Some Animals Change, Too
Evolutionary biologists have come to recognize humans as a tremendous evolutionary force. In hospitals, we drive the evolution of resistant bacteria by giving patients antibiotics. In the oceans, we drive the evolution of small-bodied fish by catching the big ones.
In a new study = next below as the article 2 of 2,
a University of Minnesota biologist, Emilie C. Snell-Rood, offers evidence suggesting that we may be driving evolution in a more surprising way. As we alter the places where animals live, we may be fueling the evolution of bigger brains.
Dr. Snell-Rood bases her conclusion on a collection of mammal skulls kept at the Bell Museum of Natural History at the University of Minnesota. She picked out 10 species to study, including mice, shrews, bats and gophers. She selected dozens of individual skulls that were collected as far back as a century ago. An undergraduate student, Naomi Wick, measured the dimensions of the skulls, making it possible to estimate the size of their brains.
Two important results emerged from their research. In two species — the white-footed mouse and the meadow vole — the brains of animals from cities or suburbs were about 6 percent bigger than the brains of animals collected from farms or other rural areas. Dr. Snell-Rood concludes that when these species moved to cities and towns, their brains became significantly bigger.
Dr. Snell-Rood and Ms. Wick also found that in rural parts of Minnesota, two species of shrews and two species of bats experienced an increase in brain size as well.
Dr. Snell-Rood proposes that the brains of all six species have gotten bigger because humans have radically changed Minnesota. Where there were once pristine forests and prairies, there are now cities and farms. In this disrupted environment, animals better at learning new things were more likely to survive and have offspring.
Studies by other scientists have linked better learning in animals with bigger brains. In January, for example, researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden described an experiment in which they bred guppies for larger brain sizes. The big-brained fish scored better on learning tests than their small-brained cousins.
Animals colonizing cities and towns have to learn how to find food in buildings and other places their ancestors hadn’t encountered.
“We’re changing rural populations, too,” Dr. Snell-Rood said. As forests get cut for timber or farming, for example, bats may have to travel farther to find food and still be able to navigate home to roost. Big brains may have benefited them as well.
Other scientists not involved in the research hailed it as the first report of significant changes in brain size in animals outside labs. “I think the results are exciting and deserving of much follow-up work,” said Jason Munshi-South, an evolutionary biologist at Fordham University.
Dr. Munshi-South and other researchers see a need to test Dr. Snell-Rood’s hypothesis in new ways, so as to rule out alternative explanations.
If she’s right, for example, then the same trend she observed in Minnesota should exist in museum collections of skulls from other heavily developed regions of the world.
It should also be possible to continue the research in labs, by breeding small-brained rural mammals with their big-brained cousins. By studying their offspring, scientists could study the genes involved in producing different brain sizes. They could even give the animals tests to see just how much life in a human-dominated world has changed how their brains work.
But the ultimate breeding experiment to test Dr. Snell-Rood’s hypothesis may not be possible outside the movie set for “Jurassic Park.” “What would be really cool would be to raise populations from 1900,” said Dr. Snell-Rood with a laugh, “but we can’t really do that.”
Source: NYT
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
Anthropogenic environments exert
variable selection on cranial capacity in mammals
Anthropogenic = (chiefly of environmental pollution and pollutants) originating in human activity
e.g.: "anthropogenic emissions of sulfur dioxide" cranial = relating to skull; cranium = the portion of the skull enclosing the brain; the braincase
- Human impact on the environment - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_impact_on_the_environment
The term anthropogenic designates an effect or object resulting from human ..... When the rivers run dry: Water – the defining crisis of the twenty-first century, ...
It is thought that behaviourally flexible species will be able to cope with novel and rapidly changing environments associated with human activity. However, it is unclear whether such environments are selecting for increases in behavioural plasticity, and whether some species show more pronounced evolutionary changes in plasticity. To test whether anthropogenic environments are selecting for increased behavioural plasticity within species, we measured variation in relative cranial capacity over time and space in 10 species of mammals. We predicted that urban populations would show greater cranial capacity than rural populations and that cranial capacity would increase over time in urban populations. Based on relevant theory, we also predicted that species capable of rapid population growth would show more pronounced evolutionary responses. We found that urban populations of two small mammal species had significantly greater cranial capacity than rural populations. In addition, species with higher fecundity showed more pronounced differentiation between urban and rural populations. Contrary to expectations, we found no increases in cranial capacity over time in urban populations—indeed, two species tended to have a decrease in cranial capacity over time in urban populations. Furthermore, rural populations of all insectivorous species measured showed significant increases in relative cranial capacity over time. Our results provide partial support for the hypothesis that urban environments select for increased behavioural plasticity, although this selection may be most pronounced early during the urban colonization process. Furthermore, these data also suggest that behavioural plasticity may be simultaneously favoured in rural environments, which are also changing because of human activity.
Click below the green for related info: cognition - cranial capacity - urban evolution - fecundity - rodents
cranial = of or relating to the skull or cranium; cranium = the skull, esp. the part enclosing the brain
fecundity = a measure of fertility, such as sperm count or eggcount or the number of live offspring produced by an organism. The state of being fertile; capable of producing offspring.
The quality of something that causes or assists healthy growth.
The number of offspring produced by an organism in its lifetime.
Science: biology, gynecology,
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Source: University of Minnesota
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Dental Implants
To have or not to have them - any risks?
Notice: Being able and willing to commit several months to complete the process is needed
See risks and side effects below
Dental implant surgery is a common option for replacing missing teeth. Unlike removable dentures that rest on the gum line, dental implants are a long-term treatment that is surgically implanted into the jaw. These implanted, artificial teeth look like real teeth and have the same functionality as well. They are a more permanent solution to ordinary dentures and bridgework.
DENTAL IMPLANT SURGERY
Dental implant surgery is a surgical procedure in which the dental implants are implanted into the jawbone where they replace the roots of the teeth that are missing. The implants contain titanium that, when implanted into the jaw, fuses with the jawbone. Once fusion occurs, the dental implants hold firmly in place, they do not slip or make noise. There are different types of dental implants available and the way that dental implant surgery is performed will depend on the type of implant that is chosen as well as the condition of the jaw.
WHY GO WITH DENTAL IMPLANTS?
Many people choose dental implants for missing teeth replacement. When trying to make a decision about whether or not to have dental implant surgery, it is important to know why the procedure may be more beneficial to you than other types of dental replacements. Certain conditions and circumstances may make dental implants the better option, such as:
- Having more than one missing tooth
- Having a jawbone that has reached full growth
- Having ample amounts of bone to secure the implant
- Having healthy oral tissues
- Being unwilling or unable to wear dentures
- Wanting to improve your speech
- Being able and willing to commit several months to complete the process
ARE THEY SAFE
Dental implants are considered safe for the majority of people. Individuals with certain medical conditions, such as
high blood pressure and diabetes, should check with their health care provider prior to having dental implant surgery. Fortunately, most individuals with these conditions will receive the green light for the procedure, as long as certain precautions are met. Dental implant surgery is not recommended for children as their jaws have not yet reached full growth.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
As with any surgical procedure, there are some health risks associated with dental implant surgery. Complications are relatively rare and when they do occur they are generally mild, requiring minimal treatment.
Possible health risks associated with dental implant surgery include:
- Infection occurring at the implant site
- Damage to surrounding teeth or blood vessels
- Nerve damage
- Pain
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Sinus problems
HOW TO PREPARE FOR SURGERY
A comprehensive dental exam and evaluation is required before the procedure can take place. This will include dental
x-rays and taking a mold of the mouth to make a model of the mouth. A variety of specialists, including oral and maxillofacial*) surgeons, periodontists and doctors will help to create your personal treatment plan.
*) maxillofacial = of or relating to the jaws and face
It is important to speak with your doctor about any underlying medical conditions you have and to list all of the medications, both prescription and over the counter that you are taking, as well as any herbal or natural supplements. Individuals with certain heart conditions and those with orthopedic implants may have to undergo antibiotic treatment prior to having the surgery.
Prior to the surgery, you will have the chance to discuss with your doctor the different anesthesia options available. You will have a choice of local, general or sedation anesthesia. Together with your dental specialist and health care team you can determine which option is the best choice for you.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Dental implant surgery is performed in several stages, with the entire process lasting anywhere from 3 to 9 months. Much of this time includes time off for healing and the growth of new jaw bone.
- The first surgery involves the placement of the dental implant cylinder into the jawbone. A rest period of a few months follows.
- The next surgery involves the placement of the abutment*) and the new artificial tooth. Another healing period then follows. *) a structure built to support the lateral*) pressure of an arch or span, e.g., at the ends of a bridge *) lateral = sideways, sidewise, sideward, edgewise, oblique,horizontal
- Some individuals will require a bone graft*) surgery prior to having dental implant surgery. This is common in individuals who have a jawbone that is too soft or is not thick enough to sustain the implant. During a bone graft, a piece of bone is taken from a different part of the jaw or another part of the body and is transplanted to the jawbone. *) Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that replaces missing bone with material from the patient's own body, an artificial, synthetic, or natural substitute. ..click: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki click: Bone Grafting - definition of Bone Grafting in the Medical dictionary ...medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Bone+Grafting - Bone grafting is a surgical procedure by which new bone or a replacement material is placed into spaces between or around broken bone (fractures) or holes in bone (defects) to aid in healing.
The amount of surgeries required is very specific to the individual and varies accordingly.
No matter how many surgeries are required, you may experience certain side effects after each one, including:
- Swelling of the gums
- Swelling of the face
- Pain at implant site
- Bleeding
CONSIDERATIONS
Occasionally, dental implant surgery is not successful. If the bone does not fuse to the implant, it will have to be removed and the procedure can be repeated. Maintaining good oral hygiene after dental implant surgery can help decrease the risk of complications and problems that may arise with dental implants.
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Sources:
- Mayo Clinic
- American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ________________________________________________________________________
- The Wisdom of Ancient Skin Care
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The purpose of this article of to give you information of choices based on the ancient natural methods
STAF, Inc. is not endorsing any of the products mentioned in the article
There is no denying it—ancient wisdom still prevails today, even in the ways we care for our skin. Beauty regimens from long ago have lasting power for one simple reason—they work!
Yet some of these skin care rituals may surprise you. With all the fancy ingredients in skin care products today, these uncomplicated and cost-effective treatments taken from our ancestors are definitely worth a try.
Rub On Olive Oil
As early as Biblical times, people unlocked the power of olives by using the extra-virgin, first cold-pressed oil in everything from food to anointing the skin.
Nutrient-rich, extra-virgin olive oil is high in antioxidants, protects against bacteria, and assists with the body’s ability to heal itself. Due to its small molecular structure, it absorbs easily into the skin. In fact, its lipid profile is very close to that of human skin.
For many people with oily or acne-prone skin, the thought of putting more oil on the skin may seem counterintuitive. Contrary to what you would think, olive oil can balance overproductive oil glands and can even clear out blackheads, since it is naturally anti-inflammatory.
If you’re not into slathering olive oil on your skin, try Norma Kamali’s Olive Only Soap made with puréed olives. It can be used on both the face and the body.
You can find it for $15–$85 at the Wellness Cafe (www.thewellnesscafe.com).
Take Baths in Milk
Cleopatra, famous for her beauty, reputedly took regular baths in milk, among other beauty rituals. French and English aristocracy also bathed in milk in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Milk contains lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that naturally exfoliates*) the skin. This type of acid gently dissolves proteins to exfoliate dead skin cells and reveal fresh, younger-looking skin underneath. *) come apart or be shed from a surface in scales or layers; e.g. "the bark exfoliates in papery flakes" (bark = the hard outer covering of a tree)
Choose creamier milk, as it is better at moisturizing dry skin.
For products containing milk to be effective, labels should list “milk” or “lac” within the first five ingredients, and the contents should be opaque, according to Cyren Organics, an Australian company that produces a beauty line based on goat’s milk.
The company also warns against soap bars with milk ingredients.
“When milk is used in soap bar manufacturing,” Cyren Organics says on its website (www.cyrenorganics.com), “soaps are naturally alkaline, which negates any benefit ‘lactic acids’ would have on the skin. Lactic acid in milk is already quite mild; put that into a highly alkaline environment and the acid won’t work.”
A nice, no-fuss formula to try is Osmia Organics Organic Milk Bath (www.osmiaorganics.com). It contains organic buttermilk powder, organic oats, and baking soda, combined with essential oils.
Or simply add two to four cups of milk or buttermilk to your bath and soak for 20 minutes.
Slather On Raw Honey
Once again, we turn to beauty icon Cleopatra who used honey and natron, or baking soda, as a facial scrub.
Raw honey has naturally antibacterial, antiseptic, and moisturizing properties.
To blend a honey mask, Jennifer Taveras, an acupuncturist and herbalist in New York, recommended in an email to combine one tablespoon of raw honey with one teaspoon of ground cinnamon and apply as a facial mask for 15 minutes. Then rinse off with warm water.
“Cinnamon works to kill acne by drying out the affected area and bringing blood and oxygen to the surface to open the pores,” says the Acne Skin Site (www.acneskinsite.com).
Once considered an elixir of health and immortality in oriental and ayurvedic medicine, the combination of honey and cinnamon can also be brewed as an anti-aging tea used by an ancient Himalayan tribe called Hunza.Ayurveda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and a form of alternative medicine. The oldest known ...
Health Secrets of the Hunzas - Live a Long & Healthy Lifethepdi.com/hunza_health_secrets.htm
The Health from Nature website (www.health-from-nature.net) recommends using one tablespoon of cinnamon and four tablespoons of honey in one cup of hot water. Drink this four times a day to slow down the aging process.
Use Mud and Clay
Rhassoul clay has been used for over 1,400 years as a soap, shampoo, and skin conditioner, according to the Mountain Rose Herbs website (www.mountainroseherbs.com).
Hailing from the Atlas Mountains in Eastern Morocco, the reddish-brown cosmetic clay contains high percentages of silica, magnesium, potassium, and calcium—topical nutrients that benefit skin and hair. The clay’s properties cause it to swell when water is added to it, which makes it a popular choice in spas and skin care regimens from facial masks to hair care.
One pound of raw Rhassoul clay powder costs only $9 on the Mountain Rose Herbs website and can be used in multiple ways.
Mud from Israel’s Dead Sea is renowned for its therapeutic properties for the skin due to the high mineral content. We still cover our bodies with it today to help heal eczema and psoriasis, and to deliver beautifying minerals to the epidermis.
Can’t travel to Israel to get it? Dead Sea Warehouse Mud Mask is practically the real deal, with minimal processing. It costs $24.95 on the Dead Sea Warehouse website (www.deadseawarehouse.com).
Grind Mint Leaves
Mint leaves have been used for their medicinal and anti-inflammatory properties since the earliest stages of human evolution. Mint was used by the ancient Egyptians and Romans for its fragrance. In Greek mythology, mint symbolized hospitality.
“Mortals rubbed mint leaves on the table to welcome gods,” says one blog post on the Dr. Vita website. “During the Middle Ages, people used mint as a cleaning agent and as a way to purify drinking water.”
Mint leaves and mint oil help heal acne and acne scars due to their high content of salicylic acid, according to Aida Duncan, writer of How to Improve Your Skin with Mint on the How Stuff Works website. It also contains vitamin A, which can strengthen skin tissue and help reduce oily skin.
Duncan recommends a mask, which combines two tablespoons (15 milliliters) of mint with oatmeal and yogurt. Apply this mixture to your face and rinse off with warm water after 10 minutes.
Apply the product information above based at your own risk - STAF, Inc. is not endorsing any of the products
The purpose of this article of to give you information of choices based on the ancient natural methods
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Source: The Epoch Times - STAF, Inc. endorses you to read The Epoch Times - click green:
The Epoch Times » The Epoch Times is an independent voice in ...www.theepochtimes.com/
The Epoch Times is an independent voice in print and on the we and reports news responsibly and truthfully so that readers can improve their own lives and ...
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The 10 College Majors
With the Best Starting Salaries
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"What's your major?" is a question much better posed to yourself than as an icebreaker with that cutie down the hall. After all, the degree you earn will greatly influence your chances of getting hired and your starting income and lifetime earning potential.
Which majors provide the best return on your investment? Money Talks News founder Stacy Johnson provides the answer in the video below. Watch it, then read on for more detail.
STEM fields or STEM education or STEM majors is an acronym for the fields of study in the categories of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the United States. The term is typically used in addressing education policy and curriculum choices in schools from kindergarten through college to improve the nation's competitiveness in technology development. It has implications for workforce development, national security concerns and immigration policy.
As you can see, PayScale's list of the top 10 lucrative degrees for starting pay is chock-full of STEM majors. Median starting salaries are noted next to each major, followed by mid-career median pay with 15 years on the job:
This information raises the question, "What are the least profitable majors?" On the other side of the spectrum, here's the bottom of PayScale's list based on starting pay.
Degrees with the lowest unemployment
Majoring in STEM degrees will not only boost your earning potential, but also increase your chances of snagging a job.
A Georgetown University study called Hard Times says unemployment rates are relatively low for recent graduates in engineering (7 percent) and health and the sciences (4.8 percent) "because they are tied to stable or growing industry sectors and occupations."
Compare those figures with the rates for recent grads on the opposite end, led by information systems majors with 14.7 percent, and architecture majors at 12.8 percent.
"People who make technology are still better off than people who use technology," the study says.
But you don't need to be an engineer to snag a job. A recent report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers identifies the sectors that are most active in hiring new grads:
It's also good to know that a college degree will most likely boost your income. A Georgetown University study called The College Payoff says people who earn a bachelor's degree make 84 percent more over a lifetime than those with only a high school diploma. College graduates can expect to make about $2.3 million in their lifetime compared with roughly $1.3 million for those who didn't pursue a higher education.
While earning potential is important, it shouldn't be the only factor considered when deciding what to major in.
Click: Here are a few more suggested by Scholarships.com
NOTICE:
The website analysis may leave out certain important factors. Attending college, especially brand-name colleges, comes with intangible perks such as personal connections made while attending, mentorship and the development of social and networking skills. Colleges located in certain geographies also tend to produce better results, simply by virtue of being located close to an industry.
Sources for additional info - click green
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Source: MoneyTalksNews
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
What Hollywood's Top Fertility Doc
Wants You to Know About Making Babies Post-30
Now that many celebs are coming out about their infertility struggles and pushing motherhood off until their 40s, we're left wondering: What is the latest science available to women trying to conceive later in life?
Dr. Shahin Ghadir, founder of the Southern California Reproductive Center-one of America's leading fertility clinics-breaks it down for us.
Click: Southern California Reproductive Center.www.scrcivf.com/
Leading IVF clinic in the Los Angeles area, Southern California Reproductive Center has premier infertility treatment centers in Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles, ...
Questions in bold
There's so much talk about what's possible in terms of extending fertility into your 40s and beyond.
What are the stats?
The major issue is that more and more women are waiting until later in life to try to conceive. Biologically, this doesn't work for women. The decline of egg quality and count starts before you are even born. It happens again by the time you begin your menstrual cycle, and by 27 or 28 a regular decline in quality and quantity of your eggs begins. Women are coming into my office older and older. They learn that a 48-year-old celebrity had twins, and think, "Oh, if she can do it, then I'll just go to the fertility clinic when I'm ready and have my baby." They have absolutely no idea that there is a very good chance that celebrity used egg donation. And, yes, with egg donation you can get pregnant using the egg of someone between the ages of 20 and 29. That means that you could get pregnant into your 70s if you needed to. Obviously, we would never recommend that.
It seems like some celebrities' televised doctors visit to test her fertility was the moment when everyone realized, "Oh, if I'm a single woman or if I'm not even thinking about a family yet, I should still get my fertility tested." Is that really the case?
Yes, any woman can have her fertility status assessed at any time-in. There are excellent new tests that allow you to check your ovarian reserve-meaning how many eggs you have left. It gives you a pretty accurate idea of where you stand compared to other women in your age group. We can also do ultrasounds that look at the ovaries in order to give us information about how useful the ovaries and uterus may be. We can do blood panels that check different hormones that tell us about your fertility. We have one really amazing new test called the AMH, or anti-mullerian hormone, a hormone that's released from the tiny eggs a woman still has in her body. As the level goes down, your egg reserve goes down. You can do it any day of the month, and it's very good for giving you an idea of your reserve.
Should every woman test her ovarian reserve at a certain age in order to know where she stands before making life decisions?
Absolutely, 100 percent. I think it's smartest to do it by age 30.
Depending on what you find, would you suggest then considering freezing your eggs? Is there a certain age at which all women should think about it?
With egg freezing, the younger, the better. So if someone who is 25, beginning law school, and wants to have that corporate job-[someone who] knows there are some things ahead of her that are going to prevent her from having a child for a while-that person would be smart, at age 25, to do it. But if you have not assessed anything by 30, that's when you really need to do it. If by the age of 35 you are not in a relationship and you know that you want to have children, it would be very, very wise to do it right away. Again, the earlier, the better.
What are the latest advances in IVF that women should know about?
We now have "extended culture medias," which allow us to grow an embryo outside of the body for longer. Before, we used to put embryos back in after two days. Now we are able to allow the embryo to grow to the fullest stage it can outside of the body, which is called the blastocyst stage, where there are hundreds of cells. By that point-about five to six days outside of the body-we have time to do genetic tests, which is another innovation that has become significant in the last couple of years. We're now able to check the embryo for its genetic well-being and make sure that it is chromosomally normal before putting it back into the uterus. We're also able to watch the embryo grow to a stage much further along. So if you have 10 embryos that you've made, we can get really picky and see which one did the absolute best up to day five. It will probably tell us your best embryo.
The one that has the best chance of survival?
Exactly. The one that has grown the most beautifully. And exactly at the times it's supposed to, to the stage it's supposed to, so it's probably your healthiest embryo. One final advance, which is the newest thing we have in the world of fertility, is the EmbryoScope. It's a camera that watches the embryo from the stage where the egg and the sperm come together, all the way up to the time that we put the embryo back inside the body, usually around day five. It watches the embryo grow like a movie.
Wow! Your very first home movie!
Yes, it is. [Laughs] And it tells you not only if the embryo looked good on day five, but whether it has grown and divided normally, which is also very, very important for its well-being.
That's amazing.
It is. So we have the environment of freezing and thawing better, we have the genetic testing to test the chromosomes, and we can check to see if the structural growth of the embryo is going well.
We hear so many stories of women who have been trying and trying, then something shifts emotionally for them and they are finally able to get pregnant. Is stress a factor?
As difficult as it is to scientifically prove, I believe that stress can do anything. I've seen it in my own office where patients have tried for months and months, and months and when they just mentally let go and moved onto the next stage, like an egg donor, for example, it just happened. They were able to naturally conceive. Sometimes patients come into our office and when they know that they are under the care of a good doctor and a good clinic, it just happens.
How about on the male side?
Yes! For men who have zero sperm or very, very poor quality sperm, technology has actually allowed us to extract sperm from the testicle and use it. These are men who, in the past, would never have been able to conceive. There are even examples of men who have had a vasectomy. They can now do a few-minute-long procedure to go in and get the sperm without needing to entirely reverse the vasectomy.
Are there any lifestyle changes that can help increase the chances of conception?
I'm not a physician who thinks you need to change or stop your life, so I don't believe in quitting caffeine, exercising every single day, and doing all of these extreme things. I don't think having one caffeinated beverage a day is an issue.
I think that regular exercise and eating healthy is very important. Feeling good about yourself and knowing that you're in the normal-weight category and the healthiest you can be is very important for conceiving.
Click green for further info
Source: Internet news - CNBC Article 2 of 2 next below
_________________________________________
With the Best Starting Salaries
Click green for further info
"What's your major?" is a question much better posed to yourself than as an icebreaker with that cutie down the hall. After all, the degree you earn will greatly influence your chances of getting hired and your starting income and lifetime earning potential.
Which majors provide the best return on your investment? Money Talks News founder Stacy Johnson provides the answer in the video below. Watch it, then read on for more detail.
STEM fields or STEM education or STEM majors is an acronym for the fields of study in the categories of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the United States. The term is typically used in addressing education policy and curriculum choices in schools from kindergarten through college to improve the nation's competitiveness in technology development. It has implications for workforce development, national security concerns and immigration policy.
As you can see, PayScale's list of the top 10 lucrative degrees for starting pay is chock-full of STEM majors. Median starting salaries are noted next to each major, followed by mid-career median pay with 15 years on the job:
- Petroleum engineering, $98,000, $163,000.
- Chemical engineering, $67,500, $111,000.
- Nuclear engineering, $66,800, $107,000.
- Electrical engineering, $63,400, $106,000.
- Computer engineering, $62,700, $105,000.
- Aerospace engineering, $62,500, $118,000.
- Mechanical engineering, $60,100, $98,400.
- Materials science and engineering, $60,100, $91,900.
- Industrial engineering, $59,900, $91,200.
- Computer science, $58,400, $100,000.
This information raises the question, "What are the least profitable majors?" On the other side of the spectrum, here's the bottom of PayScale's list based on starting pay.
- Child and family studies, $29,300 median starting pay, $37,700 median mid-career pay.
- Culinary arts, $31,000, $49,700.
- Exercise science, $31,300, $54,400.
- Elementary education, $31,400, $46,000.
- Fine arts, $31,800, $53,700.
Degrees with the lowest unemployment
Majoring in STEM degrees will not only boost your earning potential, but also increase your chances of snagging a job.
A Georgetown University study called Hard Times says unemployment rates are relatively low for recent graduates in engineering (7 percent) and health and the sciences (4.8 percent) "because they are tied to stable or growing industry sectors and occupations."
Compare those figures with the rates for recent grads on the opposite end, led by information systems majors with 14.7 percent, and architecture majors at 12.8 percent.
"People who make technology are still better off than people who use technology," the study says.
But you don't need to be an engineer to snag a job. A recent report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers identifies the sectors that are most active in hiring new grads:
- Educational services. That includes schools, colleges and universities and training centers. The average starting salary is $39,992.
- Professional, scientific and technical services, $48,609.
- Health care and social assistance, $42,698.
- Government, $45,862.
It's also good to know that a college degree will most likely boost your income. A Georgetown University study called The College Payoff says people who earn a bachelor's degree make 84 percent more over a lifetime than those with only a high school diploma. College graduates can expect to make about $2.3 million in their lifetime compared with roughly $1.3 million for those who didn't pursue a higher education.
While earning potential is important, it shouldn't be the only factor considered when deciding what to major in.
Click: Here are a few more suggested by Scholarships.com
- What type of career do you want?
- What kind of work do you enjoy?
- What are your skills?
- "Are there in-demand career fields in the geographic areas where you would like to live following graduation?"
NOTICE:
The website analysis may leave out certain important factors. Attending college, especially brand-name colleges, comes with intangible perks such as personal connections made while attending, mentorship and the development of social and networking skills. Colleges located in certain geographies also tend to produce better results, simply by virtue of being located close to an industry.
Sources for additional info - click green
- Public and West Coast Colleges Are Becoming a Better Value
- The 4 Biggest Money Mistakes Parents Make
- 10 Popular Money Questions Answered
- Being a Night Owl Might Influence Your Career Choice
- The Five Worst-Paying Majors
- 5 Ways to Score Scholarship Money
Click green for further info
Source: MoneyTalksNews
______________________________________________
Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
What Hollywood's Top Fertility Doc
Wants You to Know About Making Babies Post-30
Now that many celebs are coming out about their infertility struggles and pushing motherhood off until their 40s, we're left wondering: What is the latest science available to women trying to conceive later in life?
Dr. Shahin Ghadir, founder of the Southern California Reproductive Center-one of America's leading fertility clinics-breaks it down for us.
Click: Southern California Reproductive Center.www.scrcivf.com/
Leading IVF clinic in the Los Angeles area, Southern California Reproductive Center has premier infertility treatment centers in Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles, ...
Questions in bold
There's so much talk about what's possible in terms of extending fertility into your 40s and beyond.
What are the stats?
The major issue is that more and more women are waiting until later in life to try to conceive. Biologically, this doesn't work for women. The decline of egg quality and count starts before you are even born. It happens again by the time you begin your menstrual cycle, and by 27 or 28 a regular decline in quality and quantity of your eggs begins. Women are coming into my office older and older. They learn that a 48-year-old celebrity had twins, and think, "Oh, if she can do it, then I'll just go to the fertility clinic when I'm ready and have my baby." They have absolutely no idea that there is a very good chance that celebrity used egg donation. And, yes, with egg donation you can get pregnant using the egg of someone between the ages of 20 and 29. That means that you could get pregnant into your 70s if you needed to. Obviously, we would never recommend that.
It seems like some celebrities' televised doctors visit to test her fertility was the moment when everyone realized, "Oh, if I'm a single woman or if I'm not even thinking about a family yet, I should still get my fertility tested." Is that really the case?
Yes, any woman can have her fertility status assessed at any time-in. There are excellent new tests that allow you to check your ovarian reserve-meaning how many eggs you have left. It gives you a pretty accurate idea of where you stand compared to other women in your age group. We can also do ultrasounds that look at the ovaries in order to give us information about how useful the ovaries and uterus may be. We can do blood panels that check different hormones that tell us about your fertility. We have one really amazing new test called the AMH, or anti-mullerian hormone, a hormone that's released from the tiny eggs a woman still has in her body. As the level goes down, your egg reserve goes down. You can do it any day of the month, and it's very good for giving you an idea of your reserve.
Should every woman test her ovarian reserve at a certain age in order to know where she stands before making life decisions?
Absolutely, 100 percent. I think it's smartest to do it by age 30.
Depending on what you find, would you suggest then considering freezing your eggs? Is there a certain age at which all women should think about it?
With egg freezing, the younger, the better. So if someone who is 25, beginning law school, and wants to have that corporate job-[someone who] knows there are some things ahead of her that are going to prevent her from having a child for a while-that person would be smart, at age 25, to do it. But if you have not assessed anything by 30, that's when you really need to do it. If by the age of 35 you are not in a relationship and you know that you want to have children, it would be very, very wise to do it right away. Again, the earlier, the better.
What are the latest advances in IVF that women should know about?
We now have "extended culture medias," which allow us to grow an embryo outside of the body for longer. Before, we used to put embryos back in after two days. Now we are able to allow the embryo to grow to the fullest stage it can outside of the body, which is called the blastocyst stage, where there are hundreds of cells. By that point-about five to six days outside of the body-we have time to do genetic tests, which is another innovation that has become significant in the last couple of years. We're now able to check the embryo for its genetic well-being and make sure that it is chromosomally normal before putting it back into the uterus. We're also able to watch the embryo grow to a stage much further along. So if you have 10 embryos that you've made, we can get really picky and see which one did the absolute best up to day five. It will probably tell us your best embryo.
The one that has the best chance of survival?
Exactly. The one that has grown the most beautifully. And exactly at the times it's supposed to, to the stage it's supposed to, so it's probably your healthiest embryo. One final advance, which is the newest thing we have in the world of fertility, is the EmbryoScope. It's a camera that watches the embryo from the stage where the egg and the sperm come together, all the way up to the time that we put the embryo back inside the body, usually around day five. It watches the embryo grow like a movie.
Wow! Your very first home movie!
Yes, it is. [Laughs] And it tells you not only if the embryo looked good on day five, but whether it has grown and divided normally, which is also very, very important for its well-being.
That's amazing.
It is. So we have the environment of freezing and thawing better, we have the genetic testing to test the chromosomes, and we can check to see if the structural growth of the embryo is going well.
We hear so many stories of women who have been trying and trying, then something shifts emotionally for them and they are finally able to get pregnant. Is stress a factor?
As difficult as it is to scientifically prove, I believe that stress can do anything. I've seen it in my own office where patients have tried for months and months, and months and when they just mentally let go and moved onto the next stage, like an egg donor, for example, it just happened. They were able to naturally conceive. Sometimes patients come into our office and when they know that they are under the care of a good doctor and a good clinic, it just happens.
How about on the male side?
Yes! For men who have zero sperm or very, very poor quality sperm, technology has actually allowed us to extract sperm from the testicle and use it. These are men who, in the past, would never have been able to conceive. There are even examples of men who have had a vasectomy. They can now do a few-minute-long procedure to go in and get the sperm without needing to entirely reverse the vasectomy.
Are there any lifestyle changes that can help increase the chances of conception?
I'm not a physician who thinks you need to change or stop your life, so I don't believe in quitting caffeine, exercising every single day, and doing all of these extreme things. I don't think having one caffeinated beverage a day is an issue.
I think that regular exercise and eating healthy is very important. Feeling good about yourself and knowing that you're in the normal-weight category and the healthiest you can be is very important for conceiving.
Click green for further info
Source: Internet news - CNBC Article 2 of 2 next below
_________________________________________
Article 2 of 2 Article 1 of 2 next above
Test-tube babies:
A simpler, cheaper technique?
Date: August 2013
For the more than 100 women treated so far, the pregnancy rate was about 34 percent for both methods. o far, 14 babies have been born using the simplified method and 13 babies from traditional IVF.
LONDON (AP) — Since the first test-tube baby was born more than three decades ago, in vitro fertilization has evolved into a highly sophisticated lab procedure. Now, scientists are going back to basics and testing a simpler and cheaper method.
In the West, many would-be parents spend thousands of dollars for IVF, which involves pricey incubators and extensive screening. But European and American scientists say a simplified version of the entire procedure aimed at developing countries could be done for about 200 euros ($265) with generic fertility drugs and basic lab equipment that would fit inside a shoebox.
"IVF is made to sound complicated, but the fact is that the early embryo is not very demanding," said Jonathan Van Blerkom, a fertility expert at the University of Colorado.
A human embryo doesn't need much beyond some basic solutions, a steady pH level and constant temperature, he said.
The simpler approach calls for women to take cheaper fertility tablets to stimulate their ovaries to release more than one egg per month. In conventional IVF, expensive, potent drugs that are injected can produce more than 20 eggs.
Van Blerkom developed the simplified technique after European colleagues asked him how IVF could be done in developing countries.
"My first reaction was, 'You've got to be kidding,'" he said.
But with two test tubes and special solutions, "it's possible to generate the exact same conditions, or very similar, to what people are generating in a $60,000 incubator."
One test tube is used to prepare a solution including carbon dioxide, which creates the ideal conditions for fertilization. That's piped into a second tube, where one egg and a few thousand sperm are added, before being placed in a heating block. After about two to three days, any resulting embryo is examined under a microscope before being transferred into the woman.
Van Blerkom and colleagues estimated that about half of all people seeking infertility treatment could potentially be helped by the method. Those who have complicated infertility problems, like men with severe sperm problems or women with very few eggs left, will still need standard IVF.
In an ongoing trial in Belgium, researchers are comparing the techniques. Women under 36 seeking IVF for the first time are given a mild dose of injectable fertility drugs. If at least eight eggs are retrieved, half undergo traditional IVF, and half use the simpler method.
A specialist who doesn't know which technique was used picks the best-looking embryo to be transferred.
For the more than 100 women treated so far, the pregnancy rate was about 34 percent for both methods. So far, 14 babies have been born using the simplified method and 13 babies from traditional IVF.
The World Health Organization estimates there are between 120 and 160 million couples struggling with infertility worldwide.
"Nobody thinks that infertility in developing countries is a problem, but it is an even bigger problem there than in (the West)," WHO reproductive health expert Sheryl Vanderpoel said.
She said more people in developing countries have complications from untreated infections, including sexually spread diseases, than in the West, which can hurt their fertility.
"Making IVF affordable is a public health priority," she said.
Dr. Hassan Sallam, director of the Alexandria Fertility and IVF Center in Egypt, said the cheaper IVF method would be welcomed. He said there is considerable social pressure on young Egyptian couples to have children — and that is compounded by the fact in rural areas, many newlyweds live with the man's family.
"All eyes are on the newlywed couple to see if pregnancy has happened after the first month," he said in an email.
He said couples married for two to three months occasionally come to see him "just to please their in-laws."
Although the new IVF strategy is intended for use mainly in developing countries, doctors in rich countries are also interested.
"You should not have to be rich just to have IVF," said Dr. Geeta Nargund, medical director for Create Health Clinics, a private fertility center in London. "There are so many people who cannot afford the treatment (in the West) that there would be huge demand if there were something cheaper available."
In many European countries, national health systems pay for several IVF cycles for eligible couples but it can cost more than $10,000 for those seeking it privately. For many couples, up to three cycles are necessary to create a baby.
She has asked Britain's regulatory agency for fertility treatment for permission to test the simpler technique.
Some said the success rates of the cheaper IVF method would likely be lower than those for regular IVF. The simplified method does not include any extensive screening of embryos or any procedures to inject sperm directly into the eggs.
"You aren't producing as many eggs with this (cheap) method so the numbers will not be as high," said Ian Cooke, an emeritus professor of reproductive medicine at Sheffield University. Cooke also thought training enough health professionals in developing countries might be an issue.
Still, he said the method was promising. Because doctors were planning to use less potent fertility drugs, he said it was fine to cut back on the regular screening and daily tests used in normal IVF regimens.
"From a technical point of view, they have proven it works," he said, adding it was now necessary to test the technique in developing countries.
Patient groups said doctors should offer the cheaper IVF method if it is approved.
"IVF is not a one-size-fits-all process," said Susan Seenan, deputy chief executive of Infertility Network UK. "Patients are being told they need all kinds of expensive procedures and this may be a good time to step back and see if that is really the case."
Source: Infertility Network UK
_____________________________
Test-tube babies:
A simpler, cheaper technique?
Date: August 2013
For the more than 100 women treated so far, the pregnancy rate was about 34 percent for both methods. o far, 14 babies have been born using the simplified method and 13 babies from traditional IVF.
LONDON (AP) — Since the first test-tube baby was born more than three decades ago, in vitro fertilization has evolved into a highly sophisticated lab procedure. Now, scientists are going back to basics and testing a simpler and cheaper method.
In the West, many would-be parents spend thousands of dollars for IVF, which involves pricey incubators and extensive screening. But European and American scientists say a simplified version of the entire procedure aimed at developing countries could be done for about 200 euros ($265) with generic fertility drugs and basic lab equipment that would fit inside a shoebox.
"IVF is made to sound complicated, but the fact is that the early embryo is not very demanding," said Jonathan Van Blerkom, a fertility expert at the University of Colorado.
A human embryo doesn't need much beyond some basic solutions, a steady pH level and constant temperature, he said.
The simpler approach calls for women to take cheaper fertility tablets to stimulate their ovaries to release more than one egg per month. In conventional IVF, expensive, potent drugs that are injected can produce more than 20 eggs.
Van Blerkom developed the simplified technique after European colleagues asked him how IVF could be done in developing countries.
"My first reaction was, 'You've got to be kidding,'" he said.
But with two test tubes and special solutions, "it's possible to generate the exact same conditions, or very similar, to what people are generating in a $60,000 incubator."
One test tube is used to prepare a solution including carbon dioxide, which creates the ideal conditions for fertilization. That's piped into a second tube, where one egg and a few thousand sperm are added, before being placed in a heating block. After about two to three days, any resulting embryo is examined under a microscope before being transferred into the woman.
Van Blerkom and colleagues estimated that about half of all people seeking infertility treatment could potentially be helped by the method. Those who have complicated infertility problems, like men with severe sperm problems or women with very few eggs left, will still need standard IVF.
In an ongoing trial in Belgium, researchers are comparing the techniques. Women under 36 seeking IVF for the first time are given a mild dose of injectable fertility drugs. If at least eight eggs are retrieved, half undergo traditional IVF, and half use the simpler method.
A specialist who doesn't know which technique was used picks the best-looking embryo to be transferred.
For the more than 100 women treated so far, the pregnancy rate was about 34 percent for both methods. So far, 14 babies have been born using the simplified method and 13 babies from traditional IVF.
The World Health Organization estimates there are between 120 and 160 million couples struggling with infertility worldwide.
"Nobody thinks that infertility in developing countries is a problem, but it is an even bigger problem there than in (the West)," WHO reproductive health expert Sheryl Vanderpoel said.
She said more people in developing countries have complications from untreated infections, including sexually spread diseases, than in the West, which can hurt their fertility.
"Making IVF affordable is a public health priority," she said.
Dr. Hassan Sallam, director of the Alexandria Fertility and IVF Center in Egypt, said the cheaper IVF method would be welcomed. He said there is considerable social pressure on young Egyptian couples to have children — and that is compounded by the fact in rural areas, many newlyweds live with the man's family.
"All eyes are on the newlywed couple to see if pregnancy has happened after the first month," he said in an email.
He said couples married for two to three months occasionally come to see him "just to please their in-laws."
Although the new IVF strategy is intended for use mainly in developing countries, doctors in rich countries are also interested.
"You should not have to be rich just to have IVF," said Dr. Geeta Nargund, medical director for Create Health Clinics, a private fertility center in London. "There are so many people who cannot afford the treatment (in the West) that there would be huge demand if there were something cheaper available."
In many European countries, national health systems pay for several IVF cycles for eligible couples but it can cost more than $10,000 for those seeking it privately. For many couples, up to three cycles are necessary to create a baby.
She has asked Britain's regulatory agency for fertility treatment for permission to test the simpler technique.
Some said the success rates of the cheaper IVF method would likely be lower than those for regular IVF. The simplified method does not include any extensive screening of embryos or any procedures to inject sperm directly into the eggs.
"You aren't producing as many eggs with this (cheap) method so the numbers will not be as high," said Ian Cooke, an emeritus professor of reproductive medicine at Sheffield University. Cooke also thought training enough health professionals in developing countries might be an issue.
Still, he said the method was promising. Because doctors were planning to use less potent fertility drugs, he said it was fine to cut back on the regular screening and daily tests used in normal IVF regimens.
"From a technical point of view, they have proven it works," he said, adding it was now necessary to test the technique in developing countries.
Patient groups said doctors should offer the cheaper IVF method if it is approved.
"IVF is not a one-size-fits-all process," said Susan Seenan, deputy chief executive of Infertility Network UK. "Patients are being told they need all kinds of expensive procedures and this may be a good time to step back and see if that is really the case."
Source: Infertility Network UK
_____________________________
A New day is dawning
Let’s Shake Up the Social Sciences
July 2013
By Nicholas A. Christakis a physician and sociologist at Yale University, is a co-director of the Yale Institute for Network Science.
TWENTY-FIVE years ago, when I was a graduate student, there were departments of natural science that no longer exist today. Departments of anatomy, histology, biochemistry and physiology have disappeared, replaced by innovative departments of stem-cell biology, systems biology, neurobiology and molecular biophysics. Taking a page from Darwin, the natural sciences are evolving with the times. The perfection of cloning techniques gave rise to stem-cell biology; advances in computer science contributed to systems biology. Whole new fields of inquiry, as well as university departments and majors, owe their existence to fresh discoveries and novel tools.
In contrast, the social sciences have stagnated, ceased developing and have become inactive or dull.
They offer essentially the same set of academic departments and disciplines that they have for nearly 100 years: sociology, economics, anthropology, psychology and political science.
This is not only boring but also counterproductive, constraining engagement with the scientific cutting edge and stifling the creation of new and useful knowledge.
The outdated model for the social sciences has severely restricted the scope, extent and activity of new, innovative and pioneering science work for today's needs.
Such inertia reflects an unnecessary insecurity and conservatism, and helps explain why the social sciences don’t enjoy the same prestige as the natural sciences.
One reason citizens, politicians and university donors sometimes lack confidence in the social sciences is that social scientists too often miss the chance to declare victory and move on to new frontiers. Like natural scientists, they should be able to say, “We have figured this topic out to a reasonable degree of certainty, and we are now moving our attention to more exciting areas.” But they do not.
I’m not suggesting that social scientists stop teaching and investigating classic topics like monopoly power, racial profiling and health inequality. But everyone knows that monopoly power is bad for markets, that people are racially biased and that illness is unequally distributed by social class. There are diminishing returns from the continuing study of many such topics. And repeatedly observing these phenomena does not help us fix them.
So social scientists should devote a small palace guard to settled subjects and redeploy most of their forces to new fields like social neuroscience, behavioral economics, evolutionary psychology and social epigenetics, most of which, not coincidentally, lie at the intersection of the natural and social sciences. Behavioral economics, for example, has used psychology to radically reshape classical economics.
Such interdisciplinary efforts are also generating practical insights about fundamental problems like chronic illness, energy conservation, pandemic disease, intergenerational poverty and market panics. For example, a better understanding of the structure and function of human social networks is helping us understand which individuals within social systems have an outsize impact when it comes to the spread of germs or the spread of ideas. As a result, we now have at our disposal new ways to accelerate the adoption of desirable practices as diverse as vaccination in rural villages and seat-belt use among urban schoolchildren.
It is time to create new social science departments that reflect the breadth and complexity of the problems we face as well as the novelty of 21st-century science. These would include departments of biosocial science, network science, neuroeconomics, behavioral genetics and computational social science. Eventually, these departments would themselves be dismantled or transmuted as science continues to advance.
Some recent examples offer a glimpse of the potential. At Yale, the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs applies diverse social sciences to the study of international issues and offers a new major. At Harvard, the sub-discipline of physical anthropology, which increasingly relies on modern genetics, was hived off the anthropology department to make the department of human evolutionary biology. Still, such efforts are generally more like herds splitting up than like new species emerging. We have not yet changed the basic DNA of the social sciences. Failure to do so might even result in having the natural sciences co-opt topics rightly and beneficially in the purview of the social sciences.
New social science departments could also help to better train students by engaging in new types of pedagogy. For example, in the natural sciences, even college freshmen do laboratory experiments. Why is this rare in the social sciences? When students learn about social phenomena, why don’t they go to the lab to examine them — how markets reach equilibrium, how people cooperate, how social ties are formed? Newly invented tools make this feasible. It is now possible to use the Internet to enlist thousands of people to participate in randomized experiments. This seems radical only because our current social science departments weren’t organized to teach this way.
For the past century, people have looked to the physical and biological sciences to solve important problems. The social sciences offer equal promise for improving human welfare; our lives can be greatly improved through a deeper understanding of individual and collective behavior. But to realize this promise, the social sciences, like the natural sciences, need to match their institutional structures to today’s intellectual challenges.
Source: NYT
Text by Nicholas A. Christakis, a physician and sociologist at Yale University, is a co-director of the Yale Institute for Network Science.
________________________________________________________________
10 Things Therapists Won’t Tell You
Good article full of information beneficial for every person to know
_______________
See also close below the article
Conflict Resolution Skills
Good, practical info for everyone of us
_______________
How many therapists does it take to change a light bulb?
Just one, but the light bulb has to be motivated to change.
(a joke)
One in five Americans in any given year will have a mental health disorder
and two-thirds never receive treatment
STAF, Inc.'s editors placed this article to inspire thinking about the therapy business and its challenges
Recent research shows that talk therapy can be helpful
Compared with medication, psychotherapy has fewer side effects and lower instances of relapse when discontinued
Talk therapy can be as effective in treating depression as the most recent generation of antidepressants, according to a 2011 review of 15 studies and published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease by researchers at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire
See below for further related info.
What is your experience and/or your opinion?
The person on the couch isn’t the only one with problems.
1.“Your childhood was bad? Wait till you see your bill.”
Among those who seek psychological help in the U.S., 40% undergo therapy with a social worker, psychiatrist or psychologist, according to JAMA Psychiatry, a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association. All that talk doesn’t come cheap. There is no set charge, but therapists say rates can vary from $75 to $250 an hour. In fact, Americans spend around $10 billion a year on all kinds of psychotherapy — from relationship counseling to cognitive-behavioral therapy — according to research reviewed by Bruce E. Wampold, clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
One therapist’s fees for different clients can also vary wildly, experts say. When shopping around for a therapist, there’s nothing wrong with negotiating, says Simon Rego, director of psychology training at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. Many clinicians offer a sliding scale for those with limited funds, he says. Sometimes, therapists dedicate a certain number of slots per week to low-income clients, he says, and there are counseling organizations that offer pro bono services to veterans and victims of natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy. In other cases, Rego says, therapists expect potential clients to haggle (= to bargain, as over the price of something). “Some therapists claim a sliding scale as a rubric (= invitation, "bridge" to, guide) to negotiate,” he says.
There’s evidence though that good therapy is a bargain at any price. In clinical trials, psychotherapy has been shown to be effective in treating depression, anxiety, marital dissatisfaction, substance abuse and even sexual dysfunction, Wampold found. And relapse rates can be lower with some types of psychotherapy than with medication, according to research by Steve Hollon, a professor of Psychology at Vanderbilt University. For major depressive disorders, a 2009 Department of Veterans Affairs study on psychotherapy’s effectiveness suggests a combination of therapy and antidepressants as a first line of treatment.
One in five Americans in any given year will have a mental health disorder and two-thirds never receive treatment, says Paolo Delvecchio, director of the federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Mental Health Services in Rockville, Md.
2. “I may not have any training.”
While qualified psychologists, psychiatrists and licensed clinical social workers all require years of training, there’s very little stopping anyone from taking a night course in astrology or philosophy and calling himself a therapist.
Therapy is an umbrella term that covers many professions and problems
It’s more of a descriptive term than a professional one, says John C. Norcross, a professor of psychology at the University of Scranton. In fact, anyone could advertise as a “therapist,” put it on a business card, set up a website and wait for people to call. “Seek mental health services from someone licensed to practice by the particular state in which you reside,” Norcross suggests.
Experts recommend that consumers who need mental health care turn to a psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed clinical social worker. Psychologists must have a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.), doctor of psychology (Psy.D) in counseling or clinical psychology or doctor of education (Ed.D.), and pass a state-level licensing exam. Psychiatrists have to earn a doctor of medicine (M.D.) and complete a medical residency. Licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) need a master’s degree (MSW or MA), and must meet medical clinical exam requirements. Licensed counselors also need a master’s degree (MA or MS) and pass a national licensing examination. The American Psychological Association, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, American Psychiatric Association, National Association of Social Workers and American Counseling Association can make referrals, as do state licensing boards and many health insurance plans list in-network mental health professionals.
For therapeutic services slightly outside the realm of mental health, though, another type of professional might be appropriate. For instance, some life coaches practice as therapists, says Julie Hanks, owner and executive director of Wasatch Family Therapy in Salt Lake City, Utah. (A life coach draws on techniques from psychology and career counseling, but working as a life coach requires no formal training.) Life coaches can be well-suited to helping people decide their next career move or improve their productivity, and plenty of informed consumers choose them over therapists for personal projects, business mentoring and creative endeavors. Many life coaches clearly state that their services are profoundly different from therapy or counseling. Nonetheless, Hanks says, she’s been surprised by how many clients have told her they weren’t aware their coaches weren’t trained to treat mental health problems.
Although it’s important to find a qualified professional, Hanks says, the degree does not make the therapist. “What it boils down to is the quality of the connection between the client and therapist,” she says.
3. “Will you ever stop talking?”
While therapists are paid to listen to a patient for about 45 to 60 minutes at a time, it’s not always easy, especially since people in therapy can get so wound up in the minutiae of their day that they ramble on instead of tackling real issues. “I’ve been bored out of my mind occasionally,” says Hanks, the Salt Lake City therapist. But there’s an upside to her only very occasional boredom: It clues her in that something isn’t working. Then, she says, she knows to ask herself, “What do I need to do differently with this client?”
Sometimes it’s the therapist, rather than the client, who isn’t giving real issues the attention they deserve. Marci Robin, the beauty director of lifestyle and cosmetics site xoVain.com, recently wrote about her experience with a therapist who fell asleep during her session — while Robin was crying. Shortly before arriving at her therapist’s office in New York, Robin had been assaulted by a group of boys who hit her with a cup filled with ice. “As I spoke, I noticed her drifting off,” she says.
Such incidents are relatively uncommon. But therapists, like anyone on the job, can succumb to drowsiness and distractions. “Patients who have seen other therapists have reported this to me,” says Mirean Coleman, a clinical social worker and senior practice associate with the National Association of Social Workers. “I have also been informed by patients of therapists who texted or played games on their cellphones during therapy sessions.”
And of course when there’s a third party in the mix, he or she can be the reason conversations wander. In couple’s therapy, for instance, it’s not unusual for the more dominant partner to attempt to hijack the session. “There are some people who are a bit narcissistic and enjoy hearing themselves talk, and the therapist never really gets an accurate sense of what goes on in the relationship,” says Fran Walfish, a therapist in Beverly Hills, Calif.
4.“I need you more than you need me.”
After a few sessions, therapists often recommend additional treatment. But insiders say clients should watch for signs it’s time to move on. “If you feel like your therapist needs you financially” — for instance, if he or she is pushing for more sessions even though you feel better — “get another therapist,” Hanks says. Although the majority of therapists go into the profession because they genuinely want to help others, she says, a weak economy can make it difficult for a therapist to let a client go. Therapists who are struggling to keep their practice afloat — or who don’t have a potential client to fill the available time slot — might be particularly inclined to try to squeeze extra money out of their clients. “A good therapist does not want their clients in therapy forever,” she says.
What’s more, even a good therapist might not be the right therapist for a particular person. Clients reporting little or no change in their emotional well-being within their first six visits for cognitive therapy tend to show no improvement over the entire course of therapy or end up dropping out, according to multiple studies over three decades by psychologists Barry Duncan and Scott M. Miller, both of whom are also licensed therapists. “You should feel that you are on your way within a month, says Miller, Cummings Professor at the Department of Behavioral Health in Arizona State University.
A long-term client-therapist relationship with no early change can encourage inaction and co-dependency, he says. The length of time a patient should be with a therapist should be based on the treatment goals and progress of each patient, says Coleman from the National Association of Social Workers. “If a patient fails to meet their initial and revised treatment goals, then other alternatives should be considered.”
5. “Maybe I’m the one who needs therapy.”
There’s no shortage of patients who complain that their therapist has as many issues as they do. When it’s time to say goodbye to a client, for instance, some therapists themselves can exhibit signs of co-dependency. When Kathy Morelli, a family counseling therapist in Wayne, N.J., told her New York-based therapist that she was getting married, was moving to New Jersey and wouldn’t require her services anymore, her therapist wasn’t exactly tickled for her. In fact, she didn’t see why Morelli should have a problem going 25 miles out of her way. “She thought I could commute into the city to see her — at night,” Morelli says. “She made a big stink about it. It was very weird.”
Others have come across different peculiarities in their hunt for a good therapist. Stacey Glaesmann, a clinical psychologist and former therapist in Pearland, Texas, wanted to talk to her therapist about postpartum depression. But her therapist had more important things to discuss, she says. Chief among them: God. “I thought, ‘What the hell?’ I had come to her to talk about being depressed, not because I was looking for religion.” Another therapist she went to appeared to be addicted to her cellphone and answered it during a session. “She didn’t even say, ‘Excuse me,’” Glaesmann says. “How rude can you get?” Of course, such incidents aren’t the norm, says Lisa Brateman, a licensed social worker and therapist based in New York.
6.“A morning run might work just as well.”
Run only on a soft surface. When you run on a stone-hard city street walkway, every time your foot hits the surface your body puts about 400 lbs hit on the hard, stony walkway/street. Whose human joints are going to tolerate long that practice? No one's. Run on the ocean sand, on the park grass, in the natural woods with trees, bushes & flowers (but be careful, the may be holes, obstacles, stones, etc.). Running on the city street you breathe in engine & other pollution, in a park or in the wild woods you get plenty of refreshing oxygen, enjoy the natural beauty around and get inspired in a healthy manner.
A little exercise goes a long way. In fact, the effect of regular exercise on mild to moderate forms of depression is similar to the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy, according to the co-authors of the book “Exercise for Mood and Anxiety,” Jasper Smits, associate professor of psychology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and Michael Otto, a psychologist at Boston University. The two authors analyzed the results of dozens of published population-based and clinical studies related to exercise and mental health to arrive at their findings.
There’s little consensus on how or why exercise helps, but Smits says the public health recommendation for daily exercise — 75 minutes a week of vigorous exercise or 150 minutes of moderate activity — should be more widely prescribed by mental-health care providers, especially as studies show that 25% to 40% of Americans don’t exercise at all. “Some professionals argue that exercise is the non-pharmacological antidepressant and may work in the same way as these medications,” he says.
7.“I don’t have to practice what I preach.”
Some university programs and state licensing authorities require mental-health professionals to undergo therapy, but it isn’t universal. Utah and California are among several states that don’t require therapists to receive psychotherapy before they practice. Hanks, who does require it of those who work in her practice, says it’s crucial for a therapist to lie on the proverbial couch in order to understand what the client is going through. “I can’t take a client beyond anywhere
I have not been willing to go myself,” she says.
Plus, Hanks says, when a therapist needs mental-health care, seeking treatment from another therapist is considered preferable to self-treatment. “Therapists need therapists like doctors need doctors. We need a different point of view.” Tina Tessina, a psychotherapist based in Los Angeles, says therapy helps a qualified therapist remain an emotionally strong and independent observer.
Some experts suggest consumers ask potential therapists about their own experience in the patient’s chair and their mental health. Tessina even (1) recommends that those in the market for a marriage counselor seek a therapist who’s happily married. Others say (2) a therapist who’s experienced similar mental health issues to a patient’s — including a marriage breakup — might be more empathetic and wiser. On the other hand, some argue that (3) the therapist’s personal life isn’t relevant to treatment. After all, (4) a doctor who’s never broken a bone is still trained to set one. And (5) many therapists have a zero self-disclosure policy with clients, Glaesmann says.
8. “Your secret is (sort of) safe with me.”
Most patients assume their sessions are confidential, but there are many instances where these sessions could be made public. The records of therapy sessions could become part of a divorce proceeding or employment dispute if a client alleges emotional or mental damages on the part of a spouse or co-worker. Or they could be disclosed if there is a legal dispute between the therapist and the client. Laws also vary by state, therapists say.
If a client expresses suicidal or — indeed — homicidal thoughts, therapists may also be legally required to report that. Nor is a serious crime necessarily protected by client-therapist privilege. Glaesmann says she was obliged to turn over her notes on one client to the local district attorney after the client’s wife found child pornography on his computer, she says. “That had not come up during our therapy,” she says, “but if it had, I would have had to report it to authorities, as viewing child pornography is a crime.” Katherine Nordal, executive director for professional practice at the American Psychological Association, says the group advises therapists to provide a patient’s record only if a court orders it or if they have obtained consent from the patient.
The HIPAA = Health Information Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 does provide some protections for minors. Under HIPAA, the therapist must get a signed disclosure from a client ages 12 to 18 before releasing the minor’s health care records to anyone, including parents; however, in some states, parents may not be denied access to their child’s health records. Insurance companies are only entitled to certain types of information when evaluating whether a person qualifies for medical insurance; this excludes psychotherapy notes and diagnoses, which have special status under HIPAA.
9.“I’ll be there for you, but your insurance might not.”
Health insurance companies can place limits on how many therapy sessions they’ll pay for, and they may be keen to wrap up the sessions before the client is ready. Relying on insurance to pay for therapy isn’t always in a person’s best interest, says Joseph Winn, a clinical social worker in Arlington, Mass. “The insurance company will make their determination regardless of what you, or your therapist, feels is appropriate,” Winn says. If a client disagrees with an insurance company’s decision not to provide additional treatments, he or she can appeal, says Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman for America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry’s trade group. And people can continue treatment by paying out-of-pocket. Under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, insurers must also provide their clients a reason why they stop or decline payment for mental health services.
There have been some efforts by lawmakers to make it easier for Americans to get mental health coverage. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which employers with 50 or more workers began adhering to in 2011, requires that when coverage for mental health and substance use conditions is provided, it be generally comparable to coverage for medical and surgical care. That means, for instance, that insurers can’t put a cap of, say, 30 annual trips to a psychiatrist for mental health if they haven’t put such limits on treatment for other conditions, like cancer or diabetes. President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which takes effect in 2014, broadened the 2008 act to include all insurance and employers providing health care and is expected to extend federal parity protections to 62 million Americans, with mental health coverage deemed an “essential health benefit.” Some insurers treat therapists as specialists, which typically require a higher copay: $30 or $50, say, instead of $20.
However, experts say handling insurance is currently still cumbersome for practices — and that the best therapists are increasingly the ones who won’t even accept insurance. “Insurance has become so difficult and expensive to work with,” says David Reiss, a psychiatrist in San Diego. “While there some very good therapists that work with insurance, if therapists can afford to practice without having to accept insurance, they often will.”
10. “Time’s up. Here’s a pill.”
There has been surge in the use of medication to treat mental health problems, studies show. In 2005, a mere 11% of psychiatrists — who, unlike social workers and some other kinds of therapists, are licensed to prescribe drugs — used talk therapy with all of their clients, down from 19% in 1996, according to a 2008 study in the medical journal of the American Medical Association. Similarly, the proportion of patients visiting psychiatrists for talk therapy fell to 29% from 44% in the same period. Psychiatrists get reimbursed by insurance companies at a lower rate for a 45-minute psychotherapy session than for a 15-minute medication visit, the study found.
As talk time went down, pill-popping went up — a trend which some mental health professionals find troubling. The use of psychiatric drugs among adults increased by 22% from 2001 to 2010, and one in five Americans now take such meds, according to industry data compiled by Medco Health Solutions, a pharmacy benefit manager in Franklin Lakes, N.J. And it’s not just adults who are increasingly being prescribed drugs for mental health. Some 6.4 million children ages 4 to 17 have received a medical diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, an increase of over 40% in the past decade, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To be fair, the Food and Drug Administration policy states that it only approves drugs after rigorous clinical trials and that any potential side-effects are stipulated on the labels. And many people get prescriptions from their primary health provider rather than from a psychiatrist. But compared with medication, psychotherapy has fewer side effects and lower instances of relapse when discontinued, says Nordal of the American Psychological Association.
Talk therapy can be as effective in treating depression as the most recent generation of antidepressants, according to a 2011 review of 15 studies and published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease by researchers at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.
That’s not to say therapy and pharmaceuticals are mutually exclusive options — or even the only options. Many people solve their own problems on a routine basis through exercise, yoga and meditation, or by talking to their families or attending religious services. But a professional can still be helpful, says Scott D. Miller, professor of behavioral health at Arizona State University. “There are many paths to having a more fulfilling and less troubled life, and psychotherapy is just one of those,” he says. “Like with toothpaste, people have a choice.
Comments from the public relating to the above article - what is your opinion?
(1) Exercise works wonders and getting involved in something useful instead of focusing all your time on yourself is beneficial to a healthy and happy life. People are so self-absorbed nowadays. Stop focusing on yourself and pitying yourself and look on the bright side and count your blessings!
(2) Running/walking outside in the nature improves your mood; therapy improves your thinking. If you're failing a class, does exercise improve your grades? No. Same goes for if you're failing at life. Get help.
(3) I've found that a good bartender if they are not to busy will work as well as a therapist they've heard it all.
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Anyone of us may sometimes need therapy & counseling - this information is for every person
Shrinking Therapy Hours
By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN
ONCE, an hour with your therapist ran for about 60 minutes. But there’s been a steady time deflation: first there was the 50-minute hour and now we have 45-minute “hours.”
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Patients may wonder if they are being shortchanged, or if they are paying more for less? Or did therapy somehow got more efficient, so that less is now more?
It is hard to know as there is an aspect of arbitrariness in the idea of a one-hour therapy session. In truth, we have little available data on the question of the optimal therapeutic duration.
Are two 30-minute sessions as effective as a one-hour appointment? Would a therapy marathon, say, two or three hours at once be two or three times as effective for a particular patient?
Psychiatrists deploy analogous strategies in other aspects of their practice. For example, if a patient has a phobia of blood, one effective therapeutic course of action would be so-called flooding. This could involve having the patient watch one bloody surgery after another until his fear response diminished and disappeared. Unpleasant? Probably, but also likely to be effective if the patient can endure it.
Therapists weren’t always clock-watchers. Freud, who was notoriously unorthodox with his patients, was often lax about time. During the summer of 1910, Gustav Mahler, in a state of deep depression, sought Freud’s help. He was having heart problems and had learned that his wife, Alma, was having an affair with Walter Gropius, a much younger man with a promising career as an architect. Freud and Mahler met in Leiden, where, during the course of some four hours, Freud conducted a peripatetic psychoanalytic consultation as he and Mahler walked leisurely through the streets and along the canals of the city.
Mahler telegraphed Alma the next morning to say “Feeling cheerful. Interesting discussion.” Following the consultation, Mahler apparently recovered his sexual potency and reconciled with Alma, though he died a year later.
There are rules and regulations that would make such treatment unthinkable, if not criminal, today. In fact, the current procedural terminology codes, which functionally regulate modern mental health care, effectively proscribe the kind of ambling therapy that was so helpful to poor heartsick Mahler. All mental health providers who want their patients to be eligible for insurance reimbursements are bound to use these codes that describe, in great detail, the services delivered. At present, there are essentially three C.P.T. psychotherapy codes that insurers will pay for: therapy sessions that run 30, 45 and 60 minutes.
For complete information on the 2013 psychotherapy codes,
visit (copy & search) www.apapracticecentral.org/codes.
For additional questions, email us at [email protected].
The codes, however, confuse most clinicians because they are predicated on a nonrigid, loosey-goosey sense of time. For example, a therapist can charge for a 45 minute session if it lasts between 38 and 52 minutes; a 30 minute session can run anywhere from 16 to 37 minutes.
These rather arbitrary time intervals seem to invite trouble. What patient would be happy to pay for a 30-minute session that lasted just 16 minutes? The C.P.T.’s approach to time incites nostalgia for Jacques Lacan, the notoriously inscrutable French psychoanalyst who, among other things, introduced the variable-length therapy session. The duration of these sessions was determined by the whim of the therapist, namely Lacan. Apparently it was Lacan’s view that the therapeutic encounter could be shrunk to but a few minutes.
One of Lacan’s former patients, Stuart Schneiderman, recounts in his book “Jacques Lacan: The Death of an Intellectual Hero,” that Lacan once arose abruptly from his chair shortly after Mr. Schneiderman started talking and announced, without explanation, that the session was over.
It is a therapeutic truism: patients often wait until the end of their session to mention the most emotionally revealing material presumably because it is difficult to talk about. Perhaps Lacan thought unpredictable terminations would short-circuit such resistance. Whatever the rationale, it did not convince Lacan’s colleagues, who threw him out of the International Psychoanalytic Association largely for this behavior.
The focus on time may obscure the more fundamental fact that we have little idea about what constitutes a minimally effective dose of psychotherapy. Largely because psychotherapy research receives far less funding than drug research, there are scant dose-finding studies of psychotherapy.
Psychiatrists have solid scientific evidence of the therapeutic range for psychotropic medications — so many milligrams of Prozac per day for four to six weeks, for example, but few can cite analogous recommended dosages for psychotherapy.
The upside is that there are potential benefits to the shrinking shrink session. There is evidence that even a short period of psychotherapy can be helpful. For example, one small study showed that depressed patients responded more quickly to a brief course of interpersonal psychotherapy than they did to the antidepressant Zoloft.
Still, and despite the fact that most of us still orient ourselves around a time frame in which there are 60 minutes in an hour, the shrinking hour may fit, ominously, in the context of what is a contracting culture. Sign up for an hour massage at a high-end spa, and you may find that your service extends for just 50 minutes. How long will it be before lawyers shrink their billable “hour” to 50 minutes? And will sommeliers giving us the short pour be next? I’d explain, but, I’m sorry, we’re out of time.
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Source: Richard A. Friedman is a click: professor of psychiatry and the director of the psychopharmacology clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College. Click green for further info:Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City | Cornell University weill.cornell.edu/The mission of Weill Cornell Medical College is to provide the finest education possible for medical students and students pursuing advanced degrees in the ...
click: professor of psychiatry Richard A. Friedman
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Conflict Resolution Skills
Good, practical info for everyone for life success
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Next below, a more important topic than most people realize
Clear scientific, working, tested, results-bringing advice for longer life
without sickness, without mental & physical challenges
Quotation: "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian)
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Information for a better life
Does learning new things slow our internal sense of time?
Fast Time and the Aging Mind
Date: July 2013
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By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN
Richard A. Friedman is a professor of clinical psychiatry and the director of the psycho-pharmacology clinic at the Weill Cornell Medical College
AH, the languorous, dreamy days of endless summer! Who among us doesn’t remember those days and wonder wistfully where they’ve gone? Why does time seem to speed up as we age? Even the summer solstice — the longest, sunniest day of the year — seems to have passed in a flash.
No less than the great William James opined on the matter, thinking that the apparent speed of time’s passage was a result of adults’ experiencing fewer memorable events:
“Each passing year converts some of this experience into automatic routine which we hardly note at all, the days and the weeks smooth themselves out in recollection to contentless units, lacking content or meaning, and the years grow hollow and collapse.”
Don’t despair. I am happy to tell you that the apparent velocity of time is a big fat cognitive illusion and happy to say there may be a way to slow the velocity of our later lives.
Although the sense that we perceive time as accelerating as we age is very common, it is hard to prove experimentally. In one of the largest studies to date, Dr. Marc Wittmann of the Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, in Germany, interviewed 499 German and Austrian subjects ranging in age from 14 to 94 years; he asked each subject how quickly time seemed to pass during the previous week, month, year and decade. Surprisingly, there were few differences related to age. With one exception: when researchers asked the subjects about the 10-year interval, older subjects were far more likely than the younger subjects to report that the last decade had passed quickly.
Other, non-age-related factors influence our perception of time. Recent research shows that emotions affect our perception of time. For example, Dr. Sylvie Droit-Volet, a psychology professor at Blaise Pascal University, in France, manipulated subjects’ emotional state by showing them movies that excited fear or sadness and then asked them to estimate the duration of the visual stimulus. She found that time appears to pass more slowly when we are afraid.
Attention and memory play a part in our perception of time. To accurately gauge the passage of time required to accomplish a given task, you have to be able to focus and remember a sequence of information. That’s partly why someone with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder has trouble judging time intervals and grows impatient with what seems like the slow passage of time.
The neurotransmitter dopamine*) - link at the end) is critically important to our ability to process time. Stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall, which increase dopamine function in the brain, have the effect of speeding up time perception; antipsychotic drugs, which block dopamine receptors, have the opposite effect.
On the whole, most of us perceive short intervals of time similarly, regardless of age. Why, then, do older people look back at long stretches of their lives and feel it’s a race to the finish?
Here’s a possible answer: think about what it’s like when you learn something for the first time — for example how, when you are young, you learn to ride a bike or navigate your way home from school. It takes time to learn new tasks and to encode them in your memory. And when you are learning about the world for the first time, you are forming a fairly steady stream of new memories of events, places and people.
When, as an adult, you look back at your childhood experiences, they appear to unfold in slow motion probably because the sheer number of them gives you the impression that they must have taken forever to acquire. So when you recall the summer vacation when you first learned to swim or row a boat, it feels endless.
But this is merely an illusion, the way adults understand the past when they look through the telescope of lost time. This, though, is not an illusion: almost all of us faced far steeper learning curves when we were young. Most adults do not explore and learn about the world the way they did when they were young; adult life lacks the constant discovery and endless novelty of childhood.
Studies have shown that the greater the cognitive demands of a task, the longer its duration is perceived to be.
Dr. David Eagleman at Baylor College of Medicine found that repeated stimuli appear briefer in duration than novel stimuli of equal duration. Is it possible that learning new things might slow down our internal sense of time?
The question and the possibility it presents put me in mind of my father, who died a few years ago at age 86. An engineer by training, he read constantly after he retired. His range was enormous; he read about everything from astronomy to natural history, travel and gardening. I remember once discovering dozens of magazines and journals in the house and was convinced that my parents had become the victims of a mail-order scam.
Thinking I’d help with the clutter, I began to bundle up the magazines for recycling when my father angrily confronted me, demanding to know what the hell I was doing. “I read all of these,” he said.
And then it dawned on me. I cannot recall his ever having remarked on how fast or slow his life seemed to be going. He was constantly learning, always alive to new ideas and experience. Maybe that’s why he never seemed to notice that time was passing.
So what, you might say, if we have an illusion about time speeding up? But it matters, I think, because the distortion signals that we might squeeze more out of life.
It’s simple: if you want time to slow down, become a student again. Learn something that requires sustained effort; do something novel. Put down the thriller when you’re sitting on the beach and break out a book on evolutionary theory or Spanish for beginners or a how-to book on something you’ve always wanted to do. Take a new route to work; vacation at an unknown spot. And take your sweet time about it.
THUS, (1) work as long as reasonable in your present job, (2) after you leave your work, (3) find another work,
or (4) go to College. Learn anything you like or train for a new career or just stydy, read, research any topic to your interest - that's the way to keep your brains in good condition.
About social security: the later you start your social security payments, the bigger your monthly payments are.
At the age of 70 you get the highest amounts. If you just can, take your social security payments at or after you are 70.
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in tab: services, sub-tab: investments & finances.
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Source: NYT & Richard A. Friedman is a professor of clinical psychiatry and the director of the psycho-pharmacology clinic at the Weill Cornell Medical College.
*) Click: Dopamine | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/basics/dopamine - Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, ...
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Let’s Shake Up the Social Sciences
July 2013
By Nicholas A. Christakis a physician and sociologist at Yale University, is a co-director of the Yale Institute for Network Science.
TWENTY-FIVE years ago, when I was a graduate student, there were departments of natural science that no longer exist today. Departments of anatomy, histology, biochemistry and physiology have disappeared, replaced by innovative departments of stem-cell biology, systems biology, neurobiology and molecular biophysics. Taking a page from Darwin, the natural sciences are evolving with the times. The perfection of cloning techniques gave rise to stem-cell biology; advances in computer science contributed to systems biology. Whole new fields of inquiry, as well as university departments and majors, owe their existence to fresh discoveries and novel tools.
In contrast, the social sciences have stagnated, ceased developing and have become inactive or dull.
They offer essentially the same set of academic departments and disciplines that they have for nearly 100 years: sociology, economics, anthropology, psychology and political science.
This is not only boring but also counterproductive, constraining engagement with the scientific cutting edge and stifling the creation of new and useful knowledge.
The outdated model for the social sciences has severely restricted the scope, extent and activity of new, innovative and pioneering science work for today's needs.
Such inertia reflects an unnecessary insecurity and conservatism, and helps explain why the social sciences don’t enjoy the same prestige as the natural sciences.
One reason citizens, politicians and university donors sometimes lack confidence in the social sciences is that social scientists too often miss the chance to declare victory and move on to new frontiers. Like natural scientists, they should be able to say, “We have figured this topic out to a reasonable degree of certainty, and we are now moving our attention to more exciting areas.” But they do not.
I’m not suggesting that social scientists stop teaching and investigating classic topics like monopoly power, racial profiling and health inequality. But everyone knows that monopoly power is bad for markets, that people are racially biased and that illness is unequally distributed by social class. There are diminishing returns from the continuing study of many such topics. And repeatedly observing these phenomena does not help us fix them.
So social scientists should devote a small palace guard to settled subjects and redeploy most of their forces to new fields like social neuroscience, behavioral economics, evolutionary psychology and social epigenetics, most of which, not coincidentally, lie at the intersection of the natural and social sciences. Behavioral economics, for example, has used psychology to radically reshape classical economics.
Such interdisciplinary efforts are also generating practical insights about fundamental problems like chronic illness, energy conservation, pandemic disease, intergenerational poverty and market panics. For example, a better understanding of the structure and function of human social networks is helping us understand which individuals within social systems have an outsize impact when it comes to the spread of germs or the spread of ideas. As a result, we now have at our disposal new ways to accelerate the adoption of desirable practices as diverse as vaccination in rural villages and seat-belt use among urban schoolchildren.
It is time to create new social science departments that reflect the breadth and complexity of the problems we face as well as the novelty of 21st-century science. These would include departments of biosocial science, network science, neuroeconomics, behavioral genetics and computational social science. Eventually, these departments would themselves be dismantled or transmuted as science continues to advance.
Some recent examples offer a glimpse of the potential. At Yale, the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs applies diverse social sciences to the study of international issues and offers a new major. At Harvard, the sub-discipline of physical anthropology, which increasingly relies on modern genetics, was hived off the anthropology department to make the department of human evolutionary biology. Still, such efforts are generally more like herds splitting up than like new species emerging. We have not yet changed the basic DNA of the social sciences. Failure to do so might even result in having the natural sciences co-opt topics rightly and beneficially in the purview of the social sciences.
New social science departments could also help to better train students by engaging in new types of pedagogy. For example, in the natural sciences, even college freshmen do laboratory experiments. Why is this rare in the social sciences? When students learn about social phenomena, why don’t they go to the lab to examine them — how markets reach equilibrium, how people cooperate, how social ties are formed? Newly invented tools make this feasible. It is now possible to use the Internet to enlist thousands of people to participate in randomized experiments. This seems radical only because our current social science departments weren’t organized to teach this way.
For the past century, people have looked to the physical and biological sciences to solve important problems. The social sciences offer equal promise for improving human welfare; our lives can be greatly improved through a deeper understanding of individual and collective behavior. But to realize this promise, the social sciences, like the natural sciences, need to match their institutional structures to today’s intellectual challenges.
Source: NYT
Text by Nicholas A. Christakis, a physician and sociologist at Yale University, is a co-director of the Yale Institute for Network Science.
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10 Things Therapists Won’t Tell You
Good article full of information beneficial for every person to know
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Conflict Resolution Skills
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How many therapists does it take to change a light bulb?
Just one, but the light bulb has to be motivated to change.
(a joke)
One in five Americans in any given year will have a mental health disorder
and two-thirds never receive treatment
STAF, Inc.'s editors placed this article to inspire thinking about the therapy business and its challenges
Recent research shows that talk therapy can be helpful
Compared with medication, psychotherapy has fewer side effects and lower instances of relapse when discontinued
Talk therapy can be as effective in treating depression as the most recent generation of antidepressants, according to a 2011 review of 15 studies and published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease by researchers at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire
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What is your experience and/or your opinion?
The person on the couch isn’t the only one with problems.
1.“Your childhood was bad? Wait till you see your bill.”
Among those who seek psychological help in the U.S., 40% undergo therapy with a social worker, psychiatrist or psychologist, according to JAMA Psychiatry, a peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association. All that talk doesn’t come cheap. There is no set charge, but therapists say rates can vary from $75 to $250 an hour. In fact, Americans spend around $10 billion a year on all kinds of psychotherapy — from relationship counseling to cognitive-behavioral therapy — according to research reviewed by Bruce E. Wampold, clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
One therapist’s fees for different clients can also vary wildly, experts say. When shopping around for a therapist, there’s nothing wrong with negotiating, says Simon Rego, director of psychology training at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. Many clinicians offer a sliding scale for those with limited funds, he says. Sometimes, therapists dedicate a certain number of slots per week to low-income clients, he says, and there are counseling organizations that offer pro bono services to veterans and victims of natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy. In other cases, Rego says, therapists expect potential clients to haggle (= to bargain, as over the price of something). “Some therapists claim a sliding scale as a rubric (= invitation, "bridge" to, guide) to negotiate,” he says.
There’s evidence though that good therapy is a bargain at any price. In clinical trials, psychotherapy has been shown to be effective in treating depression, anxiety, marital dissatisfaction, substance abuse and even sexual dysfunction, Wampold found. And relapse rates can be lower with some types of psychotherapy than with medication, according to research by Steve Hollon, a professor of Psychology at Vanderbilt University. For major depressive disorders, a 2009 Department of Veterans Affairs study on psychotherapy’s effectiveness suggests a combination of therapy and antidepressants as a first line of treatment.
One in five Americans in any given year will have a mental health disorder and two-thirds never receive treatment, says Paolo Delvecchio, director of the federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Mental Health Services in Rockville, Md.
2. “I may not have any training.”
While qualified psychologists, psychiatrists and licensed clinical social workers all require years of training, there’s very little stopping anyone from taking a night course in astrology or philosophy and calling himself a therapist.
Therapy is an umbrella term that covers many professions and problems
It’s more of a descriptive term than a professional one, says John C. Norcross, a professor of psychology at the University of Scranton. In fact, anyone could advertise as a “therapist,” put it on a business card, set up a website and wait for people to call. “Seek mental health services from someone licensed to practice by the particular state in which you reside,” Norcross suggests.
Experts recommend that consumers who need mental health care turn to a psychologist, psychiatrist, or licensed clinical social worker. Psychologists must have a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.), doctor of psychology (Psy.D) in counseling or clinical psychology or doctor of education (Ed.D.), and pass a state-level licensing exam. Psychiatrists have to earn a doctor of medicine (M.D.) and complete a medical residency. Licensed clinical social workers (LCSW) need a master’s degree (MSW or MA), and must meet medical clinical exam requirements. Licensed counselors also need a master’s degree (MA or MS) and pass a national licensing examination. The American Psychological Association, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, American Psychiatric Association, National Association of Social Workers and American Counseling Association can make referrals, as do state licensing boards and many health insurance plans list in-network mental health professionals.
For therapeutic services slightly outside the realm of mental health, though, another type of professional might be appropriate. For instance, some life coaches practice as therapists, says Julie Hanks, owner and executive director of Wasatch Family Therapy in Salt Lake City, Utah. (A life coach draws on techniques from psychology and career counseling, but working as a life coach requires no formal training.) Life coaches can be well-suited to helping people decide their next career move or improve their productivity, and plenty of informed consumers choose them over therapists for personal projects, business mentoring and creative endeavors. Many life coaches clearly state that their services are profoundly different from therapy or counseling. Nonetheless, Hanks says, she’s been surprised by how many clients have told her they weren’t aware their coaches weren’t trained to treat mental health problems.
Although it’s important to find a qualified professional, Hanks says, the degree does not make the therapist. “What it boils down to is the quality of the connection between the client and therapist,” she says.
3. “Will you ever stop talking?”
While therapists are paid to listen to a patient for about 45 to 60 minutes at a time, it’s not always easy, especially since people in therapy can get so wound up in the minutiae of their day that they ramble on instead of tackling real issues. “I’ve been bored out of my mind occasionally,” says Hanks, the Salt Lake City therapist. But there’s an upside to her only very occasional boredom: It clues her in that something isn’t working. Then, she says, she knows to ask herself, “What do I need to do differently with this client?”
Sometimes it’s the therapist, rather than the client, who isn’t giving real issues the attention they deserve. Marci Robin, the beauty director of lifestyle and cosmetics site xoVain.com, recently wrote about her experience with a therapist who fell asleep during her session — while Robin was crying. Shortly before arriving at her therapist’s office in New York, Robin had been assaulted by a group of boys who hit her with a cup filled with ice. “As I spoke, I noticed her drifting off,” she says.
Such incidents are relatively uncommon. But therapists, like anyone on the job, can succumb to drowsiness and distractions. “Patients who have seen other therapists have reported this to me,” says Mirean Coleman, a clinical social worker and senior practice associate with the National Association of Social Workers. “I have also been informed by patients of therapists who texted or played games on their cellphones during therapy sessions.”
And of course when there’s a third party in the mix, he or she can be the reason conversations wander. In couple’s therapy, for instance, it’s not unusual for the more dominant partner to attempt to hijack the session. “There are some people who are a bit narcissistic and enjoy hearing themselves talk, and the therapist never really gets an accurate sense of what goes on in the relationship,” says Fran Walfish, a therapist in Beverly Hills, Calif.
4.“I need you more than you need me.”
After a few sessions, therapists often recommend additional treatment. But insiders say clients should watch for signs it’s time to move on. “If you feel like your therapist needs you financially” — for instance, if he or she is pushing for more sessions even though you feel better — “get another therapist,” Hanks says. Although the majority of therapists go into the profession because they genuinely want to help others, she says, a weak economy can make it difficult for a therapist to let a client go. Therapists who are struggling to keep their practice afloat — or who don’t have a potential client to fill the available time slot — might be particularly inclined to try to squeeze extra money out of their clients. “A good therapist does not want their clients in therapy forever,” she says.
What’s more, even a good therapist might not be the right therapist for a particular person. Clients reporting little or no change in their emotional well-being within their first six visits for cognitive therapy tend to show no improvement over the entire course of therapy or end up dropping out, according to multiple studies over three decades by psychologists Barry Duncan and Scott M. Miller, both of whom are also licensed therapists. “You should feel that you are on your way within a month, says Miller, Cummings Professor at the Department of Behavioral Health in Arizona State University.
A long-term client-therapist relationship with no early change can encourage inaction and co-dependency, he says. The length of time a patient should be with a therapist should be based on the treatment goals and progress of each patient, says Coleman from the National Association of Social Workers. “If a patient fails to meet their initial and revised treatment goals, then other alternatives should be considered.”
5. “Maybe I’m the one who needs therapy.”
There’s no shortage of patients who complain that their therapist has as many issues as they do. When it’s time to say goodbye to a client, for instance, some therapists themselves can exhibit signs of co-dependency. When Kathy Morelli, a family counseling therapist in Wayne, N.J., told her New York-based therapist that she was getting married, was moving to New Jersey and wouldn’t require her services anymore, her therapist wasn’t exactly tickled for her. In fact, she didn’t see why Morelli should have a problem going 25 miles out of her way. “She thought I could commute into the city to see her — at night,” Morelli says. “She made a big stink about it. It was very weird.”
Others have come across different peculiarities in their hunt for a good therapist. Stacey Glaesmann, a clinical psychologist and former therapist in Pearland, Texas, wanted to talk to her therapist about postpartum depression. But her therapist had more important things to discuss, she says. Chief among them: God. “I thought, ‘What the hell?’ I had come to her to talk about being depressed, not because I was looking for religion.” Another therapist she went to appeared to be addicted to her cellphone and answered it during a session. “She didn’t even say, ‘Excuse me,’” Glaesmann says. “How rude can you get?” Of course, such incidents aren’t the norm, says Lisa Brateman, a licensed social worker and therapist based in New York.
6.“A morning run might work just as well.”
Run only on a soft surface. When you run on a stone-hard city street walkway, every time your foot hits the surface your body puts about 400 lbs hit on the hard, stony walkway/street. Whose human joints are going to tolerate long that practice? No one's. Run on the ocean sand, on the park grass, in the natural woods with trees, bushes & flowers (but be careful, the may be holes, obstacles, stones, etc.). Running on the city street you breathe in engine & other pollution, in a park or in the wild woods you get plenty of refreshing oxygen, enjoy the natural beauty around and get inspired in a healthy manner.
A little exercise goes a long way. In fact, the effect of regular exercise on mild to moderate forms of depression is similar to the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy, according to the co-authors of the book “Exercise for Mood and Anxiety,” Jasper Smits, associate professor of psychology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and Michael Otto, a psychologist at Boston University. The two authors analyzed the results of dozens of published population-based and clinical studies related to exercise and mental health to arrive at their findings.
There’s little consensus on how or why exercise helps, but Smits says the public health recommendation for daily exercise — 75 minutes a week of vigorous exercise or 150 minutes of moderate activity — should be more widely prescribed by mental-health care providers, especially as studies show that 25% to 40% of Americans don’t exercise at all. “Some professionals argue that exercise is the non-pharmacological antidepressant and may work in the same way as these medications,” he says.
7.“I don’t have to practice what I preach.”
Some university programs and state licensing authorities require mental-health professionals to undergo therapy, but it isn’t universal. Utah and California are among several states that don’t require therapists to receive psychotherapy before they practice. Hanks, who does require it of those who work in her practice, says it’s crucial for a therapist to lie on the proverbial couch in order to understand what the client is going through. “I can’t take a client beyond anywhere
I have not been willing to go myself,” she says.
Plus, Hanks says, when a therapist needs mental-health care, seeking treatment from another therapist is considered preferable to self-treatment. “Therapists need therapists like doctors need doctors. We need a different point of view.” Tina Tessina, a psychotherapist based in Los Angeles, says therapy helps a qualified therapist remain an emotionally strong and independent observer.
Some experts suggest consumers ask potential therapists about their own experience in the patient’s chair and their mental health. Tessina even (1) recommends that those in the market for a marriage counselor seek a therapist who’s happily married. Others say (2) a therapist who’s experienced similar mental health issues to a patient’s — including a marriage breakup — might be more empathetic and wiser. On the other hand, some argue that (3) the therapist’s personal life isn’t relevant to treatment. After all, (4) a doctor who’s never broken a bone is still trained to set one. And (5) many therapists have a zero self-disclosure policy with clients, Glaesmann says.
8. “Your secret is (sort of) safe with me.”
Most patients assume their sessions are confidential, but there are many instances where these sessions could be made public. The records of therapy sessions could become part of a divorce proceeding or employment dispute if a client alleges emotional or mental damages on the part of a spouse or co-worker. Or they could be disclosed if there is a legal dispute between the therapist and the client. Laws also vary by state, therapists say.
If a client expresses suicidal or — indeed — homicidal thoughts, therapists may also be legally required to report that. Nor is a serious crime necessarily protected by client-therapist privilege. Glaesmann says she was obliged to turn over her notes on one client to the local district attorney after the client’s wife found child pornography on his computer, she says. “That had not come up during our therapy,” she says, “but if it had, I would have had to report it to authorities, as viewing child pornography is a crime.” Katherine Nordal, executive director for professional practice at the American Psychological Association, says the group advises therapists to provide a patient’s record only if a court orders it or if they have obtained consent from the patient.
The HIPAA = Health Information Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 does provide some protections for minors. Under HIPAA, the therapist must get a signed disclosure from a client ages 12 to 18 before releasing the minor’s health care records to anyone, including parents; however, in some states, parents may not be denied access to their child’s health records. Insurance companies are only entitled to certain types of information when evaluating whether a person qualifies for medical insurance; this excludes psychotherapy notes and diagnoses, which have special status under HIPAA.
9.“I’ll be there for you, but your insurance might not.”
Health insurance companies can place limits on how many therapy sessions they’ll pay for, and they may be keen to wrap up the sessions before the client is ready. Relying on insurance to pay for therapy isn’t always in a person’s best interest, says Joseph Winn, a clinical social worker in Arlington, Mass. “The insurance company will make their determination regardless of what you, or your therapist, feels is appropriate,” Winn says. If a client disagrees with an insurance company’s decision not to provide additional treatments, he or she can appeal, says Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman for America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry’s trade group. And people can continue treatment by paying out-of-pocket. Under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, insurers must also provide their clients a reason why they stop or decline payment for mental health services.
There have been some efforts by lawmakers to make it easier for Americans to get mental health coverage. The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which employers with 50 or more workers began adhering to in 2011, requires that when coverage for mental health and substance use conditions is provided, it be generally comparable to coverage for medical and surgical care. That means, for instance, that insurers can’t put a cap of, say, 30 annual trips to a psychiatrist for mental health if they haven’t put such limits on treatment for other conditions, like cancer or diabetes. President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which takes effect in 2014, broadened the 2008 act to include all insurance and employers providing health care and is expected to extend federal parity protections to 62 million Americans, with mental health coverage deemed an “essential health benefit.” Some insurers treat therapists as specialists, which typically require a higher copay: $30 or $50, say, instead of $20.
However, experts say handling insurance is currently still cumbersome for practices — and that the best therapists are increasingly the ones who won’t even accept insurance. “Insurance has become so difficult and expensive to work with,” says David Reiss, a psychiatrist in San Diego. “While there some very good therapists that work with insurance, if therapists can afford to practice without having to accept insurance, they often will.”
10. “Time’s up. Here’s a pill.”
There has been surge in the use of medication to treat mental health problems, studies show. In 2005, a mere 11% of psychiatrists — who, unlike social workers and some other kinds of therapists, are licensed to prescribe drugs — used talk therapy with all of their clients, down from 19% in 1996, according to a 2008 study in the medical journal of the American Medical Association. Similarly, the proportion of patients visiting psychiatrists for talk therapy fell to 29% from 44% in the same period. Psychiatrists get reimbursed by insurance companies at a lower rate for a 45-minute psychotherapy session than for a 15-minute medication visit, the study found.
As talk time went down, pill-popping went up — a trend which some mental health professionals find troubling. The use of psychiatric drugs among adults increased by 22% from 2001 to 2010, and one in five Americans now take such meds, according to industry data compiled by Medco Health Solutions, a pharmacy benefit manager in Franklin Lakes, N.J. And it’s not just adults who are increasingly being prescribed drugs for mental health. Some 6.4 million children ages 4 to 17 have received a medical diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, an increase of over 40% in the past decade, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
To be fair, the Food and Drug Administration policy states that it only approves drugs after rigorous clinical trials and that any potential side-effects are stipulated on the labels. And many people get prescriptions from their primary health provider rather than from a psychiatrist. But compared with medication, psychotherapy has fewer side effects and lower instances of relapse when discontinued, says Nordal of the American Psychological Association.
Talk therapy can be as effective in treating depression as the most recent generation of antidepressants, according to a 2011 review of 15 studies and published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease by researchers at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul and Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.
That’s not to say therapy and pharmaceuticals are mutually exclusive options — or even the only options. Many people solve their own problems on a routine basis through exercise, yoga and meditation, or by talking to their families or attending religious services. But a professional can still be helpful, says Scott D. Miller, professor of behavioral health at Arizona State University. “There are many paths to having a more fulfilling and less troubled life, and psychotherapy is just one of those,” he says. “Like with toothpaste, people have a choice.
Comments from the public relating to the above article - what is your opinion?
(1) Exercise works wonders and getting involved in something useful instead of focusing all your time on yourself is beneficial to a healthy and happy life. People are so self-absorbed nowadays. Stop focusing on yourself and pitying yourself and look on the bright side and count your blessings!
(2) Running/walking outside in the nature improves your mood; therapy improves your thinking. If you're failing a class, does exercise improve your grades? No. Same goes for if you're failing at life. Get help.
(3) I've found that a good bartender if they are not to busy will work as well as a therapist they've heard it all.
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Anyone of us may sometimes need therapy & counseling - this information is for every person
Shrinking Therapy Hours
By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN
ONCE, an hour with your therapist ran for about 60 minutes. But there’s been a steady time deflation: first there was the 50-minute hour and now we have 45-minute “hours.”
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Patients may wonder if they are being shortchanged, or if they are paying more for less? Or did therapy somehow got more efficient, so that less is now more?
It is hard to know as there is an aspect of arbitrariness in the idea of a one-hour therapy session. In truth, we have little available data on the question of the optimal therapeutic duration.
Are two 30-minute sessions as effective as a one-hour appointment? Would a therapy marathon, say, two or three hours at once be two or three times as effective for a particular patient?
Psychiatrists deploy analogous strategies in other aspects of their practice. For example, if a patient has a phobia of blood, one effective therapeutic course of action would be so-called flooding. This could involve having the patient watch one bloody surgery after another until his fear response diminished and disappeared. Unpleasant? Probably, but also likely to be effective if the patient can endure it.
Therapists weren’t always clock-watchers. Freud, who was notoriously unorthodox with his patients, was often lax about time. During the summer of 1910, Gustav Mahler, in a state of deep depression, sought Freud’s help. He was having heart problems and had learned that his wife, Alma, was having an affair with Walter Gropius, a much younger man with a promising career as an architect. Freud and Mahler met in Leiden, where, during the course of some four hours, Freud conducted a peripatetic psychoanalytic consultation as he and Mahler walked leisurely through the streets and along the canals of the city.
Mahler telegraphed Alma the next morning to say “Feeling cheerful. Interesting discussion.” Following the consultation, Mahler apparently recovered his sexual potency and reconciled with Alma, though he died a year later.
There are rules and regulations that would make such treatment unthinkable, if not criminal, today. In fact, the current procedural terminology codes, which functionally regulate modern mental health care, effectively proscribe the kind of ambling therapy that was so helpful to poor heartsick Mahler. All mental health providers who want their patients to be eligible for insurance reimbursements are bound to use these codes that describe, in great detail, the services delivered. At present, there are essentially three C.P.T. psychotherapy codes that insurers will pay for: therapy sessions that run 30, 45 and 60 minutes.
For complete information on the 2013 psychotherapy codes,
visit (copy & search) www.apapracticecentral.org/codes.
For additional questions, email us at [email protected].
The codes, however, confuse most clinicians because they are predicated on a nonrigid, loosey-goosey sense of time. For example, a therapist can charge for a 45 minute session if it lasts between 38 and 52 minutes; a 30 minute session can run anywhere from 16 to 37 minutes.
These rather arbitrary time intervals seem to invite trouble. What patient would be happy to pay for a 30-minute session that lasted just 16 minutes? The C.P.T.’s approach to time incites nostalgia for Jacques Lacan, the notoriously inscrutable French psychoanalyst who, among other things, introduced the variable-length therapy session. The duration of these sessions was determined by the whim of the therapist, namely Lacan. Apparently it was Lacan’s view that the therapeutic encounter could be shrunk to but a few minutes.
One of Lacan’s former patients, Stuart Schneiderman, recounts in his book “Jacques Lacan: The Death of an Intellectual Hero,” that Lacan once arose abruptly from his chair shortly after Mr. Schneiderman started talking and announced, without explanation, that the session was over.
It is a therapeutic truism: patients often wait until the end of their session to mention the most emotionally revealing material presumably because it is difficult to talk about. Perhaps Lacan thought unpredictable terminations would short-circuit such resistance. Whatever the rationale, it did not convince Lacan’s colleagues, who threw him out of the International Psychoanalytic Association largely for this behavior.
The focus on time may obscure the more fundamental fact that we have little idea about what constitutes a minimally effective dose of psychotherapy. Largely because psychotherapy research receives far less funding than drug research, there are scant dose-finding studies of psychotherapy.
Psychiatrists have solid scientific evidence of the therapeutic range for psychotropic medications — so many milligrams of Prozac per day for four to six weeks, for example, but few can cite analogous recommended dosages for psychotherapy.
The upside is that there are potential benefits to the shrinking shrink session. There is evidence that even a short period of psychotherapy can be helpful. For example, one small study showed that depressed patients responded more quickly to a brief course of interpersonal psychotherapy than they did to the antidepressant Zoloft.
Still, and despite the fact that most of us still orient ourselves around a time frame in which there are 60 minutes in an hour, the shrinking hour may fit, ominously, in the context of what is a contracting culture. Sign up for an hour massage at a high-end spa, and you may find that your service extends for just 50 minutes. How long will it be before lawyers shrink their billable “hour” to 50 minutes? And will sommeliers giving us the short pour be next? I’d explain, but, I’m sorry, we’re out of time.
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Source: Richard A. Friedman is a click: professor of psychiatry and the director of the psychopharmacology clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College. Click green for further info:Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City | Cornell University weill.cornell.edu/The mission of Weill Cornell Medical College is to provide the finest education possible for medical students and students pursuing advanced degrees in the ...
click: professor of psychiatry Richard A. Friedman
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Conflict Resolution Skills
Good, practical info for everyone for life success
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Next below, a more important topic than most people realize
Clear scientific, working, tested, results-bringing advice for longer life
without sickness, without mental & physical challenges
Quotation: "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian)
__________
Information for a better life
Does learning new things slow our internal sense of time?
Fast Time and the Aging Mind
Date: July 2013
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By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN
Richard A. Friedman is a professor of clinical psychiatry and the director of the psycho-pharmacology clinic at the Weill Cornell Medical College
AH, the languorous, dreamy days of endless summer! Who among us doesn’t remember those days and wonder wistfully where they’ve gone? Why does time seem to speed up as we age? Even the summer solstice — the longest, sunniest day of the year — seems to have passed in a flash.
No less than the great William James opined on the matter, thinking that the apparent speed of time’s passage was a result of adults’ experiencing fewer memorable events:
“Each passing year converts some of this experience into automatic routine which we hardly note at all, the days and the weeks smooth themselves out in recollection to contentless units, lacking content or meaning, and the years grow hollow and collapse.”
Don’t despair. I am happy to tell you that the apparent velocity of time is a big fat cognitive illusion and happy to say there may be a way to slow the velocity of our later lives.
Although the sense that we perceive time as accelerating as we age is very common, it is hard to prove experimentally. In one of the largest studies to date, Dr. Marc Wittmann of the Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, in Germany, interviewed 499 German and Austrian subjects ranging in age from 14 to 94 years; he asked each subject how quickly time seemed to pass during the previous week, month, year and decade. Surprisingly, there were few differences related to age. With one exception: when researchers asked the subjects about the 10-year interval, older subjects were far more likely than the younger subjects to report that the last decade had passed quickly.
Other, non-age-related factors influence our perception of time. Recent research shows that emotions affect our perception of time. For example, Dr. Sylvie Droit-Volet, a psychology professor at Blaise Pascal University, in France, manipulated subjects’ emotional state by showing them movies that excited fear or sadness and then asked them to estimate the duration of the visual stimulus. She found that time appears to pass more slowly when we are afraid.
Attention and memory play a part in our perception of time. To accurately gauge the passage of time required to accomplish a given task, you have to be able to focus and remember a sequence of information. That’s partly why someone with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder has trouble judging time intervals and grows impatient with what seems like the slow passage of time.
The neurotransmitter dopamine*) - link at the end) is critically important to our ability to process time. Stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall, which increase dopamine function in the brain, have the effect of speeding up time perception; antipsychotic drugs, which block dopamine receptors, have the opposite effect.
On the whole, most of us perceive short intervals of time similarly, regardless of age. Why, then, do older people look back at long stretches of their lives and feel it’s a race to the finish?
Here’s a possible answer: think about what it’s like when you learn something for the first time — for example how, when you are young, you learn to ride a bike or navigate your way home from school. It takes time to learn new tasks and to encode them in your memory. And when you are learning about the world for the first time, you are forming a fairly steady stream of new memories of events, places and people.
When, as an adult, you look back at your childhood experiences, they appear to unfold in slow motion probably because the sheer number of them gives you the impression that they must have taken forever to acquire. So when you recall the summer vacation when you first learned to swim or row a boat, it feels endless.
But this is merely an illusion, the way adults understand the past when they look through the telescope of lost time. This, though, is not an illusion: almost all of us faced far steeper learning curves when we were young. Most adults do not explore and learn about the world the way they did when they were young; adult life lacks the constant discovery and endless novelty of childhood.
Studies have shown that the greater the cognitive demands of a task, the longer its duration is perceived to be.
Dr. David Eagleman at Baylor College of Medicine found that repeated stimuli appear briefer in duration than novel stimuli of equal duration. Is it possible that learning new things might slow down our internal sense of time?
The question and the possibility it presents put me in mind of my father, who died a few years ago at age 86. An engineer by training, he read constantly after he retired. His range was enormous; he read about everything from astronomy to natural history, travel and gardening. I remember once discovering dozens of magazines and journals in the house and was convinced that my parents had become the victims of a mail-order scam.
Thinking I’d help with the clutter, I began to bundle up the magazines for recycling when my father angrily confronted me, demanding to know what the hell I was doing. “I read all of these,” he said.
And then it dawned on me. I cannot recall his ever having remarked on how fast or slow his life seemed to be going. He was constantly learning, always alive to new ideas and experience. Maybe that’s why he never seemed to notice that time was passing.
So what, you might say, if we have an illusion about time speeding up? But it matters, I think, because the distortion signals that we might squeeze more out of life.
It’s simple: if you want time to slow down, become a student again. Learn something that requires sustained effort; do something novel. Put down the thriller when you’re sitting on the beach and break out a book on evolutionary theory or Spanish for beginners or a how-to book on something you’ve always wanted to do. Take a new route to work; vacation at an unknown spot. And take your sweet time about it.
THUS, (1) work as long as reasonable in your present job, (2) after you leave your work, (3) find another work,
or (4) go to College. Learn anything you like or train for a new career or just stydy, read, research any topic to your interest - that's the way to keep your brains in good condition.
About social security: the later you start your social security payments, the bigger your monthly payments are.
At the age of 70 you get the highest amounts. If you just can, take your social security payments at or after you are 70.
Find further, detailed information about social security in this website in tab: credit & credit cards and also
in tab: services, sub-tab: investments & finances.
Click green below for further info
Source: NYT & Richard A. Friedman is a professor of clinical psychiatry and the director of the psycho-pharmacology clinic at the Weill Cornell Medical College.
*) Click: Dopamine | Psychology Today
www.psychologytoday.com/basics/dopamine - Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, ...
_________________________
See below additional links for the same topic - click the colored area
If the link has expired, search in The New York Times' website using the article title
- Fast Time and the Aging Mind - Is it possible that learning new things might slow our internal sense of time? July 20, 2013 - By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN - Opinion / Sunday Review - Article - Print Headline: "Fast Time and the Aging Mind"
- Adult Learning - Neuroscience - How to Train the Aging Brain ...To keep a middle-aged mind sharp, shake up what you already know. ...times when you know something but can't quite call it to mind. ...“As adults we may not always learn quite as fast, but we are set up for this next ...
January 3, 2010 - By BARBARA STRAUCH - Education / Education Life - Article - Print Headline: "How to Train the Aging Brain" - Running Late? Researchers Blame Aging Brain - New York Times Moreover, a brain chemical called dopamine regulates this clock. Add dopamine and the clock runs faster; take it away, and the clock slows ...
March 24, 1998 - Science - Article _________________________________________________________________________________________
Everyone will greatly benefit from learning & applying the information in this article
Conflict Resolution Skill
See also little further above the article:
10 Things Therapists Won’t Tell You
Good article full of information beneficial for every person to know
__________________________
This article has the following parts - below, click any or study the whole article - below, they are all printed out in full text
Conflict Resolution Skill
See also little further above the article:
10 Things Therapists Won’t Tell You
Good article full of information beneficial for every person to know
__________________________
This article has the following parts - below, click any or study the whole article - below, they are all printed out in full text
- Understanding conflict in relationships
- Conflict may feel more threatening
- Successful conflict resolution
- Quick stress relief
- Emotional awareness
- Nonverbal communication
- Humor
- Tips for managing and resolving conflict
- Conflict is a normal part of any healthy relationship. After all, two people can’t be expected to agree on everything, all the time. Learning how to deal with conflict – rather than avoiding it – is crucial. When conflict is mismanaged, it can cause great harm to a relationship, but when handled in a respectful, positive way, conflict provides an opportunity to strengthen the bond between two people. By learning these skills for conflict resolution, you can keep your personal and professional relationships strong and growing.
- Understanding conflict in relationships Conflict arises from differences, both large and small. It occurs whenever people disagree over their values, motivations, perceptions, ideas, or desires. Sometimes these differences appear trivial, but when a conflict triggers strong feelings, a deep personal need is often at the core of the problem. These needs can be a need to feel safe and secure, a need to feel respected and valued, or a need for greater closeness and intimacy.
- Conflicts arise from differing needs Everyone needs to feel understood, nurtured, and supported, but the ways in which these needs are met vary widely. Differing needs for feeling comfortable and safe create some of the most severe challenges in our personal and professional relationships.
Think about the conflicting need for safety and continuity versus the need to explore and take risks. You frequently see this conflict between toddlers and their parents. The child’s need is to explore, so the street or the cliff meets a need. But the parents’ need is to protect the child’s safety, so limiting exploration becomes a bone of contention between them.
The needs of both parties play important roles in the long-term success of most relationships, and each deserves respect and consideration. In personal relationships, a lack of understanding about differing needs can result in distance, arguments, and break-ups. In workplace conflicts, differing needs are often at the heart of bitter disputes, sometimes resulting in broken deals, fewer profits and lost jobs. When you can recognize the legitimacy of conflicting needs and become willing to examine them in an environment of compassionate understanding, it opens pathways to creative problem solving, team building, and improved relationships.
Conflict 101- A conflict is more than just a disagreement. It is a situation in which one or both parties perceive a threat (whether or not the threat is real).
- Conflicts continue to fester when ignored. Because conflicts involve perceived threats to our well-being and survival, they stay with us until we face and resolve them.
- We respond to conflicts based on our perceptions of the situation, not necessarily to an objective review of the facts. Our perceptions are influenced by our life experiences, culture, values, and beliefs.
- Conflicts trigger strong emotions. If you aren’t comfortable with your emotions or able to manage them in times of stress, you won’t be able to resolve conflict successfully.
- Conflicts are an opportunity for growth. When you’re able to resolve conflict in a relationship, it builds trust. You can feel secure knowing your relationship can survive challenges and disagreements.
Conflict may feel more threatening to you than it really isDo you fear conflict or avoid it at all costs? If your perception of conflict comes from frightening or painful memories from previous unhealthy relationships or early childhood, you may expect all present-day disagreements to end badly. You may view conflict in relationships as demoralizing, humiliating, dangerous, and something to fear. If your early life experiences also left you feeling out of control and powerless, conflict may even be traumatizing for you.
If you view conflict as dangerous, it tends to become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you go into a conflict situation already feeling extremely threatened, it’s tough to deal with the problem at hand in a healthy way. Instead, you are more likely to shut down or blow up in anger. - Healthy and unhealthy ways of managing and resolving conflict
- Unhealthy responses to conflict: (1) An inability to recognize and respond to the things that matter to the other person; (2) Explosive, angry, hurtful, and resentful reactions; (3) The withdrawal of love, resulting in rejection, isolation, shaming, and fear of abandonment; (4) An inability to compromise or see the other person’s side; (5) The fear and avoidance of conflict; the expectation of bad outcomes
- Healthy responses to conflict (1) The capacity to recognize and respond to the things that matter to the other person; (2) Calm, non-defensive, and respectful reactions; (3) A readiness to forgive, forget, and to move past the conflict without holding resentments or anger; (4) The ability to seek compromise and avoid punishing; (5) A belief that facing conflict head on is the best thing for both sides
- Successful conflict resolution depends on your ability to regulate stress and your emotions Conflict triggers strong emotions and can lead to hurt feelings, disappointment, and discomfort. When handled in an unhealthy manner, it can cause irreparable rifts, resentments, and break-ups. But when conflict is resolved in a healthy way, it increases our understanding of one another, builds trust, and strengthens our relationship bonds.If you are out of touch with your feelings or so stressed that you can only pay attention to a limited number of emotions, you won’t be able to understand your own needs. And, if you don’t understand your own needs, you will have a hard time communicating with others and staying in touch with what's really troubling you. For example, couples often argue about petty differences—the way she hangs the towels, the way he slurps his soup—rather than what is really bothering them.
The ability to successfully resolve conflict depends on your ability to:- Manage stress quickly while remaining alert and calm. By staying calm, you can accurately read and interpret verbal and nonverbal communication.
- Control your emotions and behavior. When you’re in control of your emotions, you can communicate your needs without threatening, frightening, or punishing others.
- Pay attention to the feelings being expressed as well as the spoken words of others.
- Be aware of and respectful of differences. By avoiding disrespectful words and actions, you can almost always resolve a problem faster. Emotional awareness: The second core conflict resolution skill Emotional awareness is the key to understanding yourself and others. If you don’t know how you feel or why you feel that way, you won’t be able to communicate effectively or resolve disagreements.Although knowing your own feelings may sound simple, many people ignore or try to sedate strong emotions like anger, sadness, and fear. Your ability to handle conflict, however, depends on being connected to these feelings. If you’re afraid of strong emotions or if you insist on finding solutions that are strictly rational, your ability to face and resolve differences will be impaired.
Why emotional awareness is a key factor in resolving conflict Emotional awareness—the consciousness of your moment-to-moment emotional experience—and the ability to manage all of your feelings appropriately is the basis of a communication process that can resolve conflict.
Emotional awareness helps you:- Understand what is really troubling other people
- Understand yourself, including what is really troubling you
- Stay motivated until the conflict is resolved
- Communicate clearly and effectively
- Attract and influence others
What kind of relationship do I have with my emotions?- Do you experience feelings that flow, encountering one emotion after another as your experiences change from moment to moment?
- Are your emotions accompanied by physical sensations that you experience in places like your stomach or chest?
- Do you experience discrete feelings and emotions, such as anger, sadness, fear, joy, each of which is evident in subtle facial expressions?
- Can you experience intense feelings that are strong enough to capture both your attention and that of others?
- Do you pay attention to your emotions? Do they factor into your decision–making?
If any of these experiences are unfamiliar, your emotions may be turned down or even turned off. In either case, you may need help developing your emotional awareness. You can do this by reading Click:- Developing Emotional Awareness.
Nonverbal communication plays a big role in conflict resolution - The most important information exchanged during conflicts and arguments is often communicated nonverbally. Nonverbal communication is conveyed by emotionally driven facial expressions, posture, gesture, pace, tone and intensity of voice.
The most important communication is wordless - When people are upset, the words they use rarely convey the issues and needs at the heart of the problem. When we listen for what is felt—as well as what is said—we connect more deeply to our own needs and emotions, and to those of other people. Listening in this way also strengthens us, informs us, and makes it easier for others to hear us.When you’re in the middle of a conflict, paying close attention to the other person’s click: nonverbal signals may help you figure out what the other person is really saying, This will allow you to respond in a way that builds trust, and get to the root of the problem. A calm tone of voice, a reassuring touch, or an interested or concerned facial expression can go a long way toward relaxing a tense exchange.
Your ability to accurately read another person depends on your own emotional awareness. The more aware you are of your own emotions, the easier it will be for you to pick up on the wordless clues that reveal what others are feeling.
Humor, judiciously used, can effectively defuse conflict Once stress and emotion are brought into balance your capacity for joy, pleasure and playfulness is unleashed. Joy is a deceptively powerful resource. Studies show that you can surmount adversity, as long as you continue to have moments of joy. Humor plays a similar role when facing conflict.
You can avoid many confrontations and resolve arguments and disagreements by communicating in a humorous way. Humor can help you say things that might otherwise be difficult to express without offending someone. However, it’s important that you laugh with the other person, not at them. When humor and play are used to reduce tension and anger, reframe problems, and put the situation into perspective, the conflict can actually become an opportunity for greater connection and intimacy.
Tips for managing and resolving conflict - Managing and resolving conflict requires the ability to quickly reduce stress and bring your emotions into balance. You can ensure that the process is as positive as possible by sticking to the following guidelines:
- Listen for what is felt as well as said. When we listen we connect more deeply to our own needs and emotions, and to those of other people. Listening also strengthens us, informs us, and makes it easier for others to hear us when it's our turn to speak.
- Make conflict resolution the priority rather than winning or "being right." Maintaining and strengthening the relationship, rather than “winning” the argument, should always be your first priority. Be respectful of the other person and his or her viewpoint.
- Focus on the present. If you’re holding on to grudges based on past resentments, your ability to see the reality of the current situation will be impaired. Rather than looking to the past and assigning blame, focus on what you can do in the here-and-now to solve the problem.
- Pick your battles. Conflicts can be draining, so it’s important to consider whether the issue is really worthy of your time and energy. Maybe you don't want to surrender a parking space if you’ve been circling for 15 minutes, but if there are dozens of empty spots, arguing over a single space isn’t worth it.
- Be willing to forgive. Resolving conflict is impossible if you’re unwilling or unable to forgive. Resolution lies in releasing the urge to punish, which can never compensate for our losses and only adds to our injury by further depleting and draining our lives.
- Know when to let something go. If you can’t come to an agreement, agree to disagree. It takes two people to keep an argument going. If a conflict is going nowhere, you can choose to disengage and move on. _______________ Related Articles - click the colored title below
- Stress Relief in the Moment – Learn how you respond to stress along with fast and effective ways to rapidly reduce stress.
- Anger Management – Effective anger management tools can help you express feelings in healthier ways and keep your temper from hijacking your relationships.
- Developing Emotional Awareness – Learn more about the role your emotions play and how you can better manage them.
- Improve Communication Effective Communication – While communication may seem simple, there are skills you can learn to avoid misunderstandings and improve your relationship with your spouse, family or coworkers.
- Nonverbal Communication Skills – Nonverbal communication speaks louder than words in interpersonal relationships. Learning more about nonverbal cues will improve your ability to understand and resolve differences in all your relationships.
- Successful Relationships – How humor, laughter and play can be powerful tools in building successful relationships.
Source: Click: Helpguide helps you help yourself and otherswww.helpguide.org
Practical, motivating information you can use to help yourself and others. Take control of your mental health, relationships, and lifestyle. _________________________________________________________________ - See also little further above the article:
10 Things Therapists Won’t Tell You - Good article full of information beneficial for every person to know ________________________________________________
Golden Rice: Lifesaver?
Important for everyone to read
- this is GMO - genetically modified food -
In reality it feeds millions of empty stomachs in the developing countries
at a low price and with much vitamin A
That vitamin A saves millions of children's eye sight
Lack of vitamin A causes blindness in children and in adults - this GMO yellow rice saves lives
Something to think about for all of us no matter what our opinion about GMO
Read this article - you'll be happy you did
_______________
ONE bright morning this month, 400 protesters smashed down the high fences surrounding a field in the Bicol region of the Philippines and uprooted the genetically modified rice plants growing inside.
Had the plants survived long enough to flower, they would have betrayed a distinctly yellow tint in the otherwise white part of the grain. That is because the rice is endowed with a gene from corn and another from a bacterium, making it the only variety in existence to produce beta carotene, the source of vitamin A.
Its developers call it “Golden Rice.”
The concerns voiced by the participants in the Aug. 8 act of vandalism — that Golden Rice could pose unforeseen risks to human health and the environment, that it would ultimately profit big agrochemical companies — are a familiar refrain in the long-running controversy over the merits of genetically engineered crops. They are driving the desire among some Americans for mandatory “G.M.O.” labels on food with ingredients made from crops whose DNA has been altered in a laboratory. And they have motivated similar attacks on trials of other genetically modified crops in recent years: grapes designed to fight off a deadly virus in France, wheat designed to have a lower glycemic index in Australia, sugar beets in Oregon designed to tolerate a herbicide, to name a few.
“We do not want our people, especially our children, to be used in these experiments,” a farmer who was a leader of the protest told the Philippine newspaper Remate.
But Golden Rice, which appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 2000 before it was quite ready for prime time, is unlike any of the genetically engineered crops in wide use today, designed to either withstand herbicides sold by Monsanto and other chemical companies or resist insect attacks, with benefits for farmers but not directly for consumers.
And a looming decision by the Philippine government about whether to allow Golden Rice to be grown beyond its four remaining field trials has added a new dimension to the debate over the technology’s merits.
Not owned by any company, Golden Rice is being developed by a nonprofit group called the International Rice Research Institute with the aim of providing a new source of vitamin A to people both in the Philippines, where most households get most of their calories from rice, and eventually in many other places in a world where rice is eaten every day by half the population. Lack of the vital nutrient causes blindness in a quarter-million to a half-million children each year. It affects millions of people in Asia and Africa and so weakens the immune system that some two million die each year of diseases they would otherwise survive.
The destruction of the field trial, and the reasons given for it, touched a nerve among scientists around the world, spurring them to counter assertions of the technology’s health and environmental risks. On a petition supporting Golden Rice circulated among scientists and signed by several thousand, many vented a simmering frustration with activist organizations like Greenpeace, which they see as playing on misplaced fears of genetic engineering in both the developing and the developed worlds. Some took to other channels to convey to American foodies and Filipino farmers alike the broad scientific consensus that G.M.O.’s are not intrinsically more risky than other crops and can be reliably tested.
At stake, they say, is not just the future of biofortified rice but also a rational means to evaluate a technology whose potential to improve nutrition in developing countries, and developed ones, may otherwise go unrealized.
“There’s so much misinformation floating around about G.M.O.’s that is taken as fact by people,” said Michael D. Purugganan, a professor of genomics and biology and the dean for science at New York University, who sought to calm health-risk concerns in a primer on GMA News Online, a media outlet in the Philippines: “The genes they inserted to make the vitamin are not some weird manufactured material,” he wrote, “but are also found in squash, carrots and melons.”
Mr. Purugganan, who studies plant evolution, does not work on genetically engineered crops, and until recently had not participated in the public debates over the risks and benefits of G.M.O.’s. But having been raised in a middle-class family in Manila, he felt compelled to weigh in on Golden Rice. “A lot of the criticism of G.M.O.’s in the Western world suffers from a lack of understanding of how really dire the situation is in developing countries,” he said.
Some proponents of G.M.O.’s say that more critical questions, like where biotechnology should fall as a priority in the efforts to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition and how to prevent a few companies from controlling it, would be easier to address were they not lumped together with unfounded fears by those who oppose G.M.O.’s.
“It is long past time for scientists to stand up and shout, ‘No more lies — no more fear-mongering,’ ” said Nina V. Fedoroff, a professor at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia and a former science adviser to the American secretary of state, who helped spearhead the petition. “We’re talking about saving millions of lives here.”
Precisely because of its seemingly high-minded purpose, Golden Rice has drawn suspicion from biotechnology skeptics beyond the demonstrators who forced their way into the field trial. Many countries ban the cultivation of all genetically modified crops, and after the rice’s media debut early in the last decade, Vandana Shiva, an Indian environmentalist, called it a “Trojan horse” whose purpose was to gain public support for all manner of genetically modified crops that would benefit multinational corporations at the expense of poor farmers and consumers.
In a 2001 article, “The Great Yellow Hype,” the author Michael Pollan, a critic of industrial agriculture, suggested that it might have been developed to “win an argument rather than solve a public-health problem.” He cited biotechnology industry advertisements that featured the virtues of the rice, which at the time had to be ingested in large quantities to deliver a meaningful dose of vitamin A.
But the rice has since been retooled: a bowl now provides 60 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin A for healthy children. And Gerard Barry, the Golden Rice project leader at the International Rice Research Institute — and, it must be said, a former senior scientist and executive at Monsanto — suggests that attempts to discredit Golden Rice discount the suffering it could alleviate if successful. He said, too, that critics who suggest encouraging poor families to simply eat fruits and vegetables that contain beta carotene disregard the expense and logistical difficulties that would thwart such efforts.
Identified in the infancy of genetic engineering as having the potential for the biggest impact for the world’s poor, beta-carotene-producing rice was initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the European Union. In a decade of work culminating in 1999, two academic scientists, Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer, finally switched on the production of beta carotene by adding daffodil and bacteria DNA to the rice’s genome. They licensed their patent rights to the agribusiness company that later became Syngenta, on the condition that the technology and any improvements to it would be made freely available to poor farmers in the developing world. With the company retaining the right to use it in developed countries, potentially as an alternative to vitamin supplements, Syngenta scientists later improved the amount of beta carotene produced by substituting a gene from corn for the one from daffodil.
If the rice gains the Philippine government’s approval, it will cost no more than other rice for poor farmers, who will be free to save seeds and replant them, Dr. Barry said. It has no known allergens or toxins, and the new proteins produced by the rice have been shown to break down quickly in simulated gastric fluid, as required by World Health Organization guidelines. A mouse feeding study is under way in a laboratory in the United States. The potential that the Golden Rice would cross-pollinate with other varieties, sometimes called “genetic contamination,” has been studied and found to be limited, because rice is typically self-pollinated. And its production of beta carotene does not appear to provide a competitive advantage — or disadvantage — that could affect the survival of wild varieties with which it might mix.
If Golden Rice is a Trojan horse, it now has some company. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is supporting the final testing of Golden Rice, is also underwriting the development of crops tailored for sub-Saharan Africa, like cassava that can resist the viruses that routinely wipe out a third of the harvest, bananas that contain higher levels of iron and corn that uses nitrogen more efficiently. Other groups are developing a pest-resistant black-eyed pea and a “Golden Banana” that would also deliver vitamin A.
Beyond the fear of corporate control of agriculture, perhaps the most cited objection to G.M.O.’s is that they may hold risks that may not be understood. The decision to grow or eat them relies, like many other decisions, on a cost-benefit analysis.
How food consumers around the world weigh that calculation will probably have far-reaching consequences. Such crops, Scientific American declared in an editorial last week, will make it to people’s plates “only with public support.”
Greenpeace, for one, dismisses the benefits of vitamin supplementation through G.M.O.’s and has said it will continue to oppose all uses of biotechnology in agriculture. As Daniel Ocampo, a campaigner for the organization in the Philippines, put it, “We would rather err on the side of caution.”
For others, the potential of crops like Golden Rice to alleviate suffering is all that matters. “This technology can save lives,” one of the petition’s signers, Javier Delgado of Mexico, wrote. “But false fears can destroy it.”
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
____________________________________
Important for everyone to read
- this is GMO - genetically modified food -
In reality it feeds millions of empty stomachs in the developing countries
at a low price and with much vitamin A
That vitamin A saves millions of children's eye sight
Lack of vitamin A causes blindness in children and in adults - this GMO yellow rice saves lives
Something to think about for all of us no matter what our opinion about GMO
Read this article - you'll be happy you did
_______________
ONE bright morning this month, 400 protesters smashed down the high fences surrounding a field in the Bicol region of the Philippines and uprooted the genetically modified rice plants growing inside.
Had the plants survived long enough to flower, they would have betrayed a distinctly yellow tint in the otherwise white part of the grain. That is because the rice is endowed with a gene from corn and another from a bacterium, making it the only variety in existence to produce beta carotene, the source of vitamin A.
Its developers call it “Golden Rice.”
The concerns voiced by the participants in the Aug. 8 act of vandalism — that Golden Rice could pose unforeseen risks to human health and the environment, that it would ultimately profit big agrochemical companies — are a familiar refrain in the long-running controversy over the merits of genetically engineered crops. They are driving the desire among some Americans for mandatory “G.M.O.” labels on food with ingredients made from crops whose DNA has been altered in a laboratory. And they have motivated similar attacks on trials of other genetically modified crops in recent years: grapes designed to fight off a deadly virus in France, wheat designed to have a lower glycemic index in Australia, sugar beets in Oregon designed to tolerate a herbicide, to name a few.
“We do not want our people, especially our children, to be used in these experiments,” a farmer who was a leader of the protest told the Philippine newspaper Remate.
But Golden Rice, which appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in 2000 before it was quite ready for prime time, is unlike any of the genetically engineered crops in wide use today, designed to either withstand herbicides sold by Monsanto and other chemical companies or resist insect attacks, with benefits for farmers but not directly for consumers.
And a looming decision by the Philippine government about whether to allow Golden Rice to be grown beyond its four remaining field trials has added a new dimension to the debate over the technology’s merits.
Not owned by any company, Golden Rice is being developed by a nonprofit group called the International Rice Research Institute with the aim of providing a new source of vitamin A to people both in the Philippines, where most households get most of their calories from rice, and eventually in many other places in a world where rice is eaten every day by half the population. Lack of the vital nutrient causes blindness in a quarter-million to a half-million children each year. It affects millions of people in Asia and Africa and so weakens the immune system that some two million die each year of diseases they would otherwise survive.
The destruction of the field trial, and the reasons given for it, touched a nerve among scientists around the world, spurring them to counter assertions of the technology’s health and environmental risks. On a petition supporting Golden Rice circulated among scientists and signed by several thousand, many vented a simmering frustration with activist organizations like Greenpeace, which they see as playing on misplaced fears of genetic engineering in both the developing and the developed worlds. Some took to other channels to convey to American foodies and Filipino farmers alike the broad scientific consensus that G.M.O.’s are not intrinsically more risky than other crops and can be reliably tested.
At stake, they say, is not just the future of biofortified rice but also a rational means to evaluate a technology whose potential to improve nutrition in developing countries, and developed ones, may otherwise go unrealized.
“There’s so much misinformation floating around about G.M.O.’s that is taken as fact by people,” said Michael D. Purugganan, a professor of genomics and biology and the dean for science at New York University, who sought to calm health-risk concerns in a primer on GMA News Online, a media outlet in the Philippines: “The genes they inserted to make the vitamin are not some weird manufactured material,” he wrote, “but are also found in squash, carrots and melons.”
Mr. Purugganan, who studies plant evolution, does not work on genetically engineered crops, and until recently had not participated in the public debates over the risks and benefits of G.M.O.’s. But having been raised in a middle-class family in Manila, he felt compelled to weigh in on Golden Rice. “A lot of the criticism of G.M.O.’s in the Western world suffers from a lack of understanding of how really dire the situation is in developing countries,” he said.
Some proponents of G.M.O.’s say that more critical questions, like where biotechnology should fall as a priority in the efforts to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition and how to prevent a few companies from controlling it, would be easier to address were they not lumped together with unfounded fears by those who oppose G.M.O.’s.
“It is long past time for scientists to stand up and shout, ‘No more lies — no more fear-mongering,’ ” said Nina V. Fedoroff, a professor at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia and a former science adviser to the American secretary of state, who helped spearhead the petition. “We’re talking about saving millions of lives here.”
Precisely because of its seemingly high-minded purpose, Golden Rice has drawn suspicion from biotechnology skeptics beyond the demonstrators who forced their way into the field trial. Many countries ban the cultivation of all genetically modified crops, and after the rice’s media debut early in the last decade, Vandana Shiva, an Indian environmentalist, called it a “Trojan horse” whose purpose was to gain public support for all manner of genetically modified crops that would benefit multinational corporations at the expense of poor farmers and consumers.
In a 2001 article, “The Great Yellow Hype,” the author Michael Pollan, a critic of industrial agriculture, suggested that it might have been developed to “win an argument rather than solve a public-health problem.” He cited biotechnology industry advertisements that featured the virtues of the rice, which at the time had to be ingested in large quantities to deliver a meaningful dose of vitamin A.
But the rice has since been retooled: a bowl now provides 60 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin A for healthy children. And Gerard Barry, the Golden Rice project leader at the International Rice Research Institute — and, it must be said, a former senior scientist and executive at Monsanto — suggests that attempts to discredit Golden Rice discount the suffering it could alleviate if successful. He said, too, that critics who suggest encouraging poor families to simply eat fruits and vegetables that contain beta carotene disregard the expense and logistical difficulties that would thwart such efforts.
Identified in the infancy of genetic engineering as having the potential for the biggest impact for the world’s poor, beta-carotene-producing rice was initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and the European Union. In a decade of work culminating in 1999, two academic scientists, Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer, finally switched on the production of beta carotene by adding daffodil and bacteria DNA to the rice’s genome. They licensed their patent rights to the agribusiness company that later became Syngenta, on the condition that the technology and any improvements to it would be made freely available to poor farmers in the developing world. With the company retaining the right to use it in developed countries, potentially as an alternative to vitamin supplements, Syngenta scientists later improved the amount of beta carotene produced by substituting a gene from corn for the one from daffodil.
If the rice gains the Philippine government’s approval, it will cost no more than other rice for poor farmers, who will be free to save seeds and replant them, Dr. Barry said. It has no known allergens or toxins, and the new proteins produced by the rice have been shown to break down quickly in simulated gastric fluid, as required by World Health Organization guidelines. A mouse feeding study is under way in a laboratory in the United States. The potential that the Golden Rice would cross-pollinate with other varieties, sometimes called “genetic contamination,” has been studied and found to be limited, because rice is typically self-pollinated. And its production of beta carotene does not appear to provide a competitive advantage — or disadvantage — that could affect the survival of wild varieties with which it might mix.
If Golden Rice is a Trojan horse, it now has some company. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is supporting the final testing of Golden Rice, is also underwriting the development of crops tailored for sub-Saharan Africa, like cassava that can resist the viruses that routinely wipe out a third of the harvest, bananas that contain higher levels of iron and corn that uses nitrogen more efficiently. Other groups are developing a pest-resistant black-eyed pea and a “Golden Banana” that would also deliver vitamin A.
Beyond the fear of corporate control of agriculture, perhaps the most cited objection to G.M.O.’s is that they may hold risks that may not be understood. The decision to grow or eat them relies, like many other decisions, on a cost-benefit analysis.
How food consumers around the world weigh that calculation will probably have far-reaching consequences. Such crops, Scientific American declared in an editorial last week, will make it to people’s plates “only with public support.”
Greenpeace, for one, dismisses the benefits of vitamin supplementation through G.M.O.’s and has said it will continue to oppose all uses of biotechnology in agriculture. As Daniel Ocampo, a campaigner for the organization in the Philippines, put it, “We would rather err on the side of caution.”
For others, the potential of crops like Golden Rice to alleviate suffering is all that matters. “This technology can save lives,” one of the petition’s signers, Javier Delgado of Mexico, wrote. “But false fears can destroy it.”
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
____________________________________
Article 1 of 3 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
If It’s Not Organic, Don’t Panic
Organic farms require a USDA (web link five lines below) certification that they receive after a period of about three years. During that time, they’re considered ‘transitional.’ For a small farm, the expense can come at a prohibitive price tag, and while they may not be certified organic they are still considered “sustainable” in that they are grown locally and uphold similar growing practices.
Often these small farms have a reduced carbon footprint because they sell close to home.
U.S. Department of Agriculturewww.usda.gov/- current agricultural news and research.
Because of the consumer surge in demand for organic foods, large agribusiness corporations have pulled up to the
table in an effort to reap the benefits, threatening the existence of these small sustainable farmers and making it harder for them to compete.
Organic meat farmers are required to use feed grown organically and are prohibited from administering antibiotics
or hormones to their livestock. Yet when it comes to animal welfare, they are only required to give the animals “access” to outdoors with as little as an open door leading to a cement patio.
On the flip side, sustainably raised meats, such as venison from New Zealand, are grass fed outdoors year-round on freerange ranches without the use of hormones, steroids, or growth promoters. Rainwater and sunshine nourish the pasture the animals graze on without environmentally expensive irrigation, waste disposal, or watertable impact. They’re just not “organic” by label, but they are truly sustainable.
There’s no denying that certified organic foods come from a good philosophical place, offering consumers alternatives to
products loaded with artificial chemicals, added hormones, and pesticides. When it comes to food choices, there’s always more than meets the eye. We have to look deeper than the surface of the label.
If you can’t afford all organic produce, opt for sustainable, biodynamic, and locally grown produce where they don’t use
harsh chemical pesticides. Prioritize organic animal products, especially dairy, and organic soybeans to avoid GMOs (genetically modified food).
The main point, however, is to eat a variety of fresh fruit and veggies daily.
Source: The Epoch Times
By MAREYA IBRAHIM is The Fit Foody, an award-winning chef on ABC’s Emmy-nominated show “Recipe Rehab,” and author and founder of EatCleaner.com. Her book “The Clean Eating Handbook,” a guide on how to eat cleaner and get leaner, was released in May 2013.
______________________________
Article 2 of 3
Naturally Grown:
An Alternative Label to Organic
Not all conscientious farms, or growers can afford to go certified organic,
but that doesn’t mean they’re less healthy
SCHAGHTICOKE, N.Y.— Justine and Brian Denison say they adhere to all the growing practices required for organic certification, yet if they label their beans and tomatoes “organic” at the farmer’s market, they could face federal charges and $20,000 or more in fines.
Because the Denisons chose not to seek organic certification by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Denison Farm, which has been under organic management for more than 20 years, is banned from using that term. So they and hundreds of other small direct-marketing farms across the country have adopted an alternative label: Certified Naturally Grown.
Started by a group of organic farmers in New York’s mid-Hudson Valley as a backlash against federal takeover of the organic program in 2002, Certified Naturally Grown has expanded over the past decade to include more than 700 farms in 47 states, executive director Alice Varon said.
“Certified Naturally Grown is tailored for direct-market farmers producing food without any synthetic chemicals specifically for their local communities,” Varon said. “It’s a particular niche of the agricultural world. It’s not in direct competition with the national organic program.”
Many small farmers previously certified organic by an independent organization have declined to participate in the federal program. They voice a variety of objections: extensive record-keeping requirements; fees that can amount to 6 percent of a small farm’s gross sales; and philosophical objections to joining a monolithic government-run program that also certifies huge operations that ship produce across the country.
“We have noticed over time that more and more farmers—often, younger farmers—who appear to be following organic practices don’t bother to get certified,” said Jack Kittredge, co-owner of a certified organic farm in Barre, Mass., and editor of “The Natural Farmer,” journal of the Northeast Organic Farming Association. “My major concern is that sometimes, unless you’re certified you’re not even aware of some of the problems,” such as calling livestock organic even though the animals eat feed containing genetically modified crops.
Atina Diffley, an organic farming consultant and author in Farmington, Minn., said alternative labels create confusion for customers. She said there are only about 13,000 USDA certified organic farms out of 2.2 million farms, and more organic farms are needed to bolster the movement’s impact on national farm policy. “When farms have an alternative certification, they’re not counted,” she said.
Sam Jones, spokesman for USDA’s organic certification program, said the agency doesn’t comment on guidelines other than its own and doesn’t take a position on whether alternative labels cause confusion. But he noted that growers are required by law to get federal certification if they want to sell their product as organic. Jones said USDA has a new program called “Sound and Sensible,” aimed at reducing paperwork and other burdensome aspects of certification.
Ryan Voilland, co-owner of the certified organic Red Fire Farm in Granby, Mass., said the certification fees and paperwork aren’t a big burden. He grows 100 acres of produce and has gross sales of about $2 million, and pays $2,000 a year for certification, of which $750 is returned in a federal rebate program. The premium price for organic produce far outweighs the fee, he said.
But farmers who opt for labels like Certified Naturally Grown and The Farmer’s Pledge, sponsored by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, say there’s room for all the labels; some farms even boast several alternative labels in addition to USDA organic.
“The Farmer’s Pledge is a better program for direct-sales farmers like me, who find the national organic program too burdensome,” said Mark Dunau, who farms five acres in the Delaware County town of Hancock.
About 130 farmers in New York and Connecticut have signed The Farmers Pledge, a commitment to a broad set of farming principles that address labor issues, organic production practices, community values and marketing.
Farmers who participate in Certified Naturally Grown rely on peer inspection by other farmers to ensure they follow organic practices, such as avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and using cover crops and rotation for healthy soil. While critics say peer review rather than USDA-certified inspectors could lead to cutting corners, Varon said that’s unlikely.
“It’s a different mindset that people bring to Certified Naturally Grown,” Varon said. “They believe in farming in harmony with nature as an expression of their values. It’s not something they do to get a premium in the marketplace.”
Denison agrees. She and her husband operated a conventional farm in Maine before they bought the 164-acre farm in Schaghticoke, 20 miles northeast of Albany, in 2005. They switched to organic farming because they and their two daughters had developed illnesses they believed were caused by exposure to agricultural chemicals.
“We were one sick family,” Denison said. “We were close to 50 when we bought this farm, but we were ready to change course and make a commitment to Certified Naturally Grown.”
Clic green for further info
Source: Associated Press (Article 3 of 3 next blow)
_____________________________________
Article 3 of 3 (Articles 1 -2 of 3 next above)
Passing the Buck on Foreign Food
At the end of July, U.S. food inspectors found nearly 200 thousand pounds of imported chicken contaminated with dioxins—environmental pollutants linked to cancer.
Rather than issue a recall, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA - web link at the end of this article) released a weekend public notice explaining that the risk to consumers was “negligible,” even though over 62,000 pounds of contaminated poultry had still not been retrieved.
The chicken was imported from Chile, where a recent USDA audit found that processors still fell short on addressing dioxin contamination. Washington-based Food and Water Watch (FWW) raises concerns that the USDA is minimizing a foreign threat to the food system.
Food & Water Watch www.foodandwaterwatch.org/ Food & Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safeaccessible and sustainable.
FWW senior lobbyist Tony Corbo sees a disturbing trend in food-safety imports where officials have “soft pedaled on what are essentially recalls.” He pointed to a 2012 incident with 2.5 million pounds of E. coli-contaminated beef from Canada. Just like with the Chilean chicken, the USDA avoided making a recall announcement, and Corbo believes it’s a strategy to keep tainted meat out of the media spotlight.
“All of a sudden with this Canadian thing, they started this new policy and I’ve been very critical,” he said.
“I’ve told the undersecretary of food safety I completely disagree with their approach, and the fact that the so-called public health alert did not get widespread coverage proved to me that the media was not taking this as seriously as if they had called it a recall.”
Corbo said he suspects officials in Washington want to avoid offending foreign partners in light of big trade negotiations.
Flood of Foreign FoodU.S. food imports have doubled over the past decade, and two regional trade talks set the stage for much more.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership aim to “harmonize” the standards of foreign suppliers pouring food and drink into the American market, but lawmakers accuse corporations and trade groups of running the show. Members of Congress have fought with the Obama administration to make the process more transparent, but negotiations remain behind closed doors.
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is designed to address the influx of imported food by ensuring that facilities overseas meet American safety standards. It’s a noble goal but one that has proved too expensive for lawmakers to stomach and too ambitious for regulators to handle.
“In particular, on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, we import 90 percent of our seafood. A lot of it is coming from Asia. They do not have the same food-safety standards as we do—especially with the use of antibiotics [and] antifungals in aquaculture.
“So we are very concerned with whether the United States is going to increase the amount of imports from these countries because the FDA is already overwhelmed. They cannot handle what they’ve got now in terms of imports,” Corbo said.
The job is especially tough for the FDA. While only 34 countries are eligible to export meat, poultry, or egg products into the United States under USDA jurisdiction, the FDA must oversee about 160 countries and approximately 250,000 foreign establishments shipping in a wide array of food products.
Proposals
On July 26, the FDA announced a new proposal to meet their challenge—import businesses will be responsible for assessing safety of their own products.
The agency is writing conflict-of-interest protections to avoid problems, but recent disasters involving third-party inspectors gives cause for concern. Corbo fears that as imports increase “we’re going to be dumbing down food-safety standards.”
Unfortunately, the FDA is faced with few options. Under FSMA, the number of onsite U.S. inspections stationed abroad is supposed to double every year for five years, but Congress has refused to pay for it.
Proposals in President Obama’s budget raise some of the money for overseas inspections, but since Congress won’t direct appropriations for the rest, the administration wants to charge the industry higher inspection fees to make up the difference. An April 2013 letter from 54 food-and-beverage industry trade associations makes clear that they don’t want to pay for it either.
“We urge Congress to provide FDA with sufficient funds to meet its food-safety responsibilities without saddling food makers and consumers with new regulatory taxes,” the letter stated.
What many food-safety advocates would like to see is the FDA with a foreign-safety system more like the USDA. While industry leaders say such a plan would destroy trade, supporters say USDA’s system can at least exercise some control over who can and can’t import in the first place.
“Even though there are little cracks in the system like this Chilean thing, it’s a better system because a country has to get a firm approval from the USDA before they can export their products to the United States,” Corbo said.
Click green for further info
The answer lies in a process that is almost unimaginable in scope without seeing it firsthand. So, fearing the worst — because we all “know” that organic farming is “good” and industrial farming is “bad” — I headed to the Sacramento Valley in California to see a big tomato operation.
I began by touring Bruce Rominger’s farm in Winters. With his brother Rick and as many as 40 employees, Rominger farms around 6,000 acres of tomatoes, wheat, sunflowers, safflower, onions, alfalfa, sheep, rice and more. Unlike many Midwestern farm operations, which grow corn and soy exclusively, here are diversity, crop rotation, cover crops and, for the most part, real food — not crops destined for junk food, animal feed or biofuel. That’s a good start.
On an 82-acre field, tomato plants covered the ground for a hundred yards in every direction. Water and fertilizer are supplied through subsoil irrigation — a network of buried tubing — which reduces waste and runoff and assures roughly uniform delivery along the row. (In older, furrow-irrigated fields — in which ditches next to the rows of plants are flooded with water from a central canal — tomatoes at the ends of rows suffer.)
The tomatoes are bred to ripen simultaneously because there is just one harvest. They’re also blocky in shape, the better to move along conveyor belts. Hundreds of types of tomatoes are grown for processing, bred for acidity, disease resistance, use, sweetness, wall thickness, ripening date and so on. They’re not referred to by cuddly names like “Early Girl” but by number: “BQ 205.”
I tasted two; they had a firm, pleasant texture and mild but real flavor, and were better than any tomatoes — even so-called heirlooms — sold in my supermarket.
I mounted the harvester, a 35-foot-long machine that cuts the vine underground and lifts it into its belly, where belts and sensors return dirt, vine, root and green tomatoes to the soil. (All this material is either turned back into the soil or left for sheep to graze on.) Two people on each side sort the continual stream of tomatoes manually before a conveyor transfers the tomatoes by chute to a gondola. When one gondola is full (it holds 25 tons), it’s replaced by another. This way, Rominger can harvest around 20 acres in a 24-hour period: 1,000 tons. He estimates his cost at $3,000 per acre and hopes for a $500 profit on each. “Of course,” he told me, “sometimes I have a field that collapses on me, and I lose $500.”
Fifty years ago, tomatoes were picked by hand, backbreaking piecework that involved filling and lugging 50-pound boxes. Workers had few rights and suffered much abuse, as did the land: irrigation and fertilizer use were more wasteful, and chemicals were applied liberally and by the calendar, not sparingly by need.
Although the mechanical harvester was controversial when it was first introduced — the United Farm Workers fought its use, fearing it would cost jobs — it revolutionized the industry. (Its impact has been compared to that of the cotton gin.) Yields have more than doubled since the 1960s, and California now produces almost all the canned tomatoes and paste in the United States and more than a third of the world’s. For 12 to 14 weeks every summer, Rominger and other growers are harvesting 24/7.
The canneries also operate nonstop. My next visit was to Pacific Coast Producers (P.C.P.), a co-op down the road. It packs for Walmart, Safeway, Kroger, Ralphs and other major chains. Its annual sales, on 20 million cases of whole, diced, crushed, ground and sliced tomatoes; sauce; paste; and more, are more than $250 million.
Imagine all the tomatoes you’ve ever seen, multiplied by a thousand, and you begin to get some idea of the lineup outside P.C.P., which in a 24-hour period may go through 300 gondolas, holding 7,500 tons all together.
At P.C.P., workers first random-sample the tomatoes in an elaborate process that determines both where on the processing line the tomatoes wind up (an algorithm decides which fruit from which gondolas to combine for the best-tasting sauce, for example) and the exact amount the growers are paid for that load. This year, it’s somewhere around 3.5 cents per pound; if you’re wondering what percentage of the price of the canned tomato you buy goes to the farmer, I’m figuring it’s around 2.
The cannery itself is a whirlwind of moist, intense heat and subway-level noise. At peak times, P.C.P. employs more than 1,000 workers. My liberal heart was bleeding at the thought of minimum wage for this tough work — some (not all) of these workstations are as unpleasant as any I’ve seen — but the plant is unionized. So, according to a P.C.P. spokesman, the average wage is about $17 an hour, and there are benefits.
IT’S far from paradise, but it isn’t hell either. The basic question is this: Are the processes and products healthy, fair, green and affordable?
Workers in the fields have shade, water and breaks; they’re not being paid by the piece. Workers in the plants are not getting rich but they’re doing better than they would working in the fields, or in a fast-food joint.
Rominger is managing his fields conscientiously and, by today’s standards, progressively. He’s also juggling an almost unimaginable array of standards set by the state, by P.C.P. and other processors, and even by his customers, who may say things like, “What are you doing about nitrate runoff?”
The canner P.C.P. is running what appear to be safe and clean production lines while producing close-to-“natural” tomato products that nearly anyone can afford.
Oddly, affordability is not the problem; in fact, the tomatoes are too cheap. If they cost more, farmers like Rominger would be more inclined to grow tomatoes organically; to pay his workers better or offer benefits to more of them; to make a better living himself.
But the processed tomato market is international, with increasing pressure from Italy, China and Mexico. California has advantages, but it still must compete on price. Producers also compete with one another, making it tough for even the most principled ones to increase worker pay. To see change, then, all workers, globally, must be paid better, so that the price of tomatoes goes up across the board.
How does this happen? Unionization, or an increase in the minimum wage, or both. No one would argue that canned tomatoes should be too expensive for poor people, but by increasing minimum wage in the fields and elsewhere, we raise standards of living and increase purchasing power.
The issue is paying enough for food so that everything involved in producing it — land, water, energy and labor — is treated well. And since sustainability is a journey, progress is essential. It would be foolish to assert that we’re anywhere near the destination, but there is progress — even in those areas appropriately called “industrial.”
Click green for further info
Source: NYT
___________________________________________________
Special reports
By The Economist Magazine
Click green topic below - some links may have several articles
If It’s Not Organic, Don’t Panic
Organic farms require a USDA (web link five lines below) certification that they receive after a period of about three years. During that time, they’re considered ‘transitional.’ For a small farm, the expense can come at a prohibitive price tag, and while they may not be certified organic they are still considered “sustainable” in that they are grown locally and uphold similar growing practices.
Often these small farms have a reduced carbon footprint because they sell close to home.
U.S. Department of Agriculturewww.usda.gov/- current agricultural news and research.
Because of the consumer surge in demand for organic foods, large agribusiness corporations have pulled up to the
table in an effort to reap the benefits, threatening the existence of these small sustainable farmers and making it harder for them to compete.
Organic meat farmers are required to use feed grown organically and are prohibited from administering antibiotics
or hormones to their livestock. Yet when it comes to animal welfare, they are only required to give the animals “access” to outdoors with as little as an open door leading to a cement patio.
On the flip side, sustainably raised meats, such as venison from New Zealand, are grass fed outdoors year-round on freerange ranches without the use of hormones, steroids, or growth promoters. Rainwater and sunshine nourish the pasture the animals graze on without environmentally expensive irrigation, waste disposal, or watertable impact. They’re just not “organic” by label, but they are truly sustainable.
There’s no denying that certified organic foods come from a good philosophical place, offering consumers alternatives to
products loaded with artificial chemicals, added hormones, and pesticides. When it comes to food choices, there’s always more than meets the eye. We have to look deeper than the surface of the label.
If you can’t afford all organic produce, opt for sustainable, biodynamic, and locally grown produce where they don’t use
harsh chemical pesticides. Prioritize organic animal products, especially dairy, and organic soybeans to avoid GMOs (genetically modified food).
The main point, however, is to eat a variety of fresh fruit and veggies daily.
Source: The Epoch Times
By MAREYA IBRAHIM is The Fit Foody, an award-winning chef on ABC’s Emmy-nominated show “Recipe Rehab,” and author and founder of EatCleaner.com. Her book “The Clean Eating Handbook,” a guide on how to eat cleaner and get leaner, was released in May 2013.
______________________________
Article 2 of 3
Naturally Grown:
An Alternative Label to Organic
Not all conscientious farms, or growers can afford to go certified organic,
but that doesn’t mean they’re less healthy
SCHAGHTICOKE, N.Y.— Justine and Brian Denison say they adhere to all the growing practices required for organic certification, yet if they label their beans and tomatoes “organic” at the farmer’s market, they could face federal charges and $20,000 or more in fines.
Because the Denisons chose not to seek organic certification by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Denison Farm, which has been under organic management for more than 20 years, is banned from using that term. So they and hundreds of other small direct-marketing farms across the country have adopted an alternative label: Certified Naturally Grown.
Started by a group of organic farmers in New York’s mid-Hudson Valley as a backlash against federal takeover of the organic program in 2002, Certified Naturally Grown has expanded over the past decade to include more than 700 farms in 47 states, executive director Alice Varon said.
“Certified Naturally Grown is tailored for direct-market farmers producing food without any synthetic chemicals specifically for their local communities,” Varon said. “It’s a particular niche of the agricultural world. It’s not in direct competition with the national organic program.”
Many small farmers previously certified organic by an independent organization have declined to participate in the federal program. They voice a variety of objections: extensive record-keeping requirements; fees that can amount to 6 percent of a small farm’s gross sales; and philosophical objections to joining a monolithic government-run program that also certifies huge operations that ship produce across the country.
“We have noticed over time that more and more farmers—often, younger farmers—who appear to be following organic practices don’t bother to get certified,” said Jack Kittredge, co-owner of a certified organic farm in Barre, Mass., and editor of “The Natural Farmer,” journal of the Northeast Organic Farming Association. “My major concern is that sometimes, unless you’re certified you’re not even aware of some of the problems,” such as calling livestock organic even though the animals eat feed containing genetically modified crops.
Atina Diffley, an organic farming consultant and author in Farmington, Minn., said alternative labels create confusion for customers. She said there are only about 13,000 USDA certified organic farms out of 2.2 million farms, and more organic farms are needed to bolster the movement’s impact on national farm policy. “When farms have an alternative certification, they’re not counted,” she said.
Sam Jones, spokesman for USDA’s organic certification program, said the agency doesn’t comment on guidelines other than its own and doesn’t take a position on whether alternative labels cause confusion. But he noted that growers are required by law to get federal certification if they want to sell their product as organic. Jones said USDA has a new program called “Sound and Sensible,” aimed at reducing paperwork and other burdensome aspects of certification.
Ryan Voilland, co-owner of the certified organic Red Fire Farm in Granby, Mass., said the certification fees and paperwork aren’t a big burden. He grows 100 acres of produce and has gross sales of about $2 million, and pays $2,000 a year for certification, of which $750 is returned in a federal rebate program. The premium price for organic produce far outweighs the fee, he said.
But farmers who opt for labels like Certified Naturally Grown and The Farmer’s Pledge, sponsored by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, say there’s room for all the labels; some farms even boast several alternative labels in addition to USDA organic.
“The Farmer’s Pledge is a better program for direct-sales farmers like me, who find the national organic program too burdensome,” said Mark Dunau, who farms five acres in the Delaware County town of Hancock.
About 130 farmers in New York and Connecticut have signed The Farmers Pledge, a commitment to a broad set of farming principles that address labor issues, organic production practices, community values and marketing.
Farmers who participate in Certified Naturally Grown rely on peer inspection by other farmers to ensure they follow organic practices, such as avoiding synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and using cover crops and rotation for healthy soil. While critics say peer review rather than USDA-certified inspectors could lead to cutting corners, Varon said that’s unlikely.
“It’s a different mindset that people bring to Certified Naturally Grown,” Varon said. “They believe in farming in harmony with nature as an expression of their values. It’s not something they do to get a premium in the marketplace.”
Denison agrees. She and her husband operated a conventional farm in Maine before they bought the 164-acre farm in Schaghticoke, 20 miles northeast of Albany, in 2005. They switched to organic farming because they and their two daughters had developed illnesses they believed were caused by exposure to agricultural chemicals.
“We were one sick family,” Denison said. “We were close to 50 when we bought this farm, but we were ready to change course and make a commitment to Certified Naturally Grown.”
Clic green for further info
Source: Associated Press (Article 3 of 3 next blow)
_____________________________________
Article 3 of 3 (Articles 1 -2 of 3 next above)
Passing the Buck on Foreign Food
At the end of July, U.S. food inspectors found nearly 200 thousand pounds of imported chicken contaminated with dioxins—environmental pollutants linked to cancer.
Rather than issue a recall, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA - web link at the end of this article) released a weekend public notice explaining that the risk to consumers was “negligible,” even though over 62,000 pounds of contaminated poultry had still not been retrieved.
The chicken was imported from Chile, where a recent USDA audit found that processors still fell short on addressing dioxin contamination. Washington-based Food and Water Watch (FWW) raises concerns that the USDA is minimizing a foreign threat to the food system.
Food & Water Watch www.foodandwaterwatch.org/ Food & Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safeaccessible and sustainable.
FWW senior lobbyist Tony Corbo sees a disturbing trend in food-safety imports where officials have “soft pedaled on what are essentially recalls.” He pointed to a 2012 incident with 2.5 million pounds of E. coli-contaminated beef from Canada. Just like with the Chilean chicken, the USDA avoided making a recall announcement, and Corbo believes it’s a strategy to keep tainted meat out of the media spotlight.
“All of a sudden with this Canadian thing, they started this new policy and I’ve been very critical,” he said.
“I’ve told the undersecretary of food safety I completely disagree with their approach, and the fact that the so-called public health alert did not get widespread coverage proved to me that the media was not taking this as seriously as if they had called it a recall.”
Corbo said he suspects officials in Washington want to avoid offending foreign partners in light of big trade negotiations.
Flood of Foreign FoodU.S. food imports have doubled over the past decade, and two regional trade talks set the stage for much more.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership aim to “harmonize” the standards of foreign suppliers pouring food and drink into the American market, but lawmakers accuse corporations and trade groups of running the show. Members of Congress have fought with the Obama administration to make the process more transparent, but negotiations remain behind closed doors.
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is designed to address the influx of imported food by ensuring that facilities overseas meet American safety standards. It’s a noble goal but one that has proved too expensive for lawmakers to stomach and too ambitious for regulators to handle.
“In particular, on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, we import 90 percent of our seafood. A lot of it is coming from Asia. They do not have the same food-safety standards as we do—especially with the use of antibiotics [and] antifungals in aquaculture.
“So we are very concerned with whether the United States is going to increase the amount of imports from these countries because the FDA is already overwhelmed. They cannot handle what they’ve got now in terms of imports,” Corbo said.
The job is especially tough for the FDA. While only 34 countries are eligible to export meat, poultry, or egg products into the United States under USDA jurisdiction, the FDA must oversee about 160 countries and approximately 250,000 foreign establishments shipping in a wide array of food products.
Proposals
On July 26, the FDA announced a new proposal to meet their challenge—import businesses will be responsible for assessing safety of their own products.
The agency is writing conflict-of-interest protections to avoid problems, but recent disasters involving third-party inspectors gives cause for concern. Corbo fears that as imports increase “we’re going to be dumbing down food-safety standards.”
Unfortunately, the FDA is faced with few options. Under FSMA, the number of onsite U.S. inspections stationed abroad is supposed to double every year for five years, but Congress has refused to pay for it.
Proposals in President Obama’s budget raise some of the money for overseas inspections, but since Congress won’t direct appropriations for the rest, the administration wants to charge the industry higher inspection fees to make up the difference. An April 2013 letter from 54 food-and-beverage industry trade associations makes clear that they don’t want to pay for it either.
“We urge Congress to provide FDA with sufficient funds to meet its food-safety responsibilities without saddling food makers and consumers with new regulatory taxes,” the letter stated.
What many food-safety advocates would like to see is the FDA with a foreign-safety system more like the USDA. While industry leaders say such a plan would destroy trade, supporters say USDA’s system can at least exercise some control over who can and can’t import in the first place.
“Even though there are little cracks in the system like this Chilean thing, it’s a better system because a country has to get a firm approval from the USDA before they can export their products to the United States,” Corbo said.
Click green for further info
The answer lies in a process that is almost unimaginable in scope without seeing it firsthand. So, fearing the worst — because we all “know” that organic farming is “good” and industrial farming is “bad” — I headed to the Sacramento Valley in California to see a big tomato operation.
I began by touring Bruce Rominger’s farm in Winters. With his brother Rick and as many as 40 employees, Rominger farms around 6,000 acres of tomatoes, wheat, sunflowers, safflower, onions, alfalfa, sheep, rice and more. Unlike many Midwestern farm operations, which grow corn and soy exclusively, here are diversity, crop rotation, cover crops and, for the most part, real food — not crops destined for junk food, animal feed or biofuel. That’s a good start.
On an 82-acre field, tomato plants covered the ground for a hundred yards in every direction. Water and fertilizer are supplied through subsoil irrigation — a network of buried tubing — which reduces waste and runoff and assures roughly uniform delivery along the row. (In older, furrow-irrigated fields — in which ditches next to the rows of plants are flooded with water from a central canal — tomatoes at the ends of rows suffer.)
The tomatoes are bred to ripen simultaneously because there is just one harvest. They’re also blocky in shape, the better to move along conveyor belts. Hundreds of types of tomatoes are grown for processing, bred for acidity, disease resistance, use, sweetness, wall thickness, ripening date and so on. They’re not referred to by cuddly names like “Early Girl” but by number: “BQ 205.”
I tasted two; they had a firm, pleasant texture and mild but real flavor, and were better than any tomatoes — even so-called heirlooms — sold in my supermarket.
I mounted the harvester, a 35-foot-long machine that cuts the vine underground and lifts it into its belly, where belts and sensors return dirt, vine, root and green tomatoes to the soil. (All this material is either turned back into the soil or left for sheep to graze on.) Two people on each side sort the continual stream of tomatoes manually before a conveyor transfers the tomatoes by chute to a gondola. When one gondola is full (it holds 25 tons), it’s replaced by another. This way, Rominger can harvest around 20 acres in a 24-hour period: 1,000 tons. He estimates his cost at $3,000 per acre and hopes for a $500 profit on each. “Of course,” he told me, “sometimes I have a field that collapses on me, and I lose $500.”
Fifty years ago, tomatoes were picked by hand, backbreaking piecework that involved filling and lugging 50-pound boxes. Workers had few rights and suffered much abuse, as did the land: irrigation and fertilizer use were more wasteful, and chemicals were applied liberally and by the calendar, not sparingly by need.
Although the mechanical harvester was controversial when it was first introduced — the United Farm Workers fought its use, fearing it would cost jobs — it revolutionized the industry. (Its impact has been compared to that of the cotton gin.) Yields have more than doubled since the 1960s, and California now produces almost all the canned tomatoes and paste in the United States and more than a third of the world’s. For 12 to 14 weeks every summer, Rominger and other growers are harvesting 24/7.
The canneries also operate nonstop. My next visit was to Pacific Coast Producers (P.C.P.), a co-op down the road. It packs for Walmart, Safeway, Kroger, Ralphs and other major chains. Its annual sales, on 20 million cases of whole, diced, crushed, ground and sliced tomatoes; sauce; paste; and more, are more than $250 million.
Imagine all the tomatoes you’ve ever seen, multiplied by a thousand, and you begin to get some idea of the lineup outside P.C.P., which in a 24-hour period may go through 300 gondolas, holding 7,500 tons all together.
At P.C.P., workers first random-sample the tomatoes in an elaborate process that determines both where on the processing line the tomatoes wind up (an algorithm decides which fruit from which gondolas to combine for the best-tasting sauce, for example) and the exact amount the growers are paid for that load. This year, it’s somewhere around 3.5 cents per pound; if you’re wondering what percentage of the price of the canned tomato you buy goes to the farmer, I’m figuring it’s around 2.
The cannery itself is a whirlwind of moist, intense heat and subway-level noise. At peak times, P.C.P. employs more than 1,000 workers. My liberal heart was bleeding at the thought of minimum wage for this tough work — some (not all) of these workstations are as unpleasant as any I’ve seen — but the plant is unionized. So, according to a P.C.P. spokesman, the average wage is about $17 an hour, and there are benefits.
IT’S far from paradise, but it isn’t hell either. The basic question is this: Are the processes and products healthy, fair, green and affordable?
Workers in the fields have shade, water and breaks; they’re not being paid by the piece. Workers in the plants are not getting rich but they’re doing better than they would working in the fields, or in a fast-food joint.
Rominger is managing his fields conscientiously and, by today’s standards, progressively. He’s also juggling an almost unimaginable array of standards set by the state, by P.C.P. and other processors, and even by his customers, who may say things like, “What are you doing about nitrate runoff?”
The canner P.C.P. is running what appear to be safe and clean production lines while producing close-to-“natural” tomato products that nearly anyone can afford.
Oddly, affordability is not the problem; in fact, the tomatoes are too cheap. If they cost more, farmers like Rominger would be more inclined to grow tomatoes organically; to pay his workers better or offer benefits to more of them; to make a better living himself.
But the processed tomato market is international, with increasing pressure from Italy, China and Mexico. California has advantages, but it still must compete on price. Producers also compete with one another, making it tough for even the most principled ones to increase worker pay. To see change, then, all workers, globally, must be paid better, so that the price of tomatoes goes up across the board.
How does this happen? Unionization, or an increase in the minimum wage, or both. No one would argue that canned tomatoes should be too expensive for poor people, but by increasing minimum wage in the fields and elsewhere, we raise standards of living and increase purchasing power.
The issue is paying enough for food so that everything involved in producing it — land, water, energy and labor — is treated well. And since sustainability is a journey, progress is essential. It would be foolish to assert that we’re anywhere near the destination, but there is progress — even in those areas appropriately called “industrial.”
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Source: NYT
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Special reports
By The Economist Magazine
Click green topic below - some links may have several articles
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About 35 million people worldwide have dementia
In the United States, about 5 million have Alzheimer's disease
Study ties higher blood sugar to dementia risk
Higher blood sugar, even short of diabetes, may raise the risk of dementia, study suggests
Exercising and controlling weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol
are a viable way to delay or prevent dementia
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New research published in the Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013 New England Journal of Medicine
suggests a possible way to help prevent Alzheimer's disease: Keeping blood sugar at a healthy level
A study found that higher glucose levels, even those well short of diabetes, seemed to raise the risk for dementia
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Higher blood-sugar levels, even those well short of diabetes, seem to raise the risk of developing dementia, a major new study finds. Researchers say it suggests a novel way to try to prevent Alzheimer's disease — by keeping glucose at a healthy level.
Alzheimer's is by far the most common form of dementia and it's long been known that diabetes makes it more likely. The new study tracked blood sugar over time in all sorts of people — with and without diabetes — to see how it affects risk for the mind-robbing disease.
The results challenge current thinking by showing that it's not just the high glucose levels of diabetes that are a concern, said the study's leader, Dr. Paul Crane of the University of Washington in Seattle.
"It's a nice, clean pattern" — risk rises as blood sugar does, said Dallas Anderson, a scientist at the National Institute on Aging, the federal agency that paid for the study. Click: National Institute on Aging | The Leader in Aging Researchwww.nia.nih.gov/ Government site with information on research and practical resources for the aging population
"This is part of a larger picture" and adds evidence that exercising and controlling blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are a viable way to delay or prevent dementia, he said.
Because so many attempts to develop effective drugs have failed, "It looks like, at the moment, sort of our best bet," Anderson said. "We have to do something. If we just do nothing and wait around till there's some kind of cocktail of pills, we could be waiting a long time."
About 35 million people worldwide have dementia; in the United States, about 5 million have Alzheimer's disease. What causes it isn't known. Current treatments just temporarily ease symptoms. People who have diabetes don't make enough insulin, or their bodies don't use insulin well, to turn food into energy. That causes sugar in the blood to rise, which can damage the kidneys and other organs — possibly the brain, researchers say.
The new study, published in Thursday's, August, 18, 2013, New England Journal of Medicine, just tracked people and did not test whether lowering someone's blood sugar would help treat or prevent dementia. That would have to be tested in a new study, and people should not seek blood-sugar tests they wouldn't normally get otherwise, Crane said.
"We don't know from a study like this whether bringing down the glucose level will prevent or somehow modify dementia," but it's always a good idea to avoid developing diabetes, he said.
Eating well, exercising and controlling weight & blood pressure all help to keep blood sugar in line.
The study involved 2,067 people 65 and older in the Group Health Cooperative, a Seattle-area health care system. At the start, 232 participants had diabetes; the rest did not. They each had at least five blood-sugar tests within a few years of starting the study and more after it was underway. Researchers averaged these levels over time to even out spikes and dips from testing at various times of day or before or after a meal.
Participants were given standard tests for thinking skills every two years and asked about smoking, exercise and other things that affect dementia risk.
After nearly seven years of follow-up, 524, or one quarter of them, had developed dementia — mostly Alzheimer's disease. Among participants who started out without diabetes, those with higher glucose levels over the previous five years had an 18 percent greater risk of developing dementia than those with lower glucose levels.
Among participants with diabetes at the outset, those with higher blood sugar were 40 percent more likely to develop dementia than diabetics at the lower end of the glucose spectrum.
The effect of blood sugar on dementia risk was seen even when researchers took into account whether participants had the apoE4 gene, which raises the risk for Alzheimer's.
WELCOME PAGE APOE4www.apoe4.net/
WELCOME TO THE APOE4/4 INFORMATION EXCHANGE ... Please feel free to participate in the forum whether you are an APOE4/4 genotype, a doctor or a ...
At least for diabetics, the results suggest that good blood-sugar control is important for cognition, Crane said.
For those without diabetes, "it may be that with the brain, every additional bit of blood sugar that you have is associated with higher risk," he said. "It changes how we think about thresholds, how we think about what is normal, what is abnormal."
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Source: Aug. 8, 2013 New England Journal of Medicine
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
Why Men Need Women: It's Not What You Think
The mere presence of female family members — even infants —
can be enough to nudge men toward being generous, studies show
That's Why Men Need Women
Date: July 20, 2013
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By ADAM GRANT - Adam Grant is a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of “ Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success.”
WHAT makes some men miserly & stingy*) and others generous?
What motivated Bill Gates, for example, to make more than $28 billion in philanthropic gifts while many of his billionaire peers kept relatively tightfisted control over their personal fortunes?
*) miserly & stingy both mean "Unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous"
New evidence reveals a surprising answer. The mere presence of female family members — even infants — can be enough to nudge men in the generous direction.
In a provocative new study, the researchers Michael Dahl, Cristian Dezso and David Gaddis Ross examined generosity and what inspires it in wealthy men. Rather than looking at large-scale charitable giving, they looked at why some male chief executives paid their employees more generously than others. The researchers tracked the wages that male chief executives at more than 10,000 Danish companies paid their employees over the course of a decade.
Interestingly, the chief executives paid their employees less after becoming fathers. On average, after chief executives had a child, they paid about $100 less in annual compensation per employee. To be a good provider, the researchers write, it’s all too common for a male chief executive to claim “his firm’s resources for himself and his growing family, at the expense of his employees.”
But there was a twist. When Professor Dahl’s team examined the data more closely, the changes in pay depended on the gender of the child that the chief executives fathered. They reduced wages after having a son, but not after having a daughter.
Daughters apparently soften fathers and evoke more caretaking tendencies. The speculation is that as we brush our daughters’ hair and take them to dance classes, we become gentler, more empathetic and more other-oriented.
Studies say the emphatic behavior of sisters may rub off their brothers
There are even studies showing that American legislators with daughters (click green: vote more liberally; this is also true of British male voters who have daughters, especially in terms of referendum and policy choices about reproductive rights. “A father takes on some of the preferences of his female offspring,” argue the researchers Andrew Oswald at the University of Warwick and Nattavudh Powdthavee, then at the University of York. For male chief executives, this daughter-driven empathy spike may account for more generous impulses toward employees that temper the temptation toward wage cuts.
Is it possible that proximity to infant girls prompts greater generosity? Additional studies, in a variety of fields, suggest this is the case — and that it might extend beyond daughters. Consider, for example, the series of studies led by the psychologist Paul Van Lange at the Free University in Amsterdam. To figure out what motivates people to act generously, Professor Van Lange and three colleagues set up a game in which more than 600 people made choices about sharing resources with someone they didn’t know and would never meet again. The participants chose between these basic options:
(a) You get $25 and your partner gets $10.
(b) You get $20 and your partner gets $30.
The first option is the selfish one; you’re claiming most of the resources for yourself. The latter option is more generous as it involves sacrificing a small amount ($5) to increase your partner’s gains by a much larger amount ($20).
The players expressed consistent preferences in each of the nine rounds they played on Professor Van Lange’s watch. The data showed that players who made the more generous choices had more siblings. The givers averaged two siblings; the others averaged one and a half siblings. More siblings means more sharing, which seems to predispose people toward giving.
And once again, gender mattered. The givers were 40 percent more likely to have sisters than the people who made more self-serving, competitive choices. (There was no difference in the number of brothers; it was the number of sisters, not siblings, that predicted greater giving.) And Professor Van Lange’s team pointed to another study showing that the more sisters a father has, the more time he spends raising his own children. After growing up with sisters, men who have opportunities to give are more likely to do so.
SOCIAL scientists believe that the empathetic, nurturing behaviors of sisters rub off on their brothers. For example, studies led by the psychologist Alice Eagly at Northwestern University demonstrate that women tend to do more giving and helping in close relationships than men. It might also be that boys feel the impulse — by nature and nurture — to protect their sisters. Indeed, Professor Eagly finds that men are significantly more likely to help women than to help men.
Some of the world’s most charitable men acknowledge the inspiration provided by the women in their lives. Twenty years ago, when Bill Gates was on his way to becoming the world’s richest man, he rejected advice to set up a charitable foundation. He planned to wait a quarter-century before he started giving his money away, but changed his mind the following year. Just three years later, Mr. Gates ranked third on Fortune’s list of the most generous philanthropists in America. In between, he welcomed his first child: a daughter.
Mr. Gates has reflected that two female family members — his mother, Mary, and his wife, Melinda — were major catalysts for his philanthropic surge. Mary “never stopped pressing me to do more for others,” Mr. Gates said in a Harvard commencement speech. The turning point came in 1993, shortly before he and Melinda married. At a wedding event, Mary read a letter aloud that she had written to Melinda about marriage. Her concluding message was reminiscent of the Voltaire (or Spiderman) mantra that great power implies great responsibility: “From those to whom much is given, much is expected.”
Along with guiding much of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s philanthropy, Melinda played a pivotal role in shaping the Giving Pledge. She read a book about a family that sold their home and gave half the proceeds to charity, and began spreading the word about the idea. When Bill Gates and Warren Buffett convened dinners for billionaires to discuss philanthropy, Ms. Gates made sure that wives were invited, too. “Even if he’s the one that made the money, she’s going to be a real gatekeeper,” she said. “And she’s got to go along with any philanthropic plan because it affects her and it affects their kids.”
In a provocative 2007 presentation in San Francisco, the psychologist Roy Baumeister asked, “Is there anything good about men?” (The short answer, if you haven’t read “Demonic Males,” by Dale Peterson and Richard Wrangham, is not much.) But our saving grace, Professor Baumeister argues, is that across a wide range of attributes, “men go to extremes more than women.” Men are responsible for the lion’s share of the worst acts of aggression and selfishness, but they also engage in some of the most extreme acts of helping and generosity.
On this point, the economists James Andreoni at the University of California, San Diego, and Lise Vesterlund at the University of Pittsburgh report evidence that whereas many women prefer to share evenly, “men are more likely to be either perfectly selfish or perfectly selfless.” It may be that meaningful contact with women is one of the forces that tilt men toward greater selflessness.
THE warming effect of women on men has important implications for education and work. In schools, we need to think carefully about how we organize children into groups. In 1971, in the wake of Texas school desegregation, Elliot Aronson, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, validated a (click any green for further info: simple but powerful approach to reducing stereotypes and prejudice.
His core idea was that students would learn to respect and care about one another if they had to rely upon one another when collaborating in small groups toward shared goals. Professor Aronson made each student responsible for teaching the group about a different topic that would be covered on a coming test. It was like working on a jigsaw puzzle: the group needed pieces of information from every member in order to put together the general understanding that would be measured on the test. After the experiment, stereotypes and prejudice fell — the students became significantly less hostile toward one another — and the minority students got better grades.
What would happen if every classroom followed the jigsaw structure, with mixed-gender study groups providing boys with the opportunity to learn from girls? In addition to gaining knowledge, perhaps they would learn something about teaching, helping and caring for others. When some of those boys grow up to become rich men, they might be less like Scrooge and more like Mr. Gates — or at least less likely to become your wealthy neighbor who refuses to pay his share of the hedge trimming. Or your (not so) great-uncle who always flies first class but sends your kids cheap birthday presents.
At work, we sorely need more women in leadership positions. We already know from considerable research that companies are better off when they have more women in top management roles, especially when it comes to innovation. Professors Dezso and Ross have recently shown that between 1992 and 2006, when companies introduced women onto their top management teams, they generated an average of 1 percent more economic value, which typically meant more than $40 million.
We recognize the direct advantages that women as leaders bring to the table, which often include diverse perspectives, collaborative styles, dedication to mentoring and keen understanding of female employees and customers. But we’ve largely overlooked the beneficial effects that women have on the men around them. Is it possible that when women join top management teams, they encourage male colleagues to treat employees more generously and to share knowledge more freely? Increases in motivation, cooperation, and innovation in companies may be fueled not only by the direct actions of female leaders, but also by their influence on male leaders.
It’s often said that behind every great man stands a great woman. In light of the profound influence that women can have on men’s generosity, it might be more accurate to say that in front of every great man walks a great woman. If we’re wise, we’ll follow her lead.
By Adam Grant is a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of “ Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success.”
Source: NYT
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Click the colored area below to connect to the original article with pictures
Why Men Need Women The mere presence of female family members — even infants — can be enough to nudge men toward being generous, studies show.
July 20, 2013 - By ADAM GRANT - Opinion / Sunday Review - Article - Print Headline: "Why Men Need Women"
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 is next above)
Who’s Your Daddy?
By MILES CORAK - Miles Corak is a professor of economics at the University of Ottawa
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Gus Wenner runs Rollingstone.com; his father gave him the job. But Jann Wenner, the magazine’s co-founder and publisher, was quick to assure critics of the appointment process that his son is terribly talented and had to prove himself before being given the reins. Apparently Gus worked his way up from more junior positions with the company, and demonstrated, according to his father, the “drive and discipline and charm, and all the things that show leadership.” Gus Wenner is 22 years old.
He is certainly not the only kid just out of college, or even out of high school, working at daddy’s firm. Family contacts are a common way of finding both temporary internships and longtime careers. But whether because of blatant nepotism and done openly and unashamedly, or a privileged head start in life that nurtures talent and ambition, opportunities for the children of the top 1 percent are not the same as they are for the 99 percent.
This is hardly a shock, but it is precisely the type of inequality that reveals the elusive promise of the “Just Do It” version of the American dream and deepens our cynicism about how people get ahead. As a consequence, it dilutes support for public policies that could address the lack of upward mobility among children born at the bottom, who ought to be given priority.
A strong tie between adult outcomes and family background rubs Americans the wrong way. When the Pew Charitable Trustsconducted a nationally representative poll asking about the meaning of “the American dream,” some typical answers included: “Being free to say or do what you want” and “Being free to accomplish almost anything you want with hard work;” but also “Being able to succeed regardless of the economic circumstances in which you were born.”
This is exactly the reason that “the American dream” is not only a defining metaphor for the country, but also why Americans have long been willing to tolerate a good deal more economic inequality than citizens of many other rich countries. A belief in the possibility of upward mobility not only morally justifies inequality as the expression of talents and energies, but also extends a promise to those with lower incomes. After all, why would you be a strong advocate for reducing inequality if you believe that you, or eventually your children, were likely to climb the income ladder?
Hard work and perseverance will always be ingredients for success, but higher inequality has sharply tilted the landscape and made having successful parents, if not essential, certainly a central part of the recipe.
A child’s prospects are actually more fluid elsewhere, not just in the most equal countries, like Denmark or Sweden, but even in countries like Canada that have moderate levels of inequality, as I demonstrate in a forthcoming paper in the Journal of Economic Perspectives.
American children raised at the top, and at the bottom, are more likely to land on the same rung of the income ladder as their fathers than their Canadian counterparts. More than one-quarter of sons raised by fathers in the top 10 percent stay in the top 10 percent as adults, and another quarter fall no further than the top third. Meanwhile, half of those raised by fathers in the bottom 10 percent remain at the bottom or rise no further than the bottom third. In Canada there is less stickiness at the top, and children raised in the bottom are more likely to rise to the top half in earnings.
Maternal income was left out of this study and others like it because many women were out of the workforce in past generations. This may have made sense once, but no longer. The achievements of the next generations reaching adulthood will reflect the steep rise in the number of working mothers as well as the increasing tendency of high earners to marry each other. Both these trends have raised family incomes in a way that will reinforce privilege and position.
BUT American parents with high aspirations for their children are not packing their bags for Denmark, or even crossing the Canadian border, particularly if they find any appeal in Jann Wenner’s belief in the virtues of talent and energy.
Children, after all, inherit a good deal from their parents: height, beauty, personality, to saying nothing of drive, discipline and perhaps even charm. It should be no surprise that a parent’s and a child’s incomes are correlated if certain genetic traits or aspects of family culture continue to be as important for success now as they were a generation ago. The relatively small and homogeneous Danish population can hardly be compared to a large and ethnically diverse country like America: perhaps there are just fewer visionary and driven entrepreneurs on the coasts of the North Sea who have equally talented children?
The belief that talent is bred in the bone, and that opportunities are open to anyone with ambition and energy, also has a dangerous corollary. When the lens of public policy is focused on the plight of the poor, this belief can help revive the laissez-faire conception of the poor as “undeserving,” the authors of their own predicament. Yet we actually know a good deal about why children of the poor have a higher chance of being stuck in poverty as adults.
The recipes for breaking this intergenerational trap are clear: a nurturing environment in the early years combined with accessible and high-quality health care and education promote the capacities of young children, heighten the development of their skills as they grow older, and ultimately raise their chances of upward mobility.
Talent is nurtured and developed, and even genes are expressed differently depending upon environmental influences.
It is not just demography and inbred entrepreneurial spirit that make the tie between parent and child incomes stronger in America than any other rich country to which it is commonly compared. Differences in public policies also play a role. Less inequality makes opportunity-enhancing policies that are of relatively larger benefit to lower-income families easier to introduce and sustain. Ontario, the most populous Canadian province, is introducing full-day kindergarten, accessible to all 4- and 5-year-olds, without fanfare or a hint of the kind of rhetorical rancor and calamitous opposition that the Obama administration has faced for its proposal to do the same.
THE Danish and Canadian top 1 percent certainly have their share of privilege: the Gus Wenners of the world, talented or not, are not rare. A recent study published by the Russell Sage Foundation showed that about 30 percent of young Danes and 40 percent of Canadians had worked with a firm that at some point also employed their fathers. This is more likely the higher the father’s place on the income ladder, rising distinctly and sharply for top earners. In Denmark more than half of sons born to the top 1 percent of fathers had worked for an employer for whom the father also worked, and in Canada the proportion is even higher at nearly 7 of every 10.
This is on a par with the United States, where, according to a 2006 study, up to half of jobs are found through families, friends or acquaintances, with higher wages being paid to those who found jobs through “prior generation male relatives” who actually knew the potential employer or served as a reference.
The difference is that Danes, Swedes and even Canadians are able to promote mobility for the majority while continuing to live with a dynasty at the top. It is the lack of a cleareyed focus on the top, free from rhetoric about talent and the pursuit of dreams, that is keeping Americans from effectively promoting upward mobility.
This intergenerational transmission of employers has little to do with the exceptional talent that produces the next Steve Jobs. There is more than a one-in-three chance that newly appointed C.E.O.’s of American family firms will have a family connection. Yet these firms are more likely to experience a subsequent decline in performance than those promoting from outside.
Family members do not on average have a distinctly more valuable set of skills or managerial talent, but the belief that they do remains an important thread running through the American dream and sustains the aspirations of Americans in, roughly speaking, the top fifth of the income distribution.
The 1 percent are an important touchstone for these upper-middle-class families, who after all have also experienced significant growth in their relative standing. The graduate and other higher degrees that they hold, and for which they exerted considerable effort, have put them on the upside of the wave of globalization and technical change that has transformed the American job market.
An era of higher inequality gives them both more resources to promote the capacities of their children, and more incentive to make these investments since their children now have all the more to gain. It is not unreasonable for these aspiring families to believe that with a little more effort they may yet cross the threshold into the top 1 percent, and they can certainly imagine that their children stand just as good a chance, if not better.
For them, an American dream based on effort, talent and just deserts still lives, and as a result they are likely to be less and less predisposed, with their considerable cultural and political influence, to support the recasting of American public policy to meet its most pressing need: the prospects of those at the bottom.
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Source: Miles Corak is a professor of economics at the University of Ottawa & NYT
Click green below for the original text in the New York times:
See the next article below relating to this same topic: Schools with most billionaires....
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Real cases:
This 8-Year-Old Never Ages,
Could Reveal 'Biological Immortality'*)
and other similar cases
*) This doesn't mean that we will never die. Disease and accidents will still end human life.
But we wouldn't have the later years -- we'd remain physically and functionally able.
That is why the researchers believe the study of Gabby Williams' genetic code is so important.
She fits the model.
Click green for further info
Gabby Williams has the facial features and skin of a newborn, and she is just as dependent
Her mother feeds, diapers and cradles her tiny frame as she did the day she was born
The little girl from Billings, Mont., is 8 years old, but weighs only 11 pounds. Gabby has a mysterious condition, shared by only a handful of others in the world, that slows her rate of aging
For the past two years, a doctor who has been trying to find the genetic off-switch to stop the aging process has been studying Gabby, as well as two other people who have striking similarities.
Why the 'Benjamin Button' children never age
A 29-year-old Florida man has the body of a 10-year-old, and a 31-year-old Brazilian woman is the size of a 2-year-old. Like Gabby, neither seems to grow older.
"In some people, something happens to them and the development process is retarded," said medical researcher Richard F. Walker. "The rate of change in the body slows and is negligible (= small)."
16-year-old is the size of a toddler.
Walker is retired from the University of Florida Medical School and now does his research at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.
"My whole career has been focused on the aging process." "My fixation has been not on the consequences but the cause of it."
Not only do the people he's studying have a growth rate of one-fifth the speed of others, but they live with a variety of other medical problems, including deafness, the inability to walk, eat or even speak.
"Gabrielle hasn't changed since pretty much forever," said her mother, Mary Margret Williams, 38. "She has gotten a little longer and we have jumped into putting her in size 3-6 month clothes instead of 0-3 months for the footies.
"Last time we weighed her she was up a pound to 11 pounds and she's gotten a few more haircuts. "Other than that, she hasn't changed much since 2012."
Williams, who works part-time at a dermatologist's office, and her husband, a corrections officer for the state, share the child care responsibilities for their perpetual infant.
Walker explains that physiological change, or what he calls "developmental inertia*)," is essential for human growth. Maturation occurs after reproduction.
*) inertia = The resistance of a body to changes in its momentum. Because of inertia, a body at rest remains at rest, and a body in motion continues moving in a straight line and at a constant speed, unless a force is applied to it. Mass can be considered a measure of a body's inertia. See more at (click) Newton's laws of motion, See also (click) mass.
"Without that process we never develop," he said. "When we develop, all the pieces of our body come together and change and are coordinated. Otherwise, there would be chaos."
But, said Walker, the body does not have a "stop switch" for this development. "What happens is we become mature at age 20 and continue to change."
The first subtle internal body changes of aging are seen in the 30s and become more visible in the 40s.
"There is a progressive erosion of internal order as a result of developmental inertia," he said.
In one of the girls Walker has studied, he found damage to one of the genes that causes developmental inertia, a finding that he said is significant. He also suspects the mutations are on the regulatory genes on the second female X chromosome.
"If we could identify the gene and then at young adulthood we could silence the expression of developmental inertia, find an off-switch, when you do that, there is perfect homeostasis *) and you are biologically immortal."
*) homeostasis = a relatively stable state of equilibrium or a tendency toward such a state between the different but interdependent elements or groups of elements of an organism, population, or group
Walker doesn't mean that people will never die. Disease and accidents will still end human life.
"But we wouldn't have the later years -- we'd remain physically and functionally able," he said.
That is why he believes his study of Gabby Williams' genetic code is so important. "She fits the model," said Walker.
"We've been on this journey to find out, are my other children at any risk in having a child like Gabrielle," said Williams, who has five other children between the ages of 1 and 10.
"We did find out with Dr. Walker when he did the [gene] sequencing that it's not something we can pass on but just an abnormality, a mutated gene that was just happenstance (= coincidence, accident)," she said. "That was a relief for us."
At first, when the Williams family members found out about Walker's research, they hesitated to become guinea pigs in the studies that would promote a so-called "fountain of youth."
"There was some concern," she said. "We are good Catholics, God-fearing people and we believe we are meant to get old -- the process of life -- and meant to die. It was scary to think about, and we did not want to be part of it."
But as they talked further with Walker, the family realized that his research was designed to help people struggling with the impairments of old age.
"Alzheimer's is one of the scariest diseases out there," said Williams. "If what Gabrielle holds inside of her would find a cure -- for sure we would be a part of the research project. We have faith that Dr. Walker and the scientific community do find something focused more on the disease of aging, rather than making you 35 for the rest of your life."
As for Gabby's life span, her doctors cannot say what that will look like.
"From the time of her birth, we didn't think she would be with us very long," said her mother. "The fact is she is now going on 9 years. She kind of surpassed my expectations from the get go.
"It's not something I worry about," said Williams, who said she trusts that God has a plan for her infantile daughter.
"When he is ready to take her back, it will be sad," she said. "But what a glorious thing it will be for Gabby to go to heaven one day. I know it will happen, but I am not hoping it's any day soon."
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Source:
Internet News
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About 35 million people worldwide have dementia
In the United States, about 5 million have Alzheimer's disease
Study ties higher blood sugar to dementia risk
Higher blood sugar, even short of diabetes, may raise the risk of dementia, study suggests
Exercising and controlling weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol
are a viable way to delay or prevent dementia
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New research published in the Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013 New England Journal of Medicine
suggests a possible way to help prevent Alzheimer's disease: Keeping blood sugar at a healthy level
A study found that higher glucose levels, even those well short of diabetes, seemed to raise the risk for dementia
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Higher blood-sugar levels, even those well short of diabetes, seem to raise the risk of developing dementia, a major new study finds. Researchers say it suggests a novel way to try to prevent Alzheimer's disease — by keeping glucose at a healthy level.
Alzheimer's is by far the most common form of dementia and it's long been known that diabetes makes it more likely. The new study tracked blood sugar over time in all sorts of people — with and without diabetes — to see how it affects risk for the mind-robbing disease.
The results challenge current thinking by showing that it's not just the high glucose levels of diabetes that are a concern, said the study's leader, Dr. Paul Crane of the University of Washington in Seattle.
"It's a nice, clean pattern" — risk rises as blood sugar does, said Dallas Anderson, a scientist at the National Institute on Aging, the federal agency that paid for the study. Click: National Institute on Aging | The Leader in Aging Researchwww.nia.nih.gov/ Government site with information on research and practical resources for the aging population
"This is part of a larger picture" and adds evidence that exercising and controlling blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are a viable way to delay or prevent dementia, he said.
Because so many attempts to develop effective drugs have failed, "It looks like, at the moment, sort of our best bet," Anderson said. "We have to do something. If we just do nothing and wait around till there's some kind of cocktail of pills, we could be waiting a long time."
About 35 million people worldwide have dementia; in the United States, about 5 million have Alzheimer's disease. What causes it isn't known. Current treatments just temporarily ease symptoms. People who have diabetes don't make enough insulin, or their bodies don't use insulin well, to turn food into energy. That causes sugar in the blood to rise, which can damage the kidneys and other organs — possibly the brain, researchers say.
The new study, published in Thursday's, August, 18, 2013, New England Journal of Medicine, just tracked people and did not test whether lowering someone's blood sugar would help treat or prevent dementia. That would have to be tested in a new study, and people should not seek blood-sugar tests they wouldn't normally get otherwise, Crane said.
"We don't know from a study like this whether bringing down the glucose level will prevent or somehow modify dementia," but it's always a good idea to avoid developing diabetes, he said.
Eating well, exercising and controlling weight & blood pressure all help to keep blood sugar in line.
The study involved 2,067 people 65 and older in the Group Health Cooperative, a Seattle-area health care system. At the start, 232 participants had diabetes; the rest did not. They each had at least five blood-sugar tests within a few years of starting the study and more after it was underway. Researchers averaged these levels over time to even out spikes and dips from testing at various times of day or before or after a meal.
Participants were given standard tests for thinking skills every two years and asked about smoking, exercise and other things that affect dementia risk.
After nearly seven years of follow-up, 524, or one quarter of them, had developed dementia — mostly Alzheimer's disease. Among participants who started out without diabetes, those with higher glucose levels over the previous five years had an 18 percent greater risk of developing dementia than those with lower glucose levels.
Among participants with diabetes at the outset, those with higher blood sugar were 40 percent more likely to develop dementia than diabetics at the lower end of the glucose spectrum.
The effect of blood sugar on dementia risk was seen even when researchers took into account whether participants had the apoE4 gene, which raises the risk for Alzheimer's.
WELCOME PAGE APOE4www.apoe4.net/
WELCOME TO THE APOE4/4 INFORMATION EXCHANGE ... Please feel free to participate in the forum whether you are an APOE4/4 genotype, a doctor or a ...
At least for diabetics, the results suggest that good blood-sugar control is important for cognition, Crane said.
For those without diabetes, "it may be that with the brain, every additional bit of blood sugar that you have is associated with higher risk," he said. "It changes how we think about thresholds, how we think about what is normal, what is abnormal."
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Source: Aug. 8, 2013 New England Journal of Medicine
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Article 1 of 2 (Article 2 of 2 next below)
Why Men Need Women: It's Not What You Think
The mere presence of female family members — even infants —
can be enough to nudge men toward being generous, studies show
That's Why Men Need Women
Date: July 20, 2013
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By ADAM GRANT - Adam Grant is a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of “ Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success.”
WHAT makes some men miserly & stingy*) and others generous?
What motivated Bill Gates, for example, to make more than $28 billion in philanthropic gifts while many of his billionaire peers kept relatively tightfisted control over their personal fortunes?
*) miserly & stingy both mean "Unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous"
New evidence reveals a surprising answer. The mere presence of female family members — even infants — can be enough to nudge men in the generous direction.
In a provocative new study, the researchers Michael Dahl, Cristian Dezso and David Gaddis Ross examined generosity and what inspires it in wealthy men. Rather than looking at large-scale charitable giving, they looked at why some male chief executives paid their employees more generously than others. The researchers tracked the wages that male chief executives at more than 10,000 Danish companies paid their employees over the course of a decade.
Interestingly, the chief executives paid their employees less after becoming fathers. On average, after chief executives had a child, they paid about $100 less in annual compensation per employee. To be a good provider, the researchers write, it’s all too common for a male chief executive to claim “his firm’s resources for himself and his growing family, at the expense of his employees.”
But there was a twist. When Professor Dahl’s team examined the data more closely, the changes in pay depended on the gender of the child that the chief executives fathered. They reduced wages after having a son, but not after having a daughter.
Daughters apparently soften fathers and evoke more caretaking tendencies. The speculation is that as we brush our daughters’ hair and take them to dance classes, we become gentler, more empathetic and more other-oriented.
Studies say the emphatic behavior of sisters may rub off their brothers
There are even studies showing that American legislators with daughters (click green: vote more liberally; this is also true of British male voters who have daughters, especially in terms of referendum and policy choices about reproductive rights. “A father takes on some of the preferences of his female offspring,” argue the researchers Andrew Oswald at the University of Warwick and Nattavudh Powdthavee, then at the University of York. For male chief executives, this daughter-driven empathy spike may account for more generous impulses toward employees that temper the temptation toward wage cuts.
Is it possible that proximity to infant girls prompts greater generosity? Additional studies, in a variety of fields, suggest this is the case — and that it might extend beyond daughters. Consider, for example, the series of studies led by the psychologist Paul Van Lange at the Free University in Amsterdam. To figure out what motivates people to act generously, Professor Van Lange and three colleagues set up a game in which more than 600 people made choices about sharing resources with someone they didn’t know and would never meet again. The participants chose between these basic options:
(a) You get $25 and your partner gets $10.
(b) You get $20 and your partner gets $30.
The first option is the selfish one; you’re claiming most of the resources for yourself. The latter option is more generous as it involves sacrificing a small amount ($5) to increase your partner’s gains by a much larger amount ($20).
The players expressed consistent preferences in each of the nine rounds they played on Professor Van Lange’s watch. The data showed that players who made the more generous choices had more siblings. The givers averaged two siblings; the others averaged one and a half siblings. More siblings means more sharing, which seems to predispose people toward giving.
And once again, gender mattered. The givers were 40 percent more likely to have sisters than the people who made more self-serving, competitive choices. (There was no difference in the number of brothers; it was the number of sisters, not siblings, that predicted greater giving.) And Professor Van Lange’s team pointed to another study showing that the more sisters a father has, the more time he spends raising his own children. After growing up with sisters, men who have opportunities to give are more likely to do so.
SOCIAL scientists believe that the empathetic, nurturing behaviors of sisters rub off on their brothers. For example, studies led by the psychologist Alice Eagly at Northwestern University demonstrate that women tend to do more giving and helping in close relationships than men. It might also be that boys feel the impulse — by nature and nurture — to protect their sisters. Indeed, Professor Eagly finds that men are significantly more likely to help women than to help men.
Some of the world’s most charitable men acknowledge the inspiration provided by the women in their lives. Twenty years ago, when Bill Gates was on his way to becoming the world’s richest man, he rejected advice to set up a charitable foundation. He planned to wait a quarter-century before he started giving his money away, but changed his mind the following year. Just three years later, Mr. Gates ranked third on Fortune’s list of the most generous philanthropists in America. In between, he welcomed his first child: a daughter.
Mr. Gates has reflected that two female family members — his mother, Mary, and his wife, Melinda — were major catalysts for his philanthropic surge. Mary “never stopped pressing me to do more for others,” Mr. Gates said in a Harvard commencement speech. The turning point came in 1993, shortly before he and Melinda married. At a wedding event, Mary read a letter aloud that she had written to Melinda about marriage. Her concluding message was reminiscent of the Voltaire (or Spiderman) mantra that great power implies great responsibility: “From those to whom much is given, much is expected.”
Along with guiding much of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s philanthropy, Melinda played a pivotal role in shaping the Giving Pledge. She read a book about a family that sold their home and gave half the proceeds to charity, and began spreading the word about the idea. When Bill Gates and Warren Buffett convened dinners for billionaires to discuss philanthropy, Ms. Gates made sure that wives were invited, too. “Even if he’s the one that made the money, she’s going to be a real gatekeeper,” she said. “And she’s got to go along with any philanthropic plan because it affects her and it affects their kids.”
In a provocative 2007 presentation in San Francisco, the psychologist Roy Baumeister asked, “Is there anything good about men?” (The short answer, if you haven’t read “Demonic Males,” by Dale Peterson and Richard Wrangham, is not much.) But our saving grace, Professor Baumeister argues, is that across a wide range of attributes, “men go to extremes more than women.” Men are responsible for the lion’s share of the worst acts of aggression and selfishness, but they also engage in some of the most extreme acts of helping and generosity.
On this point, the economists James Andreoni at the University of California, San Diego, and Lise Vesterlund at the University of Pittsburgh report evidence that whereas many women prefer to share evenly, “men are more likely to be either perfectly selfish or perfectly selfless.” It may be that meaningful contact with women is one of the forces that tilt men toward greater selflessness.
THE warming effect of women on men has important implications for education and work. In schools, we need to think carefully about how we organize children into groups. In 1971, in the wake of Texas school desegregation, Elliot Aronson, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, validated a (click any green for further info: simple but powerful approach to reducing stereotypes and prejudice.
His core idea was that students would learn to respect and care about one another if they had to rely upon one another when collaborating in small groups toward shared goals. Professor Aronson made each student responsible for teaching the group about a different topic that would be covered on a coming test. It was like working on a jigsaw puzzle: the group needed pieces of information from every member in order to put together the general understanding that would be measured on the test. After the experiment, stereotypes and prejudice fell — the students became significantly less hostile toward one another — and the minority students got better grades.
What would happen if every classroom followed the jigsaw structure, with mixed-gender study groups providing boys with the opportunity to learn from girls? In addition to gaining knowledge, perhaps they would learn something about teaching, helping and caring for others. When some of those boys grow up to become rich men, they might be less like Scrooge and more like Mr. Gates — or at least less likely to become your wealthy neighbor who refuses to pay his share of the hedge trimming. Or your (not so) great-uncle who always flies first class but sends your kids cheap birthday presents.
At work, we sorely need more women in leadership positions. We already know from considerable research that companies are better off when they have more women in top management roles, especially when it comes to innovation. Professors Dezso and Ross have recently shown that between 1992 and 2006, when companies introduced women onto their top management teams, they generated an average of 1 percent more economic value, which typically meant more than $40 million.
We recognize the direct advantages that women as leaders bring to the table, which often include diverse perspectives, collaborative styles, dedication to mentoring and keen understanding of female employees and customers. But we’ve largely overlooked the beneficial effects that women have on the men around them. Is it possible that when women join top management teams, they encourage male colleagues to treat employees more generously and to share knowledge more freely? Increases in motivation, cooperation, and innovation in companies may be fueled not only by the direct actions of female leaders, but also by their influence on male leaders.
It’s often said that behind every great man stands a great woman. In light of the profound influence that women can have on men’s generosity, it might be more accurate to say that in front of every great man walks a great woman. If we’re wise, we’ll follow her lead.
By Adam Grant is a professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of “ Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success.”
Source: NYT
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Click the colored area below to connect to the original article with pictures
Why Men Need Women The mere presence of female family members — even infants — can be enough to nudge men toward being generous, studies show.
July 20, 2013 - By ADAM GRANT - Opinion / Sunday Review - Article - Print Headline: "Why Men Need Women"
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Article 2 of 2 (Article 1 of 2 is next above)
Who’s Your Daddy?
By MILES CORAK - Miles Corak is a professor of economics at the University of Ottawa
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Gus Wenner runs Rollingstone.com; his father gave him the job. But Jann Wenner, the magazine’s co-founder and publisher, was quick to assure critics of the appointment process that his son is terribly talented and had to prove himself before being given the reins. Apparently Gus worked his way up from more junior positions with the company, and demonstrated, according to his father, the “drive and discipline and charm, and all the things that show leadership.” Gus Wenner is 22 years old.
He is certainly not the only kid just out of college, or even out of high school, working at daddy’s firm. Family contacts are a common way of finding both temporary internships and longtime careers. But whether because of blatant nepotism and done openly and unashamedly, or a privileged head start in life that nurtures talent and ambition, opportunities for the children of the top 1 percent are not the same as they are for the 99 percent.
This is hardly a shock, but it is precisely the type of inequality that reveals the elusive promise of the “Just Do It” version of the American dream and deepens our cynicism about how people get ahead. As a consequence, it dilutes support for public policies that could address the lack of upward mobility among children born at the bottom, who ought to be given priority.
A strong tie between adult outcomes and family background rubs Americans the wrong way. When the Pew Charitable Trustsconducted a nationally representative poll asking about the meaning of “the American dream,” some typical answers included: “Being free to say or do what you want” and “Being free to accomplish almost anything you want with hard work;” but also “Being able to succeed regardless of the economic circumstances in which you were born.”
This is exactly the reason that “the American dream” is not only a defining metaphor for the country, but also why Americans have long been willing to tolerate a good deal more economic inequality than citizens of many other rich countries. A belief in the possibility of upward mobility not only morally justifies inequality as the expression of talents and energies, but also extends a promise to those with lower incomes. After all, why would you be a strong advocate for reducing inequality if you believe that you, or eventually your children, were likely to climb the income ladder?
Hard work and perseverance will always be ingredients for success, but higher inequality has sharply tilted the landscape and made having successful parents, if not essential, certainly a central part of the recipe.
A child’s prospects are actually more fluid elsewhere, not just in the most equal countries, like Denmark or Sweden, but even in countries like Canada that have moderate levels of inequality, as I demonstrate in a forthcoming paper in the Journal of Economic Perspectives.
American children raised at the top, and at the bottom, are more likely to land on the same rung of the income ladder as their fathers than their Canadian counterparts. More than one-quarter of sons raised by fathers in the top 10 percent stay in the top 10 percent as adults, and another quarter fall no further than the top third. Meanwhile, half of those raised by fathers in the bottom 10 percent remain at the bottom or rise no further than the bottom third. In Canada there is less stickiness at the top, and children raised in the bottom are more likely to rise to the top half in earnings.
Maternal income was left out of this study and others like it because many women were out of the workforce in past generations. This may have made sense once, but no longer. The achievements of the next generations reaching adulthood will reflect the steep rise in the number of working mothers as well as the increasing tendency of high earners to marry each other. Both these trends have raised family incomes in a way that will reinforce privilege and position.
BUT American parents with high aspirations for their children are not packing their bags for Denmark, or even crossing the Canadian border, particularly if they find any appeal in Jann Wenner’s belief in the virtues of talent and energy.
Children, after all, inherit a good deal from their parents: height, beauty, personality, to saying nothing of drive, discipline and perhaps even charm. It should be no surprise that a parent’s and a child’s incomes are correlated if certain genetic traits or aspects of family culture continue to be as important for success now as they were a generation ago. The relatively small and homogeneous Danish population can hardly be compared to a large and ethnically diverse country like America: perhaps there are just fewer visionary and driven entrepreneurs on the coasts of the North Sea who have equally talented children?
The belief that talent is bred in the bone, and that opportunities are open to anyone with ambition and energy, also has a dangerous corollary. When the lens of public policy is focused on the plight of the poor, this belief can help revive the laissez-faire conception of the poor as “undeserving,” the authors of their own predicament. Yet we actually know a good deal about why children of the poor have a higher chance of being stuck in poverty as adults.
The recipes for breaking this intergenerational trap are clear: a nurturing environment in the early years combined with accessible and high-quality health care and education promote the capacities of young children, heighten the development of their skills as they grow older, and ultimately raise their chances of upward mobility.
Talent is nurtured and developed, and even genes are expressed differently depending upon environmental influences.
It is not just demography and inbred entrepreneurial spirit that make the tie between parent and child incomes stronger in America than any other rich country to which it is commonly compared. Differences in public policies also play a role. Less inequality makes opportunity-enhancing policies that are of relatively larger benefit to lower-income families easier to introduce and sustain. Ontario, the most populous Canadian province, is introducing full-day kindergarten, accessible to all 4- and 5-year-olds, without fanfare or a hint of the kind of rhetorical rancor and calamitous opposition that the Obama administration has faced for its proposal to do the same.
THE Danish and Canadian top 1 percent certainly have their share of privilege: the Gus Wenners of the world, talented or not, are not rare. A recent study published by the Russell Sage Foundation showed that about 30 percent of young Danes and 40 percent of Canadians had worked with a firm that at some point also employed their fathers. This is more likely the higher the father’s place on the income ladder, rising distinctly and sharply for top earners. In Denmark more than half of sons born to the top 1 percent of fathers had worked for an employer for whom the father also worked, and in Canada the proportion is even higher at nearly 7 of every 10.
This is on a par with the United States, where, according to a 2006 study, up to half of jobs are found through families, friends or acquaintances, with higher wages being paid to those who found jobs through “prior generation male relatives” who actually knew the potential employer or served as a reference.
The difference is that Danes, Swedes and even Canadians are able to promote mobility for the majority while continuing to live with a dynasty at the top. It is the lack of a cleareyed focus on the top, free from rhetoric about talent and the pursuit of dreams, that is keeping Americans from effectively promoting upward mobility.
This intergenerational transmission of employers has little to do with the exceptional talent that produces the next Steve Jobs. There is more than a one-in-three chance that newly appointed C.E.O.’s of American family firms will have a family connection. Yet these firms are more likely to experience a subsequent decline in performance than those promoting from outside.
Family members do not on average have a distinctly more valuable set of skills or managerial talent, but the belief that they do remains an important thread running through the American dream and sustains the aspirations of Americans in, roughly speaking, the top fifth of the income distribution.
The 1 percent are an important touchstone for these upper-middle-class families, who after all have also experienced significant growth in their relative standing. The graduate and other higher degrees that they hold, and for which they exerted considerable effort, have put them on the upside of the wave of globalization and technical change that has transformed the American job market.
An era of higher inequality gives them both more resources to promote the capacities of their children, and more incentive to make these investments since their children now have all the more to gain. It is not unreasonable for these aspiring families to believe that with a little more effort they may yet cross the threshold into the top 1 percent, and they can certainly imagine that their children stand just as good a chance, if not better.
For them, an American dream based on effort, talent and just deserts still lives, and as a result they are likely to be less and less predisposed, with their considerable cultural and political influence, to support the recasting of American public policy to meet its most pressing need: the prospects of those at the bottom.
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Source: Miles Corak is a professor of economics at the University of Ottawa & NYT
Click green below for the original text in the New York times:
- Who's Your Daddy? ... Better job opportunities, better Colleges, for the children of the top 1 percent deepen our cynicism about how people get ahead.
July 20, 2013 - By MILES CORAK - Opinion - Print Headline: "Who’s Your Daddy?"
See the next article below relating to this same topic: Schools with most billionaires....
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Real cases:
This 8-Year-Old Never Ages,
Could Reveal 'Biological Immortality'*)
and other similar cases
*) This doesn't mean that we will never die. Disease and accidents will still end human life.
But we wouldn't have the later years -- we'd remain physically and functionally able.
That is why the researchers believe the study of Gabby Williams' genetic code is so important.
She fits the model.
Click green for further info
Gabby Williams has the facial features and skin of a newborn, and she is just as dependent
Her mother feeds, diapers and cradles her tiny frame as she did the day she was born
The little girl from Billings, Mont., is 8 years old, but weighs only 11 pounds. Gabby has a mysterious condition, shared by only a handful of others in the world, that slows her rate of aging
For the past two years, a doctor who has been trying to find the genetic off-switch to stop the aging process has been studying Gabby, as well as two other people who have striking similarities.
Why the 'Benjamin Button' children never age
A 29-year-old Florida man has the body of a 10-year-old, and a 31-year-old Brazilian woman is the size of a 2-year-old. Like Gabby, neither seems to grow older.
"In some people, something happens to them and the development process is retarded," said medical researcher Richard F. Walker. "The rate of change in the body slows and is negligible (= small)."
16-year-old is the size of a toddler.
Walker is retired from the University of Florida Medical School and now does his research at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.
"My whole career has been focused on the aging process." "My fixation has been not on the consequences but the cause of it."
Not only do the people he's studying have a growth rate of one-fifth the speed of others, but they live with a variety of other medical problems, including deafness, the inability to walk, eat or even speak.
"Gabrielle hasn't changed since pretty much forever," said her mother, Mary Margret Williams, 38. "She has gotten a little longer and we have jumped into putting her in size 3-6 month clothes instead of 0-3 months for the footies.
"Last time we weighed her she was up a pound to 11 pounds and she's gotten a few more haircuts. "Other than that, she hasn't changed much since 2012."
Williams, who works part-time at a dermatologist's office, and her husband, a corrections officer for the state, share the child care responsibilities for their perpetual infant.
Walker explains that physiological change, or what he calls "developmental inertia*)," is essential for human growth. Maturation occurs after reproduction.
*) inertia = The resistance of a body to changes in its momentum. Because of inertia, a body at rest remains at rest, and a body in motion continues moving in a straight line and at a constant speed, unless a force is applied to it. Mass can be considered a measure of a body's inertia. See more at (click) Newton's laws of motion, See also (click) mass.
"Without that process we never develop," he said. "When we develop, all the pieces of our body come together and change and are coordinated. Otherwise, there would be chaos."
But, said Walker, the body does not have a "stop switch" for this development. "What happens is we become mature at age 20 and continue to change."
The first subtle internal body changes of aging are seen in the 30s and become more visible in the 40s.
"There is a progressive erosion of internal order as a result of developmental inertia," he said.
In one of the girls Walker has studied, he found damage to one of the genes that causes developmental inertia, a finding that he said is significant. He also suspects the mutations are on the regulatory genes on the second female X chromosome.
"If we could identify the gene and then at young adulthood we could silence the expression of developmental inertia, find an off-switch, when you do that, there is perfect homeostasis *) and you are biologically immortal."
*) homeostasis = a relatively stable state of equilibrium or a tendency toward such a state between the different but interdependent elements or groups of elements of an organism, population, or group
Walker doesn't mean that people will never die. Disease and accidents will still end human life.
"But we wouldn't have the later years -- we'd remain physically and functionally able," he said.
That is why he believes his study of Gabby Williams' genetic code is so important. "She fits the model," said Walker.
"We've been on this journey to find out, are my other children at any risk in having a child like Gabrielle," said Williams, who has five other children between the ages of 1 and 10.
"We did find out with Dr. Walker when he did the [gene] sequencing that it's not something we can pass on but just an abnormality, a mutated gene that was just happenstance (= coincidence, accident)," she said. "That was a relief for us."
At first, when the Williams family members found out about Walker's research, they hesitated to become guinea pigs in the studies that would promote a so-called "fountain of youth."
"There was some concern," she said. "We are good Catholics, God-fearing people and we believe we are meant to get old -- the process of life -- and meant to die. It was scary to think about, and we did not want to be part of it."
But as they talked further with Walker, the family realized that his research was designed to help people struggling with the impairments of old age.
"Alzheimer's is one of the scariest diseases out there," said Williams. "If what Gabrielle holds inside of her would find a cure -- for sure we would be a part of the research project. We have faith that Dr. Walker and the scientific community do find something focused more on the disease of aging, rather than making you 35 for the rest of your life."
As for Gabby's life span, her doctors cannot say what that will look like.
"From the time of her birth, we didn't think she would be with us very long," said her mother. "The fact is she is now going on 9 years. She kind of surpassed my expectations from the get go.
"It's not something I worry about," said Williams, who said she trusts that God has a plan for her infantile daughter.
"When he is ready to take her back, it will be sad," she said. "But what a glorious thing it will be for Gabby to go to heaven one day. I know it will happen, but I am not hoping it's any day soon."
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Source:
Internet News
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Article 1 of 3
Schools with most billionaires
Why Harvard Mints Mega-Rich Alums
Date: February 2013
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has its hedge-fund quants, the University of Southern California has its movie moguls. But if you really want your child to be a billionaire, you might want to send them to Harvard.
Harvard has graduated some 52 billionaires, with a collective fortune of $205 billion, to lead Wealth-X's global list of universities ranked by alumni worth $1 billion or more. That's nearly twice as many as the No. 2 school, the University of Pennsylvania, which has 28 billionaire alumni worth a collective $112 billion.
And these numbers don't include either Microsoft (MSFT)'s Bill Gates or Facebook (FB)'s Mark Zuckerberg, both of whom attended Harvard but didn't stay to get their degree. Together they are worth some $45 billion.
(Read more: 20 Stocks with the Potential to Pop)
Before dismissing Harvard is a domain of rich kids who mostly inherit their wealth, consider that the school also claimed the highest percentage of self-made billionaires in the study. Seventy-four percent of the school's billionaire alumni "built that".
"It shows the power of networks," said David Friedman, president of Wealth-X. "Harvard has this entrenched, powerful network that extends across so many sectors and is incredibly pro-active about connecting its alumni. You get a great education, but you also get access."
Harvard's success, said Friedman, "validates what we all whisper and now we know: It's not just what you know, it's who you know."
Read More: Cities That Mint Millionaires the Fastest - SEE the article just below
Other schools can boast about their networks, too, particularly those with lines into technology and other leading fields for growing wealth.As the chart below shows, Stanford University, in the heart of Silicon Valley, has 27 billionaires to its credit, ranking third. M.I.T., sixth on the list with 15 billionaires, has sprinkled its number-crunching analysts throughout Wall Street and hedge funds. The University of Cambridge, the only school outside the United States to make the top 10, is a high-tech leader in the U.K.
And in the broader category of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, which Wealth-X defines as those worth $30 million or more, "there are smaller clusters of successful graduates who have drawn in other alumni," Friedman noted. The University of Virginia, for instance, has many fewer billionaires, but outdid Harvard for the highest percentage of self-made wealthy, at 79 percent.
Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia, is a launching pad for women. Seventeen percent of their ultra-high-net-worth graduates are women. Among top American universities, Northwestern and Brown are conducive to female wealth with 15 percent and 14 percent.
But Harvard led in every other category in the Wealth-X rankings. Its ultra-high-net-worth graduates' sheer numbers - totaling close to 3,000 - and their outsized total net worth of $622 billion is enough to make parents whose children won't be going feel left out.
Read More: Millionaires Say They Are Better Off Than in 2007
Some quick math, Friedman pointed out, provides a little balm for those suffering from elite education envy. In all, the universities mentioned in Wealth-X's report have helped create 14,355 ultra-high-net-worth individuals out of a total global population of more than 186,000, or about 7 percent. "That leaves 93 percent of the world's super-rich," Friedman said, "who did just fine without attending a top ranked school."
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Schools with most billionaires
Why Harvard Mints Mega-Rich Alums
Date: February 2013
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has its hedge-fund quants, the University of Southern California has its movie moguls. But if you really want your child to be a billionaire, you might want to send them to Harvard.
Harvard has graduated some 52 billionaires, with a collective fortune of $205 billion, to lead Wealth-X's global list of universities ranked by alumni worth $1 billion or more. That's nearly twice as many as the No. 2 school, the University of Pennsylvania, which has 28 billionaire alumni worth a collective $112 billion.
And these numbers don't include either Microsoft (MSFT)'s Bill Gates or Facebook (FB)'s Mark Zuckerberg, both of whom attended Harvard but didn't stay to get their degree. Together they are worth some $45 billion.
(Read more: 20 Stocks with the Potential to Pop)
Before dismissing Harvard is a domain of rich kids who mostly inherit their wealth, consider that the school also claimed the highest percentage of self-made billionaires in the study. Seventy-four percent of the school's billionaire alumni "built that".
"It shows the power of networks," said David Friedman, president of Wealth-X. "Harvard has this entrenched, powerful network that extends across so many sectors and is incredibly pro-active about connecting its alumni. You get a great education, but you also get access."
Harvard's success, said Friedman, "validates what we all whisper and now we know: It's not just what you know, it's who you know."
Read More: Cities That Mint Millionaires the Fastest - SEE the article just below
Other schools can boast about their networks, too, particularly those with lines into technology and other leading fields for growing wealth.As the chart below shows, Stanford University, in the heart of Silicon Valley, has 27 billionaires to its credit, ranking third. M.I.T., sixth on the list with 15 billionaires, has sprinkled its number-crunching analysts throughout Wall Street and hedge funds. The University of Cambridge, the only school outside the United States to make the top 10, is a high-tech leader in the U.K.
And in the broader category of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, which Wealth-X defines as those worth $30 million or more, "there are smaller clusters of successful graduates who have drawn in other alumni," Friedman noted. The University of Virginia, for instance, has many fewer billionaires, but outdid Harvard for the highest percentage of self-made wealthy, at 79 percent.
Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia, is a launching pad for women. Seventeen percent of their ultra-high-net-worth graduates are women. Among top American universities, Northwestern and Brown are conducive to female wealth with 15 percent and 14 percent.
But Harvard led in every other category in the Wealth-X rankings. Its ultra-high-net-worth graduates' sheer numbers - totaling close to 3,000 - and their outsized total net worth of $622 billion is enough to make parents whose children won't be going feel left out.
Read More: Millionaires Say They Are Better Off Than in 2007
Some quick math, Friedman pointed out, provides a little balm for those suffering from elite education envy. In all, the universities mentioned in Wealth-X's report have helped create 14,355 ultra-high-net-worth individuals out of a total global population of more than 186,000, or about 7 percent. "That leaves 93 percent of the world's super-rich," Friedman said, "who did just fine without attending a top ranked school."
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Article 2 of 3
Where should you live if you want to be a millionaire?
Date: February 2013
Click green for further info
Try Houston or San Jose.
According to the new Metro Wealth Index from Capgemini, San Jose, Calif. and Houston recorded the fastest percentage growth in the number of millionaires among the top 10 Metro areas. (It defines "millionaire" as those with $1 million or more in investible assets, excluding primary residence, collectibles, consumables, and consumer durables).
San Jose's millionaire population grew 2.1 percent, to 90,700 millionaires in 2011. Houston's millionaire population grew by 1.9 percent, to 98,500 millionaires.
(Click here to see larger map)
Growth is not to be confused with total population of millionaires. New York still towers over the rest of the country when it comes to sheer numbers of super-wealthy residents with 727,100, up 1 percent from 2010.
Read more: The Millionaires Who Pay the Highest Tax Rate
In second place came Los Angeles, with 255,600 millionaires, followed by Chicago with 212,100 and then Washington, D.C. with 166,200 millionaires.
Some cities lost millionaires. Detroit led the pack of losers, seeing its millionaire population drop by 2.2 percent to 90,100. Philadelphia lost .9 percent of its millionaires, whose population dropped to 109,400.
"San Jose and Houston's growth in HNWI population was driven by good performance of major local industries," said Jean Lassignardie, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Capgemini Global Financial Services.
Read more: Hard Times in the Mega-Yacht Market
"On the other hand," said Lassignardie, "Philadelphia and Detroit moved one place down on the list to seventh and 10th positions respectively, generally due to poor equity markets and worsening global economic conditions. In addition, Philadelphia faced house price pressure, while Detroit continued to battle high unemployment levels as did Los Angeles, San Jose, Chicago and San Francisco."
Despite all the talk about global wealth, U.S. cities have more millionaires than most countries. Each of the top five millionaire cities in the country is large enough to rank among the top 15 wealth markets in the world, Capgemini said.
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Where should you live if you want to be a millionaire?
Date: February 2013
Click green for further info
Try Houston or San Jose.
According to the new Metro Wealth Index from Capgemini, San Jose, Calif. and Houston recorded the fastest percentage growth in the number of millionaires among the top 10 Metro areas. (It defines "millionaire" as those with $1 million or more in investible assets, excluding primary residence, collectibles, consumables, and consumer durables).
San Jose's millionaire population grew 2.1 percent, to 90,700 millionaires in 2011. Houston's millionaire population grew by 1.9 percent, to 98,500 millionaires.
(Click here to see larger map)
Growth is not to be confused with total population of millionaires. New York still towers over the rest of the country when it comes to sheer numbers of super-wealthy residents with 727,100, up 1 percent from 2010.
Read more: The Millionaires Who Pay the Highest Tax Rate
In second place came Los Angeles, with 255,600 millionaires, followed by Chicago with 212,100 and then Washington, D.C. with 166,200 millionaires.
Some cities lost millionaires. Detroit led the pack of losers, seeing its millionaire population drop by 2.2 percent to 90,100. Philadelphia lost .9 percent of its millionaires, whose population dropped to 109,400.
"San Jose and Houston's growth in HNWI population was driven by good performance of major local industries," said Jean Lassignardie, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Capgemini Global Financial Services.
Read more: Hard Times in the Mega-Yacht Market
"On the other hand," said Lassignardie, "Philadelphia and Detroit moved one place down on the list to seventh and 10th positions respectively, generally due to poor equity markets and worsening global economic conditions. In addition, Philadelphia faced house price pressure, while Detroit continued to battle high unemployment levels as did Los Angeles, San Jose, Chicago and San Francisco."
Despite all the talk about global wealth, U.S. cities have more millionaires than most countries. Each of the top five millionaire cities in the country is large enough to rank among the top 15 wealth markets in the world, Capgemini said.
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Article 3 of 3
Millionaires Say They’re Better Off Than in 2007
Date: February 2013
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The good old days for the wealthy are now back.
A survey from Northern Trust found that three quarters of millionaires surveyed said they are better off, or as well off, as they were in 2007 — the peak for both wealth and sheer numbers of America's millionaires. Most cited improved investment returns as their reason for feeling better off.
Read More: US Will Add Five Million Millionaires By 2017
That confidence may soon start translating into hiring. Eighty percent of wealthy business owners say they plan to recruit more workers or keep their staff levels stable over the next 18 to 24 months. One in five plan to make capital investments in upgrading computers and other technology over the same period.
Play Video
Millionaires Happy with Their Own Situation
CNBC's Robert Frank reports 3 out of 4 millionaires say they're better off or the same as they were in 2007. In short, they've healed from the crisis.
Still, the millionaires are less optimistic about the broader country. Two thirds of millionaires believe the country is worse off than it was in 2007. They blame the growing national debt and stubborn unemployment as the reasons.
Nearly a third blamed their negative outlook on the Obama administration.
In short, today's millionaires are feeling prosperous in their private life, but pessimistic about public life. "The survey results mirror our clients' divergent views around U.S fiscal policy," said Katie Nixon, Northern Trust's Chief Investment Officer for Wealth Management.
When it comes to investment goals, more than a third of wealthy investors said growing wealth was their goal. About one quarter focus on generating income and the rest say capital preservation is their goal.
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Using technology to fight cheating in online education
Finding ways to thwart the ingenuity of computer-savvy students is crucial
to proving Internet courses and diplomas are valid
Webcams and keystroke monitoring are among tools in use
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While Jennifer Clay was at home taking an online exam for her business law class, a proctor a few hundred miles away was watching her every move.
Using a webcam mounted in Clay's Los Angeles apartment, the monitor in Phoenix tracked how frequently her eyes shifted from the computer screen and listened for the telltale sounds of a possible helper in the room.
Her computer browser was locked — remotely — to prevent Internet searches, and her typing pattern was analyzed to make sure she was who she said she was: Did she enter her password with the same rhythm as she had in the past? Or was she slowing down?
FULL COVERAGE: Online education
In the battle against cheating, this is the cutting edge — and a key to bolstering integrity in the booming field of online education.
Only with solid safeguards against cheating, experts say, can Internet universities show that their exams and diplomas are valid — that students haven't just Googled their way to an "A+" or gotten the right answers texted to their smartphones.
"I think it gives credibility to the entire system, to the institution and to online education in general," said Clay, 31, who is studying accounting at Western Governors University, a nonprofit institution that enrolls many working adults like her.
But defeating the ingenuity of computer-savvy students is a huge challenge that has attracted much investment and attention in the last year. The whole system can be corrupted with something as low-tech as a cheat sheet tucked out of camera sight.
"Online courses are under scrutiny to show evidence of integrity in ways that face-to-face courses aren't," said Teddi Fishman, director of the International Center for Academic Integrity at Clemson University in South Carolina.
William Dornan, chief executive of Phoenix-based Kryterion Inc., which monitors tests for several schools and companies, said technology is up to the task. He contends that his webcam system reduces cheating far below its occurrence in regular lecture halls.
"Security is incredibly important," he said. "If it's known you can cheat, that completely dilutes the brand."
Some students say no security measures are fail-safe.
UC Santa Cruz sophomore John Shokohi took a water issues class last spring that allowed webcam proctoring in his dorm. The 19-year-old environmental studies major said he did not know of specific cheating, but added that online education was a tempting target for desperate students.
"Because you are not around other students, you are not so worried about people watching you or getting caught," he said.
Although online classes have existed for more than a decade, the debate over cheating has become sharper in the last year with the emergence of "massive open online courses."
Those MOOCs, as they are known, usually are offered free by such organizations as Coursera and edX in collaboration with colleges, and can enroll thousands of students in one class.
Private colleges, public universities and corporations are jumping into the online education field, investing millions of dollars to tap into the vast pool of potential students, while also taking steps to help ensure honesty at a distance.
Despite public suspicion about online deception, studies seem to show that there is not much difference in the amount of cheating that occurs in virtual and real classrooms. A 2010 study in the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration found that 32.7% of online students self-reported cheating at least once on tests, compared to 32.1% of those in on-campus classes.
But as online education grows, even small vulnerabilities could become big problems, academics fear.
The "size and scale [of MOOC courses] make it a bigger issue," said Cathy Sandeen, vice president for education attainment and innovation at the American Council on Education.
The council announced in February that it considers four MOOC courses from Mountain View, Calif.-based Coursera worthy of college credit when they include webcams and monitoring of typing patterns.
"The [security] standard we want to see is something equal to or better than a large lecture class at a university," Sandeen said.
Aside from the Web cameras, a host of other high-tech methods are becoming increasingly popular. Among them are programs that check students' identities using obscure biographical information (which of these three telephone numbers was once yours?).
Programs can generate unique exams by drawing on a large inventory of questions and can identify possible cheaters by analyzing whether difficult test questions are answered at the same speed as easy ones. As in many campus classes, term papers are scanned against massive Internet data banks for plagiarism.
At Salt Lake City-based Western Governors, nearly all 39,000 students have been supplied with Kryterion webcams to monitor tests and scan the room for visitors or cheat sheets.
If the proctor senses something suspicious, the test can be interrupted or canceled, according to the school's provost, David Leasure. A webcam detected the presence of a Los Angeles Times photographer in Clay's apartment before the student could proceed with the exam, which she passed.
StraighterLine, a Baltimore company that offers online courses accepted for credit at some colleges, switched in November from optional test proctoring to mandatory use of webcams. That added $10 to students' cost per course.
"We made the change because we believe that the academic integrity issue is likely to become a big issue across all elements of higher education," Chief Executive Burck Smith said.
Still, discerning cheating is no easy task.
At Kryterion, proctors usually watch six to eight test-takers at a time on a split screen, looking at "body language and eye movement or anything that might be aberrant behavior," said Rebekah Lovaas, a Kryterion operations analyst who worked as a proctor for three years.
Something possibly suspicious occurs in about 16% of the online tests that Kryterion monitors, according to the company.
In most cases students can't break the habit of answering a cellphone call, and the sound of another person usually turns out to be a family member with no intention to cheat, Lovaas said. One time, however, she noticed a test-taker had taped what appeared to be notes above the computer monitor; that exam was halted through a computerized process and the incident reported to the school.
Proctors do not personally speak to or interact with students and do not learn the outcome of their monitoring.
Daniel House of Los Angeles, who is working on a bachelor's in health informatics at Western Governors, feels confident that the cameras and other deterrents keep testing secure.
"I haven't seen any opportunity for people to get around it," said House, 51, who switched careers in midlife from music industry jobs to running a hospital's websites.
Other prevention efforts are less high-tech.
Some online programs, such as ones affiliated with the University of Maryland and Colorado's community colleges, avoid high-stakes final exams and instead use frequent, smaller-scale assessments. They also encourage online interaction that helps teachers detect a sudden improvement in their students' writings or unusual changes in the class chat room postings.
EdX, the not-for-profit MOOC consortium founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last year, opts for exams at commercial centers with proctors in the room if a student is seeking credit.
Anant Agarwal, the MIT professor who is edX president, said he does not think cameras are as effective as the trained human eye and that his group wanted "something everyone was used to and believed in."
The University of the People, a Pasadena-based online school that brings low-cost courses to students around the world, relies on volunteer proctors with standing in local communities. Among them are a minister in Brazil, a professor in India and Teresa Lane, manager of a small library in Morristown, Tenn.
Lane said she signed up to proctor one young man's tests because she wants to help untraditional students return to school.
"I think online education can definitely work, but everyone has to cooperate and give it a chance," Lane said.
Click green for further info
Source: UB - University Business
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(1) Click: Looking for Signs of Dementia? Ask Patient
7/17/13 - Doctors are finding that patients like Carol Miller, above, who describe fledgling changes in cognition, may, in fact, be detecting early harbingers of Alzheimer’s.
(2) Click: Tainted School Lunches Kill 25 Children in India
The authorities were searching for the headmistress of a primary school in the eastern state of Bihar after children were served food contaminated with insecticide.
If the links are expired search the web with the title
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BPA, phthalates
tied to kids' weight, diabetes risk
Bisphenol A - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Phthalate - Wikipedia
Click green for further info
Children exposed to two chemicals commonly used in food packaging are more likely to be obese or show signs of diabetes precursors than those with lower exposure, new research suggests.
Researchers found urine levels of one type of phthalate, used to soften plastic, were tied to a higher risk of insulin resistance among teenagers. Based on data from the same large nutrition survey, another study group linked bisphenol A, or BPA - used to line aluminum cans - to obesity and larger waists in youth.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in six U.S. children and teenagers is now obese.
"Clearly unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are the drivers of this epidemic … but increasingly environmental chemicals are being identified as possible contributors," Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a pediatrician from New York University, said.
He and his colleagues analyzed data from a nationally-representative health and nutrition survey conducted in 2003 to 2008, which included urine and blood tests for 766 adolescents aged 12 to 19.
They found urinary levels of one particular type of phthalate, known as Di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP), were closely tied to a teenager's chance of having insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
Just under 15 percent of study participants with the lowest one-third of DEHP levels were insulin resistant, compared to almost 22 percent of those with the highest levels.
DEHP, Trasande said, is often used to soften plastic bottles. It's used in plastic that is printed with the number 3 for recycling.
The researchers said their findings don't prove that eating food packaged with phthalates causes insulin resistance. For example, it's possible children who are already insulin-resistant have unhealthier eating habits and eat and drink more packaged products - thus the higher phthalate levels in their urine.
But Trasande told Reuters Health the chemical may influence how the body secretes insulin in response to sugar.
Because of that, he tells parents to avoid buying plastics made with DEHP.
"I advise them not to wash plastic containers in the dishwasher," he said. And, "When the plastic is clearly etched or damaged, it's time to throw it away."
MORE EVIDENCE ON BPA
For a separate study published concurrently in Pediatrics, Dr. Joyce Lee from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and her colleagues used nutrition survey data through 2010 to compare BPA levels in the urine of six- to 18-year-olds with other health measures.
In their analysis of 3,370 kids, BPA - an industrial chemical that may mimic estrogen in the body - was not linked to insulin resistance or blood sugar.
But children with higher BPA levels were more likely to be obese, and tended to have a higher waist circumference-to-height ratio, than those with the lowest levels.
A total of 18 percent of kids in the study were obese, based on CDC growth charts. Compared to children with the lowest BPA levels, the 25 percent with the highest levels were twice as likely to meet the cutoff for obesity.
The average child had 2.6 nanograms, or 2.6 billionths of a gram, of BPA in every milliliter of urine.
The findings are in line with a 2012 study that used some of the same data and also linked BPA in kids' urine to their chance of being overweight or obese, without proving a cause-and-effect relationship.
"That study adds further concerns to the ongoing use of BPA in food," Trasande said.
"There are a variety of chemicals used in children's products including BPA as well as other chemicals of less notoriety that our kids are exposed to on a daily basis, for which there are unknown health effects," Lee told Reuters Health in an email.
"Although the evidence about BPA and adverse health effects are not definitive, as a clinician, I do recommend that parents try to avoid BPA-containing plastics when possible to minimize their family's exposure. I also tell them to avoid microwaving food in plastic containers, as this can lead to chemicals leaking into the food," Lee said.
Still, one researcher cautioned that urinary levels of BPA and other chemicals may not say a lot about how much actually gets into children's blood and tissues.
"Everybody who does BPA studies uses the urine for a surrogate of exposure. It's erroneous, because the urine is purely what the person took in that day in BPA," Dr. Robert Brent from Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, who wrote an editorial accompanying the new studies, said.
"In order to know what exposure is you have to have the blood level of the chemical," he told Reuters Health - as well as how quickly it breaks down in the blood.
In 2012 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned BPA from baby bottles, but said there was not enough evidence for a more widespread ban. The FDA has not placed regulations on phthalates in food products, Trasande's team noted.
Click green for further info
SOURCE: Pediatrics, online August 19, 2013.
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Healthy Lifestyle & Correct, Natural, Not Processed, Natural Nutrition
provide
The Best Preventative Medicine
Healthy Lifestyle & Correct, Natural, Not Processed, Natural Nutrition
Quotation:
"If it came from a plant eat it - if it was made in a plant, don't"
michaelpollan.com
Quotation:
"To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
Christian von Christophers, STAF, Inc. CEO
STAF, Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program meant for the U.S. government's use to be included in the new health care legislation as the first real solution for our overweight & obesity problems & for our rampant sickness level.
This STAF, Inc.'s whole website is about that new program. The material in this website is of high Academic level and is used in College & University education for all degree levels: Associate, B.A., M.A. & Ph.D.
The new program is based on worldwide research and is fit for every country's use as a solution to find new health for everyone. The program took 26 years to develop. It will save trillions in health care expenses and will ease human suffering.
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Click green for further info
It always comes down to food, doesn't it?
And why is that? Why, when we read about the best ways to stay healthy, does it always seem to circle back to what we take from the plate to our mouths? I believe it boils down to this: Food is medicine . Want to lower your risk of heart disease? Then think about what you're going to have for dinner tonight. Same for diabetes, cancer, depression, acne, PMS and just about any other condition you and I can think of.
Click green: PMS = Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Symptoms: Physical and Emotional
(1) What we eat, (2) how much we eat, (3) when we eat (= the circadian cycles*), (4) and how we combine the food items (= science of food combination) affects our health and wellbeing.
*) click The Circadian Cycles - Neuroscience ...www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
And it affects the health and wellbeing of our children, too, which is an awesome responsibility. So it is good new in August 2013 that childhood obesity appears to be declining (not much but that is the starting point).
Perhaps it's really happening; perhaps we really are changing our food habits and doing right by our kids.
Recently released click: federal data shows a decrease in obesity rates for low-income preschool children between 2008 and 2011. Finally, it looks like our efforts to improve our children's diets and exercise habits might be working.
It is critical to capitalize on this trend. Our kids deserve nothing less. And it's not just obesity that has us worried for our nation's children; it's for the growing risk of dementia looming down the road. Who wants to grow old only to forget it all? I sure don't!
Yet again, it comes down to food. Those fruits, vegetables, blueberries and salmon and walnuts matter. Good food is good for your body. And good food is good for your mind.
Researchers Heaheen Lakhan, M.D., and Annette Kirchgessner, Ph.D., take it one step further. In their August 2013 article in Nutrition Journal, "The emerging role of dietary fructose in obesity and cognitive decline*," they review effects of obesity on cognitive performance, as well as the impact of high fructose intake (a form of sugar) in promoting memory loss. Then, they point to a potential solution for this predicament: They also review the potential emerging evidence that omega-3s have in aiding memory, possibly counteracting the damage of a high-fructose diet.
QUIZ: Identify Your Eating Style
Their research puts the power squarely back with you and me: We can choose to have a soda today (loaded with high fructose), or not. We can choose to have or not to have wild caught salmon (even canned; but not any farm raised fish; its too polluted) wild caught salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids). We can stop and think before giving our children a sugary popsicle when - frozen blueberries & other frozen berries or fruit can do the trick instead. Through these choices, we can impact not only our waistlines, but also our memory, along with the quality of life we and our kids will enjoy today, tomorrow and well into the future.
The Secret to Healthy Weight Loss
Keep Your Brain Sharp for Longer
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Source:
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Put Some Spice in Your Life - 3 Common, Beneficial Spices Analyzed
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Ginger
In 2009, Dr. Suzanna Zick, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan, reported that four studies had been done on how ginger helps as a treatment for morning sickness. Pregnant women were given 1,000 milligrams of ground ginger or 500 milligrams of ginger extract for four weeks.
In each case, ginger was superior to a placebo in easing this troublesome condition. Zick said she believed that ginger blocks the action of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the bowel that can trigger nausea.
NASA, however, found that ginger was of little help in stopping motion sickness in astronauts when they were strapped into rotating chairs. Dutch scientists were more successful. They gave powdered ginger to naval cadets while in heavy seas. This didn’t stop nausea or vertigo, but it did stop vomiting and cold sweats.
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada said that the use of 1,000 milligrams of ginger (about one-half teaspoon), in divided doses, “appears to be safe” for morning sickness in pregnant women.
Cinnamon Cinnamon Health Benefits and Research - WebMDwww.webmd.com/vitamins-and...guide.../supplement-guide-cinnamon Cinnamon may work great as a way to enhance food. But could it benefit health as well? Learn more about this spice.
Richard Anderson, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said that small amounts of cinnamon help to decrease blood sugar in diabetes patients. In a study, 60 diabetic Pakistani patients were divided into two groups and given 1 gram or 6 grams of ground cinnamon daily for 60 days.
At the end of 40 days, the group receiving 1 gram of cinnamon had a decrease in blood sugar of about 25 percent, and those receiving 6 grams had a drop of 29 percent.
Later studies by Anderson using 10 grams of cinnamon powder for diabetes patients showed a decrease of only 10 percent. Other studies in Holland and Germany using cinnamon showed no change in blood sugar.
No one can explain the discrepancy in these results. But Anderson believes the dosage might have been too low for Type 2 diabetes patients who were overweight.
Any cautions? No one knows if cinnamon reacts with other drugs. Anderson also suggests using a water extract of the spice when using it for a long time, as some ingredients in cinnamon can thin the blood. So check with your doctor before using cinnamon and other spices.
Turmeric Turmeric | University of Maryland Medical Centerumm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/turmeric Turmeric. Overview. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been used for 4,000 years to treat a variety of conditions. Studies show that turmeric may ...
I didn’t realize that when I enjoy curry at Indian restaurants or add mustard to a cheese sandwich that I’m eating turmeric. Researchers have tested this spice as a cure for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s actually the cause of the yellow color, curcumin in turmeric, which interests scientists.
Dr. Bharat Aggarwal, professor of cancer research at the Anderson Cancer Center in Houston , said curcumin induced a programmed death of cancer cells. In addition, it suppressed formation of new blood vessels that nourished tumors. Rats, for instance, got fewer cancers of the breast and colon when given curcumin.
MD Anderson Cancer Center - MDAnderson.orgwww.mdanderson.org/
Researchers at Harvard went a step further and injected curcumin into the bloodstream of mice with Alzheimer disease-like plaques. A week later, studies showed a 30 percent decrease in these plaques. Research into how this spice affects humans with Alzheimer’s disease is only in preliminary stages.
For the moment, adding a little spice to our life appears to be a sound idea. I just wish my mother were still alive so she could see how much I now know about spices.
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Source: Vitamin Facts
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What to Do Now to Prevent Dementia Later - 25 Tips
These 25 tips do not only prevent dementia - they also keep your total health
in excellent shape no matter what your age: 20 or 120 or anything between
# 1) Watch What You Eat - # 2) Walk 20K steps or more daily in fresh air (20K - 50K steps depending on your time investment capability - minimum 2oK - # 3) Sleep 7 - 8 h; healing growth hormone develops in sleep -
# 4) Work as long as you can = retire as late as you can or never - # 5) Drink pure, briefly boiled water in ounces as your healthy weight is in lbs (drink the water hot = then you sip it slower - necessary to mix with saliva) - # 6) Get rid of your overweight - # 7) Stop smoking - # 8) Max. 1 - 2 daily (red wine, beer) - # 9) Control your temper - #10) Work on keeping your marriage happy (regular weekly date nights, no voice raising, no blaming), share together new experiences, do things together, yet: give space & private time to yourself and to your partner - # 11) Study daily new things (newspaper, books, internet, etc.), go back to College or start College, have a new degree (in any age) -
# 12) Go camping (tent, pure nature) with your spouse for 1 - 3 weeks as time allows or frequently for 2 - 3 days at weekends- # 13) Drive with your spouse across your country (in America take once or more often the famous 1st paved road from coast to coast: Lincoln's Highway) - #14) Socialize with as many people as you can - # 15) Join a Church Choir and/or or any choir - # 16) Learn to play music using a portable instrument (musical keyboard, guitar, etc. - when competent, perform in hospitals, child care centers, etc. create a group, play, sing & perform - # 17) Join Charity work group, participate, work hands-on, - # 18) Join a dance club /school, learn to dance well, competitions, perform -
# 19) Join Sierra Club SierraClub.org - go (tent 0r RV) camping with your spouse & children in the wooded wilderness with lakes, rivers, mountains - camping refreshes the mind, resets your body clock, gives oxygen and heals your body & mind - see article close below - # 20) Join any club, be active - # 21) Join Toastmasters speaking club Toastmasters - # 22) Learn to play chess - # 23) read these 2 articles in this tab close to the top (a) "Fast Time and the Aging Mind" & (b) "Science Uncovers a Results-bringing Weight Loss Secret" & then, step by step, as many articles in this extensive website as you can - finish them all - will take several years - all articles in this website are built for College & University level teaching in all degree levels: Associate, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. - # 24) Take book writing seminars, start writing & publish fiction, your family life story, movie scripts - # 25) Study health, healthy & natural nutrition, happiness & positive purpose of life and apply the reasonable principles - read The New York Times daily - The New York Timeswww.nytimes.com & read The Epoch Times The Epoch Times - Wikipedia; Read the following three books and apply their information in your and your family's life - books available worldwide from Amazon.com® Official Site - Huge Selection and Amazing
Prices www.amazon.com/ online and in a paper copy in limited areas - read & study in full and apply the information of these three books: (1) - (2) Fit for Life 1 and 2 - click: by Harvey Diamond (Author) , click: by Marilyn Diamond (Author), (3) The China Study - click: The China Study - By T. Colin Campbell (Lead-Author)
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Put yourself on the track toward many healthy, happy golden years Start early in your life: adding years does not have to mean adding sicknesses
Start healthy lifestyle with correct & natural home cooked food applying the information you find in this STAF, Inc.'s
extensive website. Otherwise getting old is getting expensive on your individual level and also on our whole nation's level. Really expensive. In the nationwide level think billions—hundreds of billions, trillions. And according to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, it’s just going to get more so in the coming decades. Why? The incidence of overweight, obesity, sitting too much (walk 20-50K steps daily - use pedometer) and dementia are all on the rise in our country and it is going to be very pricey . Just alone dementia will cost billions every year on the nationwide level. There are so many costs associated with dementia—medication, health care, home care, etc. It’s not just as simple as taking a pill and calling your doc in the morning.
More about dementia and how to avoid it
Fortunately, dementia is a chronic disease. “Fortunate?!” you say. Yup, fortunate, because like many chronic diseases, dementia is in part lifestyle-driven, which means that you can help control it. There is an abundance of research, and more emerging everyday, that what you eat, how active you are and how you manage your stress today all contribute to your risk of dementia later in life.
Let’s break down what you can do.
All information in this article will keep also your overall physical health in a good shape in addition to preventing dementia - they go together.
Watch What You Eat
Brain food is good food. Specifically, foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are great for your brain. Yet another reason to eat salmon and nuts, especially walnuts. Food choices also impact your stroke risk, which can affect your risk of vascular dementia. (Dementia is not just a code word for Alzheimer’s. There are actually different kinds of dementia.) A diet high in sodium, for example, is known to increase your stroke risk. So to minimize that risk, plant some yummy herbs this spring and sprinkle those into your meals instead of reaching for the salt shaker.
Exercise
Put on those running shoes and get moving - mostly walking! Running can cause knee & other joint problems. In running, every time your foot hits the ground your knees take about 400 lbs hit - no wonder running can cause joint problems. Run on a soft surface (preferable in the real, less polluted nature.
Turns out that the recommendation from the American Heart Association to take 10,000 or more steps a day*) isn’t just good for your heart: It’s good for your mind as well. A study published this winter in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that participants who exercised in their middle age could reduce their risk of later developing dementia.
*) STAF, Inc.'s advice: take 30,000 steps daily, mostly in fresh air (= avoid traffic pollution), walk in parks, woods, close to lakes, rivers, ocean (if they are close to you).
Kick Back
Take your pick: Maybe it’s yoga, or meditation, or the New York Times crossword puzzle. Do whatever makes you feel connected and engaged. A growing body of research suggests that leisurely activities that keep you busy—body and mind—help decrease your risk of cognitive decline. Relaxing fun now, health later. Not bad, eh?
Click: QUIZ: Hobbies for Happiness and Health
Click: QUIZ: How Fast Are You Aging?
(if the links have expired search the web with a similar title)
Click green for further info
Source: Nutritional Archives
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PART A PART B "Make the Most Out of Hiking & Camping" next below - same topic
Important info - read and apply in your and your family's life
Researchers say that camping for a week can reset
the biological clock that governs our sleeping patterns
Camping has many other health benefits - as long as you do camping in the woods
close to rivers, lakes mountains and walk 25K - 50 K steps daily
The scientists argue that modern life disrupts our sleep through exposure to electric light and reduced access to sunlight.
But after spending time in the great outdoors, the researchers say the body clocks of eight volunteers synchronised with sunrise and sunset.
The click: research has been published in the journal Current Biology.
All life forms on earth have evolved biological rhythms that anticipate sunrise and sunset.
Researchers click: have found that the widespread availability of electric lighting from the 1930s onwards has affected our internal circadian clocks (see several links at then of this article), allowing us to stay up much later than evolution intended.
We are sensitive to dim light levels, even the light from cell phones in the evening hours is a cue that pushes our clocks to a later time”
Prof Kenneth Wright Unversity of Colorado
The scientists in this study first analysed a small group of volunteers as they went about their normal lives, and recorded their exposure to natural and artificial light.
By looking at levels of the hormone, melatonin, they concluded that the lighting of our modern environment causes around a two hour delay in circadian clocks.
Melatonin rises just before we go to sleep and decreases through the night until we wake up. The study participants tended to stay up until after midnight and to wake up around eight in the morning.
Their melatonin levels, however were still high for several hours after they got up, indicating they were out of synch with their natural rhythms.
In tents researchThe scientists then took the volunteers camping for a week in Colorado. Flashlights and electronic devices were banned, the only night time light was the glow of a campfire.
The result was that the waking and sleeping patterns of all eight volunteers synchronised with the rising and setting of the Sun.
"They all shifted to an earlier time," said Prof Kenneth Wright from the University of Colorado in Boulder.
In the study, flashlights and electronic devices were banned
"Everyone's clock shifted but those later night owls shifted to an even greater extent."
What surprised the scientific team was the increase in the amount of sunlight the volunteers experienced through their camping experience, around 400% more than they were normally exposed to.
"We think that modern electric lighting patterns and a reduction in exposure to sunlight are contributing to later sleep schedules and difficulties with alertness in the morning," said Prof Wright.
"After exposure to the natural light dark cycle, melatonin levels were low just before the volunteers woke up, suggesting our brain is starting to promote wakefulness after we have been exposed to these natural cues."
While the sleeping patterns of the volunteers shifted back about two hours, the total amount of time they spent sleeping stayed the same.
The small scale of the study leaves many questions unanswered - would similar effects be found on people who normally lived with more or less exposure to light for instance? Prof Wright acknowledges that there is much more work to be done.
"We'd love to see this followed up in different parts of the world. We are studying healthy people, we'd like to see people who have real sleep problems. This is just the first step," he said.
And while it's not possible for everyone to go camping all the time, the scientists say that some small, simple changes to the way we live our lives could help us attain some of the benefits of sleeping under the stars.
"Start off your day with a walk outside," said Prof Wright.
"At night reduce lights in the house, dim computer and electronic devices. We are sensitive to dim light levels, even the light from cell phones in the evening hours is a cue that pushes our clocks to a later time."
Click green for further info
Source: The journal Current Biology & The University of Colorado
PART B
Make the Most Out of Hiking & Camping:
Benefits & Spectacular Trails
Hiking & Camping is beneficial for the body, mind and soul
Hiking on beautiful, scenic trails is a great way to challenge yourself physically while enjoying the simple, yet breathtaking ways of Mother Nature. All hiking experiences are worthwhile; whether it’s the childhood trail just a couple miles from home, or a new endeavor to the glorious Blue Range Mountains. If you live in the busy city, escape the noises and stress for the sounds of birds chirping and creeks flowing. It’s never too late to grab those sneakers and head out the door.
As hikers and health advocates, we want to share with you the sweet benefits to waking up on Sunday morning (or any day really) and moving! Your muscles, organs and conscious will thank you. Turning this into a healthy habit can turn into a healthy lifestyle.
Camping & hiking helps with:
1. Weight loss — Physical outdoor exercise is always encouraged, even by simply walking as a mode of transportation. Beginners can start out at a slower walking pace, and hike at a comfortable 2-MPH, burning about 250 calories an hour. Depending on speed, how much you’re carrying and incline, weight loss can increase.
2. Prevention of Heart Disease — Individuals who do not exercise daily are twice as likely to have coronary heart disease. Hiking can also decrease levels of bad cholesterol, while increasing high-density lipoprotein, a good cholesterol.
3. Reduces depression — Taking a trip outside will help clear your mind. Hiking releases adrenaline, and studies show decrease in tension, anxiety, and blood pressure levels. After a moderate or intense hike, relaxing is easier and the mind is more at ease. This reduces depression, and when your feeling better physically and mentally you will feel more thankful for nature as well as good health.
4. Gives you a healthier sleep important fact
See 2 articles next below
PART A (1) sleeping pills use
PART B (2) sleeping pills shortening life
PART A (Part B next below)
Nine Million Use Sleeping Pills in The U.S.
Sleep experts say it's important to figure out the underlying problem behind insomnia, such as depression, substance use or sleep apnea*), and address it by using safer options. Doctors say everyone could benefit from sleep hygiene — a set of behaviors such as going to bed at the same time all week, avoiding caffeine and stimulation from TV, and avoid other strenuous activities before bedtime
strenuous - synonyms:
tiring, arduous, difficult, hard, tough, taxing, demanding, exacting,exhausting, grueling, back-breaking
Click green for further info
Nearly 9 million U.S. adults resort to prescription sleeping pills — and most are white, female, educated, 50 or older, according to the first government study of its kind.
But that's only part of the picture. Experts believe there are millions more who try options like over-the-counter medicines or chamomile tea, or simply suffer through sleepless nights.
"Not everyone is running out to get a prescription drug," said Russell Rosenberg, an Atlanta-based sleep researcher.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study was based on interviews with about 17,000 adults from 2005 through 2010. Study participants were even asked to bring in any medicines they were taking.
Overall, 4 percent of adults said they'd taken a prescription sleeping pill or sedative in the previous month.
The study did not say whether use is increasing. But a CDC researcher calculated that use rose from 3.3 percent in 2003-2006 to 4.3 percent in 2007-2010.
That echoes U.S. market research — as well as studies in some other countries — that indicate an increase in insomnia in recent decades.
"Sleep disorders overall are more prevalent than what they were," said Dr. Ana Krieger, medical director of New York's Weill Cornell Center for Sleep Medicine.
That could be due to a number of factors, experts said. Some include obesity-related sleep apnea, the rise of social media and other electronic late-night distractions and financial worries from the recent recession.
Earlier studies have tried to track pill use through prescription sales, but that offered a flawed view.
For adults, the recommended amount of sleep is 7 to 9 hours each night. Previous CDC research suggests at least a third of adults get less than that. Doctors offer tips for good sleeping that include sticking to a regular bedtime schedule, getting exercise each day and avoiding caffeine and nicotine at night.
By some estimates, nearly 10 percent of Americans suffer chronic insomnia and may seek a physician's help. Inadequate sleep has been tied to the start and worsening of a range of diseases and conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression.
The CDC study results confirm some patterns that doctors have been observing for a while. They include:
— Women are more likely than men to take sleeping pills, 5 percent versus 3 percent.
— More whites take pills — nearly 5 percent, compared to 2.5 percent of blacks and 2 percent of Hispanics.
— Prescription use increases with age, to 7 percent of those 80 and older.
The findings may have been influenced in part by who had health insurance and access to doctors who would prescribe sleeping pills, said Yinong Chong, the study's lead author.
But clearly people tend to have trouble sleeping as they get older, due not only to aches and physical changes but also to emotional burdens, experts say.
Retired law professor Jane Kaplan has had trouble sleeping since she was a young woman, but it got worse around 2007. Over a year, her husband, mother and sister died.
She still takes Ambien, a popular sleeping pill, which helps her fall asleep but she wakes up in the middle of the night.
It's not unusual for her to get only 3½ or 4 hours.
Kaplan said she's been working with Krieger to deal with her sleeplessness. But it remains a struggle, the 70-year-old said.
"You wake up tired and you just count the hours until the day is over. And you hope tomorrow's going to be better," she said.
PART B (Part A next above)
People who take certain prescription sleeping pills even once in a while
may be up to five times more susceptible to early death, a U.S. study suggests
Click green for further info
The findings, published in the journal BMJ Open, show the importance of not becoming dependent on sleeping pills to fight click: insomnia.
In the U.S., an estimated six per cent to 10 per cent of adults used the drugs in 2010.
To look for any associations between use of common hypnotics and increased mortality and cancer risks, the researchers compared death rates among 10,529 people who received prescriptions for sleeping pills and 23,600 others who did not but were similar in terms of age, physical health, income and other factors.
Sleep experts recommend going to bed at the same time all week and avoiding caffeine and TV before bedtime before turning to pills.(Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)The researchers found that people taking as few as 18 pills a year were 3.6 times more likely to die early than people who take no sleeping pills. Those taking 18 to 132 pills a year were up to five times more likely to die early.
The study was done by Dr. Daniel Kripke of Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family Sleep Centre in La Jolla, Calif., and colleagues.
They concluded that in 2010, hypnotics such as zolpidem, temazepam and eszopiclone may be associated with 320,000 to 507,000 excess deaths in the U.S.
"These pills really seem too dangerous to use," Kripke said in an interview.
A 2010 study based on an analysis of a Statistics Canada database of 14,000 Canadians over 12 years old also concluded that sleeping pills were linked to a similar increase in risk of death, after the researchers controlled for other risk factors.
Safer options"The meagre benefits of hypnotics, as critically reviewed by groups without financial interest, would not justify substantial risks," the study's authors said. "A consensus is developing that cognitive-behavioural therapy of chronic insomnia may be more successful than hypnotics."
Finding an association between sleeping pills and more deaths does not prove the pills are the cause, but the evidence points in that direction because the risk increased with higher doses, the researchers said.
Dr. Charles Samuels is medical director of the Centre for Sleep & Human Performance in Calgary, and has written guidelines for family doctors on use of sleeping pills. He considers the drugs to be overprescribed, but worries the paper will undermine their appropriate use.
"To globally state that these drugs are killing people is quite frankly irresponsible," Samuels said.
In the study, people on sleeping pills were more likely to have esophageal problems and peptic ulcers.
The subjects were also more likely than cigarette smokers to be diagnosed with lymphomas, lung, colon and prostate cancers.
As for how the early mortality might occur, it's known that people who take sleeping pills may sometimes have residual dizziness the next day that may increase the risk of car collisions or falls.
Sleeping pills also depress the respiratory system, which could reduce the drive to breathe if someone already has sleep apnea, Kabasele said.
Identify source of sleep problemIt's also possible that an increase in depression among people who take sleeping pills could lead to harmful behaviour and suicide.
"There are other options that can help you sleep better before you turn to the pharmaceuticals," said CBC medical specialist Dr. Karl Kabasele.
Kripke said insomnia itself isn't dangerous in terms of mortality, but sleeping pills are.
Sleeping pills are intended for people with acute insomnia, a sleep problem that lasts three weeks or less. But millions of people worldwide take the pills for months, said Dr. Jeffrey Lipsitz, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Centre of Metropolitan Toronto.
People taking sleeping pills should not stop them immediately without the supervision of the doctor who prescribed them because there may be untoward effects of stopping or changing abruptly Lipsitz said.
Sleep experts say it's important to figure out the underlying problem behind insomnia, such as depression, substance use or sleep apnea, and address it by using safer options. Doctors say everyone could benefit from sleep hygiene — a set of behaviors such as going to bed at the same time all week, avoiding caffeine and stimulation from TV, electronics and strenuous activities before bedtime.
*) sleep apnea
click:
What Is Sleep Apnea? - NHLBI, NIH
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea/What Is Sleep Apnea? - NHLBI, Sleep apnea is a common disorder among overweight people - you have one or more ...Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition that disrupts your sleep. Other Names for Sleep Apnea - Signs & Symptoms - How Is Sleep Apnea Treated? _______________________________________________________________
Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
New research highlights the heart-healthy benefits of a diet high in olive oil, fish and nuts
Click green for further info
You may have wondered about the supposedly miraculous effects of the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular health. Well, get your EVOO (= Cold-Pressed Extra-virgin olive oil) at the ready, because the latest news will make you a believer.
Click: Foods That Lower Cholesterol
Researchers in Spain conducted a large, randomized trial to study the effects of a Mediterranean diet versus a more traditional diet. Recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the results were so strongly in favor of the Mediterranean diet that they actually stopped the trial early!
The study involved both men (ages 55 to 80) and women (ages 60 to 80) who had either diabetes or three risk factors for heart disease. These typical heart disease risk factors included smoking, elevated blood pressure, elevated bad cholesterol (LDL) or low good cholesterol (HDL), being overweight or obese (BMI greater than 30) or a positive family history of early heart disease.
QUIZ: How Healthy Is Your Body?
The authors divided the participants randomly into three groups: Mediterranean diet + extra olive oil, Mediterranean diet + extra nuts and a control group (regular diet). None of the three groups were encouraged to restrict their diet or alter their exercise; the point was just to look for the potential benefits of a Mediterranean diet on heart-health outcomes.
The researchers assessed the participants yearly, and they found that the participants who followed the Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of heart disease compared to a traditional Western diet. This is fabulous news for anyone who likes to eat good food, which honestly, is just about anyone. If you enjoy fruits and vegetables, fish, lean meats and olive oil, eating them is your prescription for a healthy heart. Importantly, this is not a diet. It’s a way of life, a lifestyle.
So, brass tacks. How do you maintain this lifestyle? Above all else, keep it simple. Go for nonfat yogurt and fresh fruit, maybe with some nuts, for breakfast. Simple salads and lean protein for lunch, maybe with a whole grain. And for dinner, think fish! Maybe some olives, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese. Limit the processed foods, limit the extra sugar—and plan for an extended retirement in the lap of Mediterranean health and luxury.
Click green for further info
Source: Nuritional Archives
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Obesity very high in 13 states; many in the South
Little change in state obesity rates last year;
highest in South and Midwest, lowest in Colo.
August 2013
Click green for further info
Adult obesity still isn't budging, the latest government survey shows.
The national telephone survey found 13 states with very high rates of obesity last year. Overall, the proportion of U.S. adults deemed obese has been about the same for years now.
"A plateau is better than rising numbers. But it's discouraging because we're plateauing at a very high number," said Kelly Brownell, a Duke University public policy expert who specializes in obesity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does the survey each year, and recently released 2012 results.
At least 30 percent of adults were obese in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. In 2011, a dozen states reached that threshold.
Louisiana and Mississippi led the list. In both, nearly 35 percent of adults were obese. Colorado was lowest, with less than 21 percent obese.
It's not surprising states in the South and Midwest top the charts year after year, experts say. Many states in those regions have higher poverty rates.
"When you have a limited income, you have to buy foods that are cheap. And foods that are cheap tend to have a lot of sugar and salt and fat," said Dr. George Bray, an obesity expert at Louisiana State University.
The CDC defines someone as obese if their weight-to-height ratio — called a "body mass index" — hits 30 or higher.
A 5-foot-9 person would be considered obese at 203 pounds or more.
The CDC's annual telephone survey asks adults their height and weight. Overall, nearly 28 percent of Americans were obese, the 2012 survey found. That's roughly the same as it's been since 2008.
Another CDC survey — which weighs and measures participants — is considered more accurate. Since the middle of the last decade, that survey has found that around 35 percent of U.S. adults are obese.
The story may be different with children. A CDC study released last week showed — for the first time — slight drops in obesity for low-income preschoolers in 18 states.
Experts called that report encouraging, but note it studied children fed through a federal program which provides food vouchers and other services. The decline in obesity was largely attributed to program changes — instituted in 2009 — that eliminated juice from infant food packages, provided less saturated fat, and made it easier to buy fruits and vegetables.
Click green for further info
Source: CDC - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - www.cdc.gov Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)www.cdc.gov/CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -
Your Online Source for Credible Health Information. Travelers' Health - Vaccines and Immunizations - Diseases & Conditions
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AMA Declares Obesity a Disease
Date: June 19, 2013
STAF, Inc.'s opinion is:
AMA - American Medical Association - did this mostly to raise the income of the members
STAF, Inc. is the leading, new organization in Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition - obesity and overweight can and will be conquered by just learning to eat less and learning to eat natural, healthy food prepared in our own kitchen
not in a fast-food (= bad food; it is not food) facility.
Most people eat more or less processed food (= made in a factory) - that's no food.
STAF, Inc. has a program that provides all info you need, and: in a correct manner.
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Quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant, don't"
(Michael Pollan)
Quotation: "Eat food, not much - mostly fruit & vegetables"
(Michael Pollan)
Quotation: "To stay healthy and slim you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(CvC, Ph.D, STAF, Inc.'s CEO)
Click green for further info
In case some green link below is not connecting search the web with the title
The American Medical Association confronted some weighty issues at its annual meeting in Chicago in June, 2013.
In perhaps its biggest policy change on weight and health to date, the AMA recognized obesity as a disease.
American Medical Association - ama-assn.org/
By changing obesity's status from "a major public health problem" to a chronic disease, Dr. Patrice Harris, a member of the AMA's board of trustees, said that the organization hoped to open up the range of medical interventions that could help the one-third of Americans now considered obese.
7 Effects of Obesity
"We believe that raising the level of seriousness by classifying obesity as a disease may encourage third-party payers to increase coverage for treatment and may also encourage greater investment for study," she said.
The decision overrode a recommendation by an AMA committee that had studied the matter for more than a year. While committee members weren't authorized to speak to the media, their final report pointed out that obesity was typically diagnosed using body mass index, a measure that is imprecise and not always associated with poor health outcomes.
For example, someone with a body mass index higher than 30 – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's definition of obese – might be perfectly healthy, while someone below that threshold might be sick. Classifying obesity as a disease, the committee argued, might cause confusion because it's difficult to link excess weight to health problems, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
But obesity researcher James O. Hill, executive director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the University of Colorado, said most professionals who diagnose, treat and research obesity are in agreement that a BMI higher than 30 spells trouble.
"I think it's fair game to argue about what the overweight range of BMIs mean for health because the data is all over the place. But once you're over 30, I think it's pretty clear someone is at risk," Hill said.
Hill said he welcomed the AMA's new classification of obesity.
"We recognize that over a third of the population has a disease. Now we can start getting some standardization for reimbursements and treatments," he said.
Dr. Nikhil Dhurandhar, an obesity researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., and vice president of the Obesity Society, said he also believed that the AMA's proclamation was a step in the right direction.
"The recognition of obesity as a disease is an extremely important milestone. Obesity has been a disease. It is now recognized to be so," he said, noting that the society had worked with the AMA on its stance.
Plus-Sized Mannequin Offends Some
Dhurandhar said that while he didn't believe anything the AMA does or says is going to miraculously make obesity disappear, its new position paves the way for more effective diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Richard Besser, the chief health and medical correspondent for ABC News, said he thought the AMA's declaration was much ado about nothing.
"I think it matters little whether we call obesity a disease, a condition or a disorder. We are already talking about the obesity epidemic. It matters less what we call it than what we do to prevent it," he said.
Besser urged Americans to put more effort into exercising and eating a healthy diet.
We need to get physical activity back into everyone's lives, starting with our kids. We need to get them moving in school and after school. We need to get them eating healthy foods in appropriate amounts. That is where the conversation should be focused, not on whether this is a disease," he said.
Continuing its message of obesity awareness, the AMA also issued a statement against prolonged sitting and encouraged Americans to try different alternatives to sitting, such as standing desks, treadmill desks and walking meetings.
"Prolonged sitting, particularly in work settings, can cause health problems," Harris said. "Encouraging workplaces to offer employees alternatives to sitting all day will help to create a healthier work force," Harris said.
Medical experts have long recognized that sitting for hours on end is not as benign an activity as it seems. Studies find that after four hours of sitting still, the genes and enzymes regulating the amount of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down so that fat in the blood stream is captured and stored by fat cells all throughout the body, especially around the organs.
An Archives of Internal Medicine survey of some 220,000 adults found that those who sat for more than eight hours a day had a 15 percent greater risk of dying within three years than those who sat for fewer than four hours a day.
As the AMA meeting wraps up, there are still some other obesity-related proposals that will be considered during today's final voting session, including a recommendation to remove sugar-sweetened beverages as a subsidized item from the government Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provides millions of low-income families with nutritional assistance.
Hill says such a policy if adopted would be more contentious than the AMA's other objectives. Though he certainly isn't defending sugary beverages and encourages all Americans consume less of them, he said he felt there was a real danger to blaming obesity and poor health on a single factor in the diet.
"We love a villain, but we shouldn't forget that obesity is complex and multifactorial," he said. "It may make us feel good to do this one thing, but removing soda isn't going to resolve the obesity crisis."
Click green for further info
Source: AMA - America Medical Association
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The Potatoes: Good for our health
There's a reason potatoes are the number one crop in the world; they're cheap, filling and tasty
Regular old white potatoes are good for you. One medium potato, baked with the skin, is under 200 calories and is a great source of fiber, vitamin C, B6 and potassium.
(Do not do this:) When you peel them and fry them, or smother them in butter, cheese, sour cream and bacon bits, well, that's another story.
There's a reason potatoes are the number one crop in the world; they're cheap, filling and tasty.
But sometimes they get a bad rap because they're carb-heavy and look a lot like the white foods we're often told to avoid, such as white rice and white bread. Unlike those, a whole potato is actually a whole food, which is exactly what you want to fill your diet with.
In order to reap the benefits, you have to eat them whole. That means leaving on the skin, which is a concentrated source of fiber and contains beautifying phytochemicals comparable to what you find in broccoli. It also means choosing a plain steamed or baked potato instead of French fries, au gratin or any other fat-laden preparation.
At the end of the day, potatoes are still a starchy food that produces an insulin reaction, so if you overindulge, they can drive blood sugar levels down and leave you hungry again in a couple hours. You can game the system by cooking your potato and letting it cool, which increases the amount of resistant starch that stimulates satiety hormones to help keep you fuller longer. Can't stand the idea of potatoes without a pad of hot, melty butter? Stick to antioxidant-rich, low-glycemic-index sweet potatoes instead.
________________________________________________
Study Finds
Healthy Diet CAN and WILL Help Reverse
Brain Damage
Caused By Overeating & eating typical processed American diet
Here Recent Science Aid For Permanent Weight Loss
This STAF, Inc. website is extensive, all its material is developed
for College & University teaching in all degree levels
STAF, Inc. provides all information you and your family needs to get rid of overweight and stay healthy
In your whole family, apply the information you learn in this website
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(CvC, Ph.D. STAF, Inc.'s CEO)
Notice: STAF, Inc. is the leading new not-for-profit organization in all these matters.
STAF, Inc. developed the new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program meant for the U.S. government use in the new health care legislation as the first real solution for our overweight & obesity challenges and to our rampant sickness level. It took 26 years worldwide research to develop.
See the details in the article 3 of 3 below
Article 1 of 3
You’ve tried and tried to lose weight, but it just doesn’t happen. Or you lose a bit, then gain it back with a vengeance. Sound familiar?
One nationally known obesity experts is Dr. Louis Aronne, M.D., Director of the Comprehensive Weight-Control Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital /Weill Cornell Medical Center.
According to Aronne, scientists are finally finding answers to the mystery that has stumped them for so long: Why do some people seem to find it impossible to lose weight, despite numerous serious attempts to get slim using diets and exercise?
And what they’ve discovered might surprise you:
Years of eating – and overeating – the typical American diet actually damages the brain. More specifically, it damages the signaling pathways in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates metabolism.
“The evidence is quite convincing – eating fattening foods causes inflammatory cells to go into the hypothalamus,” explains Aronne. “This overloads the neurons and causes neurological damage.”
A groundbreaking study in the British Journal of Nutrition published in February, 2013, is one example of the kind of high-quality, on-target research that’s proving the theory of hypothalamic damage and thus paving the way to new weight loss strategies, Aronne says.
A team of scientists at the University of Liverpool analyzed a body of research that included studies of different weight loss diets.
What they found was that a diet high in saturated fat and simple carbohydrates sets in motion a chain reaction of “metabolic dysfunction” involving the appetite regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin. (Leptin’s job is to suppress appetite, ghrelin’s to increases it.) In addition, a fatty high-carb diet resulted in “alterations in structural plasticity” – i.e. brain changes.
Over time, consuming too many calories from fat and simple sugars damages the nerves that conduct signals through the hypothalamus, affecting the function of leptin and ghrelin, and thus the body’s ability to regulate weight and metabolism, says Aronne. ”Because of this damage, the signals don’t get through about how much fat is stored.”
In other words, your brain has gone haywire and you can no longer trust the messages it’s sending you about appetite, hunger, and fullness.
“It’s like your gas gauge points to empty all the time, whether or not the tank is full,” says Aronne. “So you keep stopping for gas, and then eventually you start filling up gas cans and storing them in the back of your car because you’re so convinced you could run out of gas at any moment.”
So What Does Work for Weight Loss?
Change your diet, and change it fast. “It’s about biology,” Aronne is fond of saying.
(See below article 3 of 3 - there is the correct eating plan)
While some damage to the hypothalamus may be permanent, it’s possible to reverse much of it. “If less fatty food comes in, it reduces the rate of damage,” he explains, noting that it doesn’t matter so much which specific diet you follow,
as long as it’s one that cuts calories, reduces fat, and reduces simple carbohydrates.
Of course, there are lots of trendy diets. There’s no reason not to try a new approach and see if it works better for you than the ones you’ve tried in the past. But work with your body, not against it, Aronne says, and the weight will come off much faster.
But wait, there’s more.
Retooling your diet to be rich in health-promoting foods can stop and even reverse the damage done by an unhealthy one.
In the above-mentioned study at the University of Liverpool, the researchers also looked at the impact of omega-3 fatty acids, known to be beneficial to brain health. And sure enough, fish oil appears to modulate some of the negative effects of the saturated fats and carbs.
What that means, in effect, is that switching to a healthy diet can heal the hypothalamic damage that’s playing havic with your hunger and satiety cues.
Eat lean meat, plenty of seafood (wild-caught fish that has backbone & scales when still swimming around; no farm-raised fish - too polluted), lots of vegetables and fruit, and unprocessed grains.
There’s also more information on Aronne and his views on brain signaling and weight loss available on the Weill Cornell Medical College website.
But here’s secret number two: Permanent weight loss takes time. Aronne is quick to point out that many of those who’ve dropped massive amounts of weight on The Biggest Loser have gained most of it back again within a year or two. Once again, science suggests the problem is that it takes time for the brain’s metabolic messaging system to heal.
Weight Loss Medications May Help - but has negative side effects - avoid it
- this info is put here because many M.D.'s offer medications for an imagined easier fast-way - there is no such a thing. Healthy & safe weightloss leading to a lasting positive result takes time and discipline to follow the instructions based on natural food, not based in chemicalized, processed food-"like" non-food, yet called food - it is no food for any human. Fast food = bad food.
This info is put here for giving some info relating to medication - as said: AVOID medication - you need natural, healthy food and your body will heal itself. Takes time and your own discipline.
If you’re in the group of people who’ve tried (really tried) controlling your weight with diet and exercise, Aronne says it’s worth considering taking a prescription weight loss medication. Doing so can reset your brain to begin healing the hypothalamic damage. The two new diet drugs that just entered the market,Qsymia (formerly Qnexa) and Belviq, have the potential to do this, Aronne says.
“Qsymia supports neuropeptide Y, amplifying the signals that come from the hypothalamus,” Aronne says, adding that Belviq (lorcaserin) and the migraine drug Topamax also have a beneficial effect on brain signaling. In other words, these drugs at least partially fix the broken gas gauge.
Along with being overweight comes insulin and leptin resistance, Aronne says.
“When inflammatory cells go into the hypothalamus, they prevents leptin – which signals to the brain that the stomach is full from getting in,” Aronne says. Among other things, Belviq stimulates the effect of leptin, Aronne says. “We don’t know exactly how it works, but it’s possible the mechanisms are hypothalamic. Belviq appears to amplify signals that go to the critical area of injury.”
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WARNING by STAF, Inc. CEO, Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.:
All man-made medications have negative side effects - avoid the medication
CORRECT HOME COOKED NUTRITION WILL HEAL YOUR BODY
- see Article 3 of 3 below -
It's known Dr. Aronne reported in the past on concerns about side effects from Qsymia and Belviq. Qsymia has been looked at for potential heart valve damage because phentermine, one of the two drugs in the combination, was part of the notorious Fen Phen diet drug combo that caused serious heart valve damage in the 1980s and early 90s. *) See Fen Phen web link below
But from Aronne’s perspective, the drugs have been studied very thoroughly and these concerns are unfounded. And more importantly, the seriousness of the health problems – and the increased risk of death – associated with obesity outweigh the risks of the drugs.
Fen Phen web link:
Article 2 of 3
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are classified as (1) simple or (2) complex
- see details below
Carbohydrates are one of the main dietary components. This category of foods includes sugars, starches, and fiber.
Function
The primary function of carbohydrates is to provide energy for the body, especially the brain and the nervous system. An enzyme called amylase helps break down carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar), which is used for energy by the body.
Food Sources
Carbohydrates are classified as (1) simple or (2) complex.
The classification depends on the chemical structure of the food, and how quickly the sugar is digested and absorbed. Simple carbohydrates have one (single) or two (double) sugars.
Complex carbohydrates have three or more sugars.
Examples of single sugars from foods include:
Complex carbohydrates, often referred to as "starchy" foods, include:
Also, many refined foods, such as white flour, sugar, and white rice, lack B vitamins and other important nutrients unless they are marked "enriched" (and even then they are "enriched" with chemicals).
It is healthiest to get carbohydrates, vitamins, and other nutrients in as natural a form as possible -- for example, from fruit instead of table sugar.
Side Effects
Recommendations
Most people should get between 40% and 60% of total calories from carbohydrates, preferably from complex carbohydrates (starches) and natural sugars. Complex carbohydrates provide calories, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Foods that are high in processed, refined simple sugars provide calories, but very little nutrition. It is wise to limit these sugars.
To increase complex carbohydrates and healthy nutrients:
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Article 3 of 3
The correct nutrition plan
with least costs explained
This article below is placed on the internet daily
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
STAF, Inc. has a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use - fits every nation worldwide.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research & the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. This program covers, for the first time ever, all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges & in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health & to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy instructions.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
Your food expenses, time being, are probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. Everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar.
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The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President, The U.S. Congress & Senate & to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency & to be named its first federal director. New legislation & training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan: Less suffering - more life™
Our website page tops have a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see its mission statements.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit, needs donations to widen its important work for your & your family's richer, healthier & safer future.
Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., GPO 339, New York, NY 10116-0339, USA. In the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt.100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s extensive website, search the internet with: "Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.- Home" - (one 'F' in STAF, Inc.).
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
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New test aims to better detect viral infections
You need this information
WASHINGTON — It happens too often: A doctor isn't sure what is causing someone's feverish illness but prescribes antibiotics just in case, drugs that do not work if a virus is the real culprit.
Now Duke University researchers are developing a blood test to more easily tell when a respiratory illness is due to a virus and not a bacterial infection, hoping to cut the dangerous overuse of antibiotics and speed the right diagnosis.
It works by taking a fingerprint of your immune system — how its genes are revving up to fight the bug. That's very different from how infections are diagnosed today. And if the experimental test pans out, it also promises to help doctors track brand-new threats, like the next flu pandemic or that mysterious MERS virus that has erupted in the Middle East.
That viral "signature could be quite powerful, and may be a game-changer," said Geoffrey Ginsburg, Duke's genomic medicine chief. He leads the team that reported that a study involving 102 people provided early evidence that the test can work.
Today, when symptoms alone aren't enough for diagnosis, a doctor's suspicion guides what tests are performed — tests that work by hunting for evidence of a specific pathogen. Fever and cough? If it's flu season, you might be tested for the flu virus. An awful sore throat? Chances are you'll get checked for strep bacteria. A negative test can leave the doctor wondering what germ to check for next, or whether to make a best guess.
Moreover, rapid in-the-office tests aren't always accurate and can miss infections. So patients may have blood or other samples sent to labs to try to grow any lurking bacteria and tell if it's to blame, additional testing that can take days.
"This is something we struggle with every day," said Octavio Ramilo, infectious disease chief at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, who wasn't involved in the new study. Particularly with children, a respiratory virus and a bacterial infection "in the beginning look completely alike," he added. Nationwide Children's Hospital :: Leading Pediatric Hospital in ...www.nationwidechildrens.org/Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of the largest and most comprehensive pediatric hospitals ...
Hence researchers at a number of universities are trying to harness a fairly recent discovery: As your immune system detects an invading bug, different genes are activated to fend off a viral infection than to fight a bacterial or fungal one. Those subtle molecular changes appear to be occurring even before you feel any symptoms. And they form distinct patterns of RNA and proteins, what's called a genomic fingerprint.
The Duke team discovered 30 genes that are switched on in different ways during a viral attack. The test essentially is a freeze-frame to show "what those genes are doing at the moment in time that it's captured," explained Duke lead researcher Aimee Zaas, an infectious disease specialist.
Aimee Zaas, associate professor of infectious diseases and international health at Duke University, is part of a team of researchers that is developing a blood test for viral infections.(Photo: Shawn Rocco, Duke Medicine, via AP)
Small studies spotted that viral signature in people who volunteered to be infected with different influenza strains for science.
For a more real-world simulation, the researchers then analyzed blood samples stored from feverish people who had come to the emergency room — and who were eventually diagnosed, the old-fashioned way, with either some type of virus or a bacterial infection.
The genomic test proved 89% accurate in sorting out who had a virus, and did even better at ruling out those who didn't, Zaas reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
It took 12 hours to get results. The researchers hope to speed that up so that it might work as quickly as some in-office tests.
Still, "it's a promising tool," said Ramilo, an Ohio State University professor who is doing similar research. He called the Duke study an important step toward creating a commercial test, and predicts one might reach the market within five years.
Why would a doctor want to know merely that a virus is present and not which virus? That's enough information to rule out antibiotics, Zaas said. Unnecessary antibiotic use is one factor in the growing problem of drug-resistant germs, which the government blames for more than 23,000 deaths a year.
Plus, if a dangerous new virus begins spreading, like MERS, this approach could help avoid quarantining people unnecessarily by telling right away which ones are virus-free, Ginsburg added.
In Ohio, Ramilo is exploring a more immediate need: When young infants have high fevers, they're often hospitalized while doctors run a battery of tests to find the fraction who have a serious bacterial infection. He is leading a study involving 22 pediatric emergency rooms to see if a genomic fingerprint approach could separate which babies really need all that testing.
But the virus-or-not question is just the beginning, Ramilo said. His research suggests genomic fingerprints also can distinguish a flu strain from other common viruses. And the Duke team is analyzing a huge study of students living in dormitories, to see if the genomic test detected who was incubating the flu before their first sniffle — and thus might be useful in stemming outbreaks.
Source: Science Translational Medicine
Science Translational Medicinestm.sciencemag.org/
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Finding ways to thwart the ingenuity of computer-savvy students is crucial
to proving Internet courses and diplomas are valid
Webcams and keystroke monitoring are among tools in use
Click green for further info
While Jennifer Clay was at home taking an online exam for her business law class, a proctor a few hundred miles away was watching her every move.
Using a webcam mounted in Clay's Los Angeles apartment, the monitor in Phoenix tracked how frequently her eyes shifted from the computer screen and listened for the telltale sounds of a possible helper in the room.
Her computer browser was locked — remotely — to prevent Internet searches, and her typing pattern was analyzed to make sure she was who she said she was: Did she enter her password with the same rhythm as she had in the past? Or was she slowing down?
FULL COVERAGE: Online education
In the battle against cheating, this is the cutting edge — and a key to bolstering integrity in the booming field of online education.
Only with solid safeguards against cheating, experts say, can Internet universities show that their exams and diplomas are valid — that students haven't just Googled their way to an "A+" or gotten the right answers texted to their smartphones.
"I think it gives credibility to the entire system, to the institution and to online education in general," said Clay, 31, who is studying accounting at Western Governors University, a nonprofit institution that enrolls many working adults like her.
But defeating the ingenuity of computer-savvy students is a huge challenge that has attracted much investment and attention in the last year. The whole system can be corrupted with something as low-tech as a cheat sheet tucked out of camera sight.
"Online courses are under scrutiny to show evidence of integrity in ways that face-to-face courses aren't," said Teddi Fishman, director of the International Center for Academic Integrity at Clemson University in South Carolina.
William Dornan, chief executive of Phoenix-based Kryterion Inc., which monitors tests for several schools and companies, said technology is up to the task. He contends that his webcam system reduces cheating far below its occurrence in regular lecture halls.
"Security is incredibly important," he said. "If it's known you can cheat, that completely dilutes the brand."
Some students say no security measures are fail-safe.
UC Santa Cruz sophomore John Shokohi took a water issues class last spring that allowed webcam proctoring in his dorm. The 19-year-old environmental studies major said he did not know of specific cheating, but added that online education was a tempting target for desperate students.
"Because you are not around other students, you are not so worried about people watching you or getting caught," he said.
Although online classes have existed for more than a decade, the debate over cheating has become sharper in the last year with the emergence of "massive open online courses."
Those MOOCs, as they are known, usually are offered free by such organizations as Coursera and edX in collaboration with colleges, and can enroll thousands of students in one class.
Private colleges, public universities and corporations are jumping into the online education field, investing millions of dollars to tap into the vast pool of potential students, while also taking steps to help ensure honesty at a distance.
Despite public suspicion about online deception, studies seem to show that there is not much difference in the amount of cheating that occurs in virtual and real classrooms. A 2010 study in the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration found that 32.7% of online students self-reported cheating at least once on tests, compared to 32.1% of those in on-campus classes.
But as online education grows, even small vulnerabilities could become big problems, academics fear.
The "size and scale [of MOOC courses] make it a bigger issue," said Cathy Sandeen, vice president for education attainment and innovation at the American Council on Education.
The council announced in February that it considers four MOOC courses from Mountain View, Calif.-based Coursera worthy of college credit when they include webcams and monitoring of typing patterns.
"The [security] standard we want to see is something equal to or better than a large lecture class at a university," Sandeen said.
Aside from the Web cameras, a host of other high-tech methods are becoming increasingly popular. Among them are programs that check students' identities using obscure biographical information (which of these three telephone numbers was once yours?).
Programs can generate unique exams by drawing on a large inventory of questions and can identify possible cheaters by analyzing whether difficult test questions are answered at the same speed as easy ones. As in many campus classes, term papers are scanned against massive Internet data banks for plagiarism.
At Salt Lake City-based Western Governors, nearly all 39,000 students have been supplied with Kryterion webcams to monitor tests and scan the room for visitors or cheat sheets.
If the proctor senses something suspicious, the test can be interrupted or canceled, according to the school's provost, David Leasure. A webcam detected the presence of a Los Angeles Times photographer in Clay's apartment before the student could proceed with the exam, which she passed.
StraighterLine, a Baltimore company that offers online courses accepted for credit at some colleges, switched in November from optional test proctoring to mandatory use of webcams. That added $10 to students' cost per course.
"We made the change because we believe that the academic integrity issue is likely to become a big issue across all elements of higher education," Chief Executive Burck Smith said.
Still, discerning cheating is no easy task.
At Kryterion, proctors usually watch six to eight test-takers at a time on a split screen, looking at "body language and eye movement or anything that might be aberrant behavior," said Rebekah Lovaas, a Kryterion operations analyst who worked as a proctor for three years.
Something possibly suspicious occurs in about 16% of the online tests that Kryterion monitors, according to the company.
In most cases students can't break the habit of answering a cellphone call, and the sound of another person usually turns out to be a family member with no intention to cheat, Lovaas said. One time, however, she noticed a test-taker had taped what appeared to be notes above the computer monitor; that exam was halted through a computerized process and the incident reported to the school.
Proctors do not personally speak to or interact with students and do not learn the outcome of their monitoring.
Daniel House of Los Angeles, who is working on a bachelor's in health informatics at Western Governors, feels confident that the cameras and other deterrents keep testing secure.
"I haven't seen any opportunity for people to get around it," said House, 51, who switched careers in midlife from music industry jobs to running a hospital's websites.
Other prevention efforts are less high-tech.
Some online programs, such as ones affiliated with the University of Maryland and Colorado's community colleges, avoid high-stakes final exams and instead use frequent, smaller-scale assessments. They also encourage online interaction that helps teachers detect a sudden improvement in their students' writings or unusual changes in the class chat room postings.
EdX, the not-for-profit MOOC consortium founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last year, opts for exams at commercial centers with proctors in the room if a student is seeking credit.
Anant Agarwal, the MIT professor who is edX president, said he does not think cameras are as effective as the trained human eye and that his group wanted "something everyone was used to and believed in."
The University of the People, a Pasadena-based online school that brings low-cost courses to students around the world, relies on volunteer proctors with standing in local communities. Among them are a minister in Brazil, a professor in India and Teresa Lane, manager of a small library in Morristown, Tenn.
Lane said she signed up to proctor one young man's tests because she wants to help untraditional students return to school.
"I think online education can definitely work, but everyone has to cooperate and give it a chance," Lane said.
Click green for further info
Source: UB - University Business
____________________________________________________________________________
(1) Click: Looking for Signs of Dementia? Ask Patient
7/17/13 - Doctors are finding that patients like Carol Miller, above, who describe fledgling changes in cognition, may, in fact, be detecting early harbingers of Alzheimer’s.
(2) Click: Tainted School Lunches Kill 25 Children in India
The authorities were searching for the headmistress of a primary school in the eastern state of Bihar after children were served food contaminated with insecticide.
If the links are expired search the web with the title
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BPA, phthalates
tied to kids' weight, diabetes risk
Bisphenol A - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Phthalate - Wikipedia
Click green for further info
Children exposed to two chemicals commonly used in food packaging are more likely to be obese or show signs of diabetes precursors than those with lower exposure, new research suggests.
Researchers found urine levels of one type of phthalate, used to soften plastic, were tied to a higher risk of insulin resistance among teenagers. Based on data from the same large nutrition survey, another study group linked bisphenol A, or BPA - used to line aluminum cans - to obesity and larger waists in youth.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in six U.S. children and teenagers is now obese.
"Clearly unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are the drivers of this epidemic … but increasingly environmental chemicals are being identified as possible contributors," Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a pediatrician from New York University, said.
He and his colleagues analyzed data from a nationally-representative health and nutrition survey conducted in 2003 to 2008, which included urine and blood tests for 766 adolescents aged 12 to 19.
They found urinary levels of one particular type of phthalate, known as Di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP), were closely tied to a teenager's chance of having insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
Just under 15 percent of study participants with the lowest one-third of DEHP levels were insulin resistant, compared to almost 22 percent of those with the highest levels.
DEHP, Trasande said, is often used to soften plastic bottles. It's used in plastic that is printed with the number 3 for recycling.
The researchers said their findings don't prove that eating food packaged with phthalates causes insulin resistance. For example, it's possible children who are already insulin-resistant have unhealthier eating habits and eat and drink more packaged products - thus the higher phthalate levels in their urine.
But Trasande told Reuters Health the chemical may influence how the body secretes insulin in response to sugar.
Because of that, he tells parents to avoid buying plastics made with DEHP.
"I advise them not to wash plastic containers in the dishwasher," he said. And, "When the plastic is clearly etched or damaged, it's time to throw it away."
MORE EVIDENCE ON BPA
For a separate study published concurrently in Pediatrics, Dr. Joyce Lee from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and her colleagues used nutrition survey data through 2010 to compare BPA levels in the urine of six- to 18-year-olds with other health measures.
In their analysis of 3,370 kids, BPA - an industrial chemical that may mimic estrogen in the body - was not linked to insulin resistance or blood sugar.
But children with higher BPA levels were more likely to be obese, and tended to have a higher waist circumference-to-height ratio, than those with the lowest levels.
A total of 18 percent of kids in the study were obese, based on CDC growth charts. Compared to children with the lowest BPA levels, the 25 percent with the highest levels were twice as likely to meet the cutoff for obesity.
The average child had 2.6 nanograms, or 2.6 billionths of a gram, of BPA in every milliliter of urine.
The findings are in line with a 2012 study that used some of the same data and also linked BPA in kids' urine to their chance of being overweight or obese, without proving a cause-and-effect relationship.
"That study adds further concerns to the ongoing use of BPA in food," Trasande said.
"There are a variety of chemicals used in children's products including BPA as well as other chemicals of less notoriety that our kids are exposed to on a daily basis, for which there are unknown health effects," Lee told Reuters Health in an email.
"Although the evidence about BPA and adverse health effects are not definitive, as a clinician, I do recommend that parents try to avoid BPA-containing plastics when possible to minimize their family's exposure. I also tell them to avoid microwaving food in plastic containers, as this can lead to chemicals leaking into the food," Lee said.
Still, one researcher cautioned that urinary levels of BPA and other chemicals may not say a lot about how much actually gets into children's blood and tissues.
"Everybody who does BPA studies uses the urine for a surrogate of exposure. It's erroneous, because the urine is purely what the person took in that day in BPA," Dr. Robert Brent from Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware, who wrote an editorial accompanying the new studies, said.
"In order to know what exposure is you have to have the blood level of the chemical," he told Reuters Health - as well as how quickly it breaks down in the blood.
In 2012 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned BPA from baby bottles, but said there was not enough evidence for a more widespread ban. The FDA has not placed regulations on phthalates in food products, Trasande's team noted.
Click green for further info
SOURCE: Pediatrics, online August 19, 2013.
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Healthy Lifestyle & Correct, Natural, Not Processed, Natural Nutrition
provide
The Best Preventative Medicine
Healthy Lifestyle & Correct, Natural, Not Processed, Natural Nutrition
Quotation:
"If it came from a plant eat it - if it was made in a plant, don't"
michaelpollan.com
Quotation:
"To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
Christian von Christophers, STAF, Inc. CEO
STAF, Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program meant for the U.S. government's use to be included in the new health care legislation as the first real solution for our overweight & obesity problems & for our rampant sickness level.
This STAF, Inc.'s whole website is about that new program. The material in this website is of high Academic level and is used in College & University education for all degree levels: Associate, B.A., M.A. & Ph.D.
The new program is based on worldwide research and is fit for every country's use as a solution to find new health for everyone. The program took 26 years to develop. It will save trillions in health care expenses and will ease human suffering.
______________________
Click green for further info
It always comes down to food, doesn't it?
And why is that? Why, when we read about the best ways to stay healthy, does it always seem to circle back to what we take from the plate to our mouths? I believe it boils down to this: Food is medicine . Want to lower your risk of heart disease? Then think about what you're going to have for dinner tonight. Same for diabetes, cancer, depression, acne, PMS and just about any other condition you and I can think of.
Click green: PMS = Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Symptoms: Physical and Emotional
(1) What we eat, (2) how much we eat, (3) when we eat (= the circadian cycles*), (4) and how we combine the food items (= science of food combination) affects our health and wellbeing.
*) click The Circadian Cycles - Neuroscience ...www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
And it affects the health and wellbeing of our children, too, which is an awesome responsibility. So it is good new in August 2013 that childhood obesity appears to be declining (not much but that is the starting point).
Perhaps it's really happening; perhaps we really are changing our food habits and doing right by our kids.
Recently released click: federal data shows a decrease in obesity rates for low-income preschool children between 2008 and 2011. Finally, it looks like our efforts to improve our children's diets and exercise habits might be working.
It is critical to capitalize on this trend. Our kids deserve nothing less. And it's not just obesity that has us worried for our nation's children; it's for the growing risk of dementia looming down the road. Who wants to grow old only to forget it all? I sure don't!
Yet again, it comes down to food. Those fruits, vegetables, blueberries and salmon and walnuts matter. Good food is good for your body. And good food is good for your mind.
Researchers Heaheen Lakhan, M.D., and Annette Kirchgessner, Ph.D., take it one step further. In their August 2013 article in Nutrition Journal, "The emerging role of dietary fructose in obesity and cognitive decline*," they review effects of obesity on cognitive performance, as well as the impact of high fructose intake (a form of sugar) in promoting memory loss. Then, they point to a potential solution for this predicament: They also review the potential emerging evidence that omega-3s have in aiding memory, possibly counteracting the damage of a high-fructose diet.
QUIZ: Identify Your Eating Style
Their research puts the power squarely back with you and me: We can choose to have a soda today (loaded with high fructose), or not. We can choose to have or not to have wild caught salmon (even canned; but not any farm raised fish; its too polluted) wild caught salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids). We can stop and think before giving our children a sugary popsicle when - frozen blueberries & other frozen berries or fruit can do the trick instead. Through these choices, we can impact not only our waistlines, but also our memory, along with the quality of life we and our kids will enjoy today, tomorrow and well into the future.
The Secret to Healthy Weight Loss
Keep Your Brain Sharp for Longer
Click green for further info
Source:
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Put Some Spice in Your Life - 3 Common, Beneficial Spices Analyzed
Click green for further info
Ginger
- Ginger: MedlinePlus Supplements - National Library of Medicinewww.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/961.html
Ginger is an herb. The rhizome (underground stem) is used as a spice and also as a medicine. It can be used fresh, dried and powdered, or as a juice or oil.What is it? - How effective is it? - How does it work? - Are there safety concerns?
In 2009, Dr. Suzanna Zick, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan, reported that four studies had been done on how ginger helps as a treatment for morning sickness. Pregnant women were given 1,000 milligrams of ground ginger or 500 milligrams of ginger extract for four weeks.
In each case, ginger was superior to a placebo in easing this troublesome condition. Zick said she believed that ginger blocks the action of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the bowel that can trigger nausea.
NASA, however, found that ginger was of little help in stopping motion sickness in astronauts when they were strapped into rotating chairs. Dutch scientists were more successful. They gave powdered ginger to naval cadets while in heavy seas. This didn’t stop nausea or vertigo, but it did stop vomiting and cold sweats.
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada said that the use of 1,000 milligrams of ginger (about one-half teaspoon), in divided doses, “appears to be safe” for morning sickness in pregnant women.
Cinnamon Cinnamon Health Benefits and Research - WebMDwww.webmd.com/vitamins-and...guide.../supplement-guide-cinnamon Cinnamon may work great as a way to enhance food. But could it benefit health as well? Learn more about this spice.
Richard Anderson, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said that small amounts of cinnamon help to decrease blood sugar in diabetes patients. In a study, 60 diabetic Pakistani patients were divided into two groups and given 1 gram or 6 grams of ground cinnamon daily for 60 days.
At the end of 40 days, the group receiving 1 gram of cinnamon had a decrease in blood sugar of about 25 percent, and those receiving 6 grams had a drop of 29 percent.
Later studies by Anderson using 10 grams of cinnamon powder for diabetes patients showed a decrease of only 10 percent. Other studies in Holland and Germany using cinnamon showed no change in blood sugar.
No one can explain the discrepancy in these results. But Anderson believes the dosage might have been too low for Type 2 diabetes patients who were overweight.
Any cautions? No one knows if cinnamon reacts with other drugs. Anderson also suggests using a water extract of the spice when using it for a long time, as some ingredients in cinnamon can thin the blood. So check with your doctor before using cinnamon and other spices.
Turmeric Turmeric | University of Maryland Medical Centerumm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/turmeric Turmeric. Overview. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been used for 4,000 years to treat a variety of conditions. Studies show that turmeric may ...
I didn’t realize that when I enjoy curry at Indian restaurants or add mustard to a cheese sandwich that I’m eating turmeric. Researchers have tested this spice as a cure for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s actually the cause of the yellow color, curcumin in turmeric, which interests scientists.
Dr. Bharat Aggarwal, professor of cancer research at the Anderson Cancer Center in Houston , said curcumin induced a programmed death of cancer cells. In addition, it suppressed formation of new blood vessels that nourished tumors. Rats, for instance, got fewer cancers of the breast and colon when given curcumin.
MD Anderson Cancer Center - MDAnderson.orgwww.mdanderson.org/
Researchers at Harvard went a step further and injected curcumin into the bloodstream of mice with Alzheimer disease-like plaques. A week later, studies showed a 30 percent decrease in these plaques. Research into how this spice affects humans with Alzheimer’s disease is only in preliminary stages.
For the moment, adding a little spice to our life appears to be a sound idea. I just wish my mother were still alive so she could see how much I now know about spices.
Click green for further info
Source: Vitamin Facts
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What to Do Now to Prevent Dementia Later - 25 Tips
These 25 tips do not only prevent dementia - they also keep your total health
in excellent shape no matter what your age: 20 or 120 or anything between
# 1) Watch What You Eat - # 2) Walk 20K steps or more daily in fresh air (20K - 50K steps depending on your time investment capability - minimum 2oK - # 3) Sleep 7 - 8 h; healing growth hormone develops in sleep -
# 4) Work as long as you can = retire as late as you can or never - # 5) Drink pure, briefly boiled water in ounces as your healthy weight is in lbs (drink the water hot = then you sip it slower - necessary to mix with saliva) - # 6) Get rid of your overweight - # 7) Stop smoking - # 8) Max. 1 - 2 daily (red wine, beer) - # 9) Control your temper - #10) Work on keeping your marriage happy (regular weekly date nights, no voice raising, no blaming), share together new experiences, do things together, yet: give space & private time to yourself and to your partner - # 11) Study daily new things (newspaper, books, internet, etc.), go back to College or start College, have a new degree (in any age) -
# 12) Go camping (tent, pure nature) with your spouse for 1 - 3 weeks as time allows or frequently for 2 - 3 days at weekends- # 13) Drive with your spouse across your country (in America take once or more often the famous 1st paved road from coast to coast: Lincoln's Highway) - #14) Socialize with as many people as you can - # 15) Join a Church Choir and/or or any choir - # 16) Learn to play music using a portable instrument (musical keyboard, guitar, etc. - when competent, perform in hospitals, child care centers, etc. create a group, play, sing & perform - # 17) Join Charity work group, participate, work hands-on, - # 18) Join a dance club /school, learn to dance well, competitions, perform -
# 19) Join Sierra Club SierraClub.org - go (tent 0r RV) camping with your spouse & children in the wooded wilderness with lakes, rivers, mountains - camping refreshes the mind, resets your body clock, gives oxygen and heals your body & mind - see article close below - # 20) Join any club, be active - # 21) Join Toastmasters speaking club Toastmasters - # 22) Learn to play chess - # 23) read these 2 articles in this tab close to the top (a) "Fast Time and the Aging Mind" & (b) "Science Uncovers a Results-bringing Weight Loss Secret" & then, step by step, as many articles in this extensive website as you can - finish them all - will take several years - all articles in this website are built for College & University level teaching in all degree levels: Associate, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. - # 24) Take book writing seminars, start writing & publish fiction, your family life story, movie scripts - # 25) Study health, healthy & natural nutrition, happiness & positive purpose of life and apply the reasonable principles - read The New York Times daily - The New York Timeswww.nytimes.com & read The Epoch Times The Epoch Times - Wikipedia; Read the following three books and apply their information in your and your family's life - books available worldwide from Amazon.com® Official Site - Huge Selection and Amazing
Prices www.amazon.com/ online and in a paper copy in limited areas - read & study in full and apply the information of these three books: (1) - (2) Fit for Life 1 and 2 - click: by Harvey Diamond (Author) , click: by Marilyn Diamond (Author), (3) The China Study - click: The China Study - By T. Colin Campbell (Lead-Author)
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Put yourself on the track toward many healthy, happy golden years Start early in your life: adding years does not have to mean adding sicknesses
Start healthy lifestyle with correct & natural home cooked food applying the information you find in this STAF, Inc.'s
extensive website. Otherwise getting old is getting expensive on your individual level and also on our whole nation's level. Really expensive. In the nationwide level think billions—hundreds of billions, trillions. And according to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, it’s just going to get more so in the coming decades. Why? The incidence of overweight, obesity, sitting too much (walk 20-50K steps daily - use pedometer) and dementia are all on the rise in our country and it is going to be very pricey . Just alone dementia will cost billions every year on the nationwide level. There are so many costs associated with dementia—medication, health care, home care, etc. It’s not just as simple as taking a pill and calling your doc in the morning.
More about dementia and how to avoid it
Fortunately, dementia is a chronic disease. “Fortunate?!” you say. Yup, fortunate, because like many chronic diseases, dementia is in part lifestyle-driven, which means that you can help control it. There is an abundance of research, and more emerging everyday, that what you eat, how active you are and how you manage your stress today all contribute to your risk of dementia later in life.
Let’s break down what you can do.
All information in this article will keep also your overall physical health in a good shape in addition to preventing dementia - they go together.
Watch What You Eat
Brain food is good food. Specifically, foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids are great for your brain. Yet another reason to eat salmon and nuts, especially walnuts. Food choices also impact your stroke risk, which can affect your risk of vascular dementia. (Dementia is not just a code word for Alzheimer’s. There are actually different kinds of dementia.) A diet high in sodium, for example, is known to increase your stroke risk. So to minimize that risk, plant some yummy herbs this spring and sprinkle those into your meals instead of reaching for the salt shaker.
Exercise
Put on those running shoes and get moving - mostly walking! Running can cause knee & other joint problems. In running, every time your foot hits the ground your knees take about 400 lbs hit - no wonder running can cause joint problems. Run on a soft surface (preferable in the real, less polluted nature.
Turns out that the recommendation from the American Heart Association to take 10,000 or more steps a day*) isn’t just good for your heart: It’s good for your mind as well. A study published this winter in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that participants who exercised in their middle age could reduce their risk of later developing dementia.
*) STAF, Inc.'s advice: take 30,000 steps daily, mostly in fresh air (= avoid traffic pollution), walk in parks, woods, close to lakes, rivers, ocean (if they are close to you).
Kick Back
Take your pick: Maybe it’s yoga, or meditation, or the New York Times crossword puzzle. Do whatever makes you feel connected and engaged. A growing body of research suggests that leisurely activities that keep you busy—body and mind—help decrease your risk of cognitive decline. Relaxing fun now, health later. Not bad, eh?
Click: QUIZ: Hobbies for Happiness and Health
Click: QUIZ: How Fast Are You Aging?
(if the links have expired search the web with a similar title)
Click green for further info
Source: Nutritional Archives
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PART A PART B "Make the Most Out of Hiking & Camping" next below - same topic
Important info - read and apply in your and your family's life
Researchers say that camping for a week can reset
the biological clock that governs our sleeping patterns
Camping has many other health benefits - as long as you do camping in the woods
close to rivers, lakes mountains and walk 25K - 50 K steps daily
The scientists argue that modern life disrupts our sleep through exposure to electric light and reduced access to sunlight.
But after spending time in the great outdoors, the researchers say the body clocks of eight volunteers synchronised with sunrise and sunset.
The click: research has been published in the journal Current Biology.
All life forms on earth have evolved biological rhythms that anticipate sunrise and sunset.
Researchers click: have found that the widespread availability of electric lighting from the 1930s onwards has affected our internal circadian clocks (see several links at then of this article), allowing us to stay up much later than evolution intended.
We are sensitive to dim light levels, even the light from cell phones in the evening hours is a cue that pushes our clocks to a later time”
Prof Kenneth Wright Unversity of Colorado
The scientists in this study first analysed a small group of volunteers as they went about their normal lives, and recorded their exposure to natural and artificial light.
By looking at levels of the hormone, melatonin, they concluded that the lighting of our modern environment causes around a two hour delay in circadian clocks.
Melatonin rises just before we go to sleep and decreases through the night until we wake up. The study participants tended to stay up until after midnight and to wake up around eight in the morning.
Their melatonin levels, however were still high for several hours after they got up, indicating they were out of synch with their natural rhythms.
In tents researchThe scientists then took the volunteers camping for a week in Colorado. Flashlights and electronic devices were banned, the only night time light was the glow of a campfire.
The result was that the waking and sleeping patterns of all eight volunteers synchronised with the rising and setting of the Sun.
"They all shifted to an earlier time," said Prof Kenneth Wright from the University of Colorado in Boulder.
In the study, flashlights and electronic devices were banned
"Everyone's clock shifted but those later night owls shifted to an even greater extent."
What surprised the scientific team was the increase in the amount of sunlight the volunteers experienced through their camping experience, around 400% more than they were normally exposed to.
"We think that modern electric lighting patterns and a reduction in exposure to sunlight are contributing to later sleep schedules and difficulties with alertness in the morning," said Prof Wright.
"After exposure to the natural light dark cycle, melatonin levels were low just before the volunteers woke up, suggesting our brain is starting to promote wakefulness after we have been exposed to these natural cues."
While the sleeping patterns of the volunteers shifted back about two hours, the total amount of time they spent sleeping stayed the same.
The small scale of the study leaves many questions unanswered - would similar effects be found on people who normally lived with more or less exposure to light for instance? Prof Wright acknowledges that there is much more work to be done.
"We'd love to see this followed up in different parts of the world. We are studying healthy people, we'd like to see people who have real sleep problems. This is just the first step," he said.
And while it's not possible for everyone to go camping all the time, the scientists say that some small, simple changes to the way we live our lives could help us attain some of the benefits of sleeping under the stars.
"Start off your day with a walk outside," said Prof Wright.
"At night reduce lights in the house, dim computer and electronic devices. We are sensitive to dim light levels, even the light from cell phones in the evening hours is a cue that pushes our clocks to a later time."
Click green for further info
Source: The journal Current Biology & The University of Colorado
- Circadian clock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_clock
A circadian clock, or circadian oscillator, is a biochemical mechanism that oscillates with a period of 24 hours and is coordinated with the day-night cycle.Transcriptional and ... - Post-translational modification - Regulation of circadian ... - Circadian rhythm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm
Jump to Light and the biological clock - [edit source | edit]. Further information: Light effects on circadian rhythm. Light resets the biological clock in ...Circadian clock - Zeitgeber - Endogenous - Entrainment - Circadian Rhythms Fact Sheet - National Institute of General ...www.nigms.nih.gov › Science Education
The biological clocks that control circadian rhythms are groupings of interacting molecules in cells throughout the body. A “master clock” in the brain coordinates ... - Key Protein is Linked to Circadian Clocks, Helps Regulate Metabolismwww.ucsf.edu/.../key-protein-linked-circadian-clocks-helps-regulate-met...
Jun 18, 2013 - It drives everything from sleep cycles to metabolism, but the inner workings of this so-called “circadian clock” are complex, and the molecular ...
PART B
Make the Most Out of Hiking & Camping:
Benefits & Spectacular Trails
Hiking & Camping is beneficial for the body, mind and soul
Hiking on beautiful, scenic trails is a great way to challenge yourself physically while enjoying the simple, yet breathtaking ways of Mother Nature. All hiking experiences are worthwhile; whether it’s the childhood trail just a couple miles from home, or a new endeavor to the glorious Blue Range Mountains. If you live in the busy city, escape the noises and stress for the sounds of birds chirping and creeks flowing. It’s never too late to grab those sneakers and head out the door.
As hikers and health advocates, we want to share with you the sweet benefits to waking up on Sunday morning (or any day really) and moving! Your muscles, organs and conscious will thank you. Turning this into a healthy habit can turn into a healthy lifestyle.
Camping & hiking helps with:
1. Weight loss — Physical outdoor exercise is always encouraged, even by simply walking as a mode of transportation. Beginners can start out at a slower walking pace, and hike at a comfortable 2-MPH, burning about 250 calories an hour. Depending on speed, how much you’re carrying and incline, weight loss can increase.
2. Prevention of Heart Disease — Individuals who do not exercise daily are twice as likely to have coronary heart disease. Hiking can also decrease levels of bad cholesterol, while increasing high-density lipoprotein, a good cholesterol.
3. Reduces depression — Taking a trip outside will help clear your mind. Hiking releases adrenaline, and studies show decrease in tension, anxiety, and blood pressure levels. After a moderate or intense hike, relaxing is easier and the mind is more at ease. This reduces depression, and when your feeling better physically and mentally you will feel more thankful for nature as well as good health.
4. Gives you a healthier sleep important fact
See 2 articles next below
PART A (1) sleeping pills use
PART B (2) sleeping pills shortening life
PART A (Part B next below)
Nine Million Use Sleeping Pills in The U.S.
Sleep experts say it's important to figure out the underlying problem behind insomnia, such as depression, substance use or sleep apnea*), and address it by using safer options. Doctors say everyone could benefit from sleep hygiene — a set of behaviors such as going to bed at the same time all week, avoiding caffeine and stimulation from TV, and avoid other strenuous activities before bedtime
strenuous - synonyms:
tiring, arduous, difficult, hard, tough, taxing, demanding, exacting,exhausting, grueling, back-breaking
Click green for further info
Nearly 9 million U.S. adults resort to prescription sleeping pills — and most are white, female, educated, 50 or older, according to the first government study of its kind.
But that's only part of the picture. Experts believe there are millions more who try options like over-the-counter medicines or chamomile tea, or simply suffer through sleepless nights.
"Not everyone is running out to get a prescription drug," said Russell Rosenberg, an Atlanta-based sleep researcher.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study was based on interviews with about 17,000 adults from 2005 through 2010. Study participants were even asked to bring in any medicines they were taking.
Overall, 4 percent of adults said they'd taken a prescription sleeping pill or sedative in the previous month.
The study did not say whether use is increasing. But a CDC researcher calculated that use rose from 3.3 percent in 2003-2006 to 4.3 percent in 2007-2010.
That echoes U.S. market research — as well as studies in some other countries — that indicate an increase in insomnia in recent decades.
"Sleep disorders overall are more prevalent than what they were," said Dr. Ana Krieger, medical director of New York's Weill Cornell Center for Sleep Medicine.
That could be due to a number of factors, experts said. Some include obesity-related sleep apnea, the rise of social media and other electronic late-night distractions and financial worries from the recent recession.
Earlier studies have tried to track pill use through prescription sales, but that offered a flawed view.
For adults, the recommended amount of sleep is 7 to 9 hours each night. Previous CDC research suggests at least a third of adults get less than that. Doctors offer tips for good sleeping that include sticking to a regular bedtime schedule, getting exercise each day and avoiding caffeine and nicotine at night.
By some estimates, nearly 10 percent of Americans suffer chronic insomnia and may seek a physician's help. Inadequate sleep has been tied to the start and worsening of a range of diseases and conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression.
The CDC study results confirm some patterns that doctors have been observing for a while. They include:
— Women are more likely than men to take sleeping pills, 5 percent versus 3 percent.
— More whites take pills — nearly 5 percent, compared to 2.5 percent of blacks and 2 percent of Hispanics.
— Prescription use increases with age, to 7 percent of those 80 and older.
The findings may have been influenced in part by who had health insurance and access to doctors who would prescribe sleeping pills, said Yinong Chong, the study's lead author.
But clearly people tend to have trouble sleeping as they get older, due not only to aches and physical changes but also to emotional burdens, experts say.
Retired law professor Jane Kaplan has had trouble sleeping since she was a young woman, but it got worse around 2007. Over a year, her husband, mother and sister died.
She still takes Ambien, a popular sleeping pill, which helps her fall asleep but she wakes up in the middle of the night.
It's not unusual for her to get only 3½ or 4 hours.
Kaplan said she's been working with Krieger to deal with her sleeplessness. But it remains a struggle, the 70-year-old said.
"You wake up tired and you just count the hours until the day is over. And you hope tomorrow's going to be better," she said.
PART B (Part A next above)
People who take certain prescription sleeping pills even once in a while
may be up to five times more susceptible to early death, a U.S. study suggests
Click green for further info
The findings, published in the journal BMJ Open, show the importance of not becoming dependent on sleeping pills to fight click: insomnia.
In the U.S., an estimated six per cent to 10 per cent of adults used the drugs in 2010.
To look for any associations between use of common hypnotics and increased mortality and cancer risks, the researchers compared death rates among 10,529 people who received prescriptions for sleeping pills and 23,600 others who did not but were similar in terms of age, physical health, income and other factors.
Sleep experts recommend going to bed at the same time all week and avoiding caffeine and TV before bedtime before turning to pills.(Frank Gunn/Canadian Press)The researchers found that people taking as few as 18 pills a year were 3.6 times more likely to die early than people who take no sleeping pills. Those taking 18 to 132 pills a year were up to five times more likely to die early.
The study was done by Dr. Daniel Kripke of Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family Sleep Centre in La Jolla, Calif., and colleagues.
They concluded that in 2010, hypnotics such as zolpidem, temazepam and eszopiclone may be associated with 320,000 to 507,000 excess deaths in the U.S.
"These pills really seem too dangerous to use," Kripke said in an interview.
A 2010 study based on an analysis of a Statistics Canada database of 14,000 Canadians over 12 years old also concluded that sleeping pills were linked to a similar increase in risk of death, after the researchers controlled for other risk factors.
Safer options"The meagre benefits of hypnotics, as critically reviewed by groups without financial interest, would not justify substantial risks," the study's authors said. "A consensus is developing that cognitive-behavioural therapy of chronic insomnia may be more successful than hypnotics."
Finding an association between sleeping pills and more deaths does not prove the pills are the cause, but the evidence points in that direction because the risk increased with higher doses, the researchers said.
Dr. Charles Samuels is medical director of the Centre for Sleep & Human Performance in Calgary, and has written guidelines for family doctors on use of sleeping pills. He considers the drugs to be overprescribed, but worries the paper will undermine their appropriate use.
"To globally state that these drugs are killing people is quite frankly irresponsible," Samuels said.
In the study, people on sleeping pills were more likely to have esophageal problems and peptic ulcers.
The subjects were also more likely than cigarette smokers to be diagnosed with lymphomas, lung, colon and prostate cancers.
As for how the early mortality might occur, it's known that people who take sleeping pills may sometimes have residual dizziness the next day that may increase the risk of car collisions or falls.
Sleeping pills also depress the respiratory system, which could reduce the drive to breathe if someone already has sleep apnea, Kabasele said.
Identify source of sleep problemIt's also possible that an increase in depression among people who take sleeping pills could lead to harmful behaviour and suicide.
"There are other options that can help you sleep better before you turn to the pharmaceuticals," said CBC medical specialist Dr. Karl Kabasele.
Kripke said insomnia itself isn't dangerous in terms of mortality, but sleeping pills are.
Sleeping pills are intended for people with acute insomnia, a sleep problem that lasts three weeks or less. But millions of people worldwide take the pills for months, said Dr. Jeffrey Lipsitz, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Centre of Metropolitan Toronto.
People taking sleeping pills should not stop them immediately without the supervision of the doctor who prescribed them because there may be untoward effects of stopping or changing abruptly Lipsitz said.
Sleep experts say it's important to figure out the underlying problem behind insomnia, such as depression, substance use or sleep apnea, and address it by using safer options. Doctors say everyone could benefit from sleep hygiene — a set of behaviors such as going to bed at the same time all week, avoiding caffeine and stimulation from TV, electronics and strenuous activities before bedtime.
*) sleep apnea
click:
What Is Sleep Apnea? - NHLBI, NIH
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea/What Is Sleep Apnea? - NHLBI, Sleep apnea is a common disorder among overweight people - you have one or more ...Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition that disrupts your sleep. Other Names for Sleep Apnea - Signs & Symptoms - How Is Sleep Apnea Treated? _______________________________________________________________
Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
New research highlights the heart-healthy benefits of a diet high in olive oil, fish and nuts
Click green for further info
You may have wondered about the supposedly miraculous effects of the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular health. Well, get your EVOO (= Cold-Pressed Extra-virgin olive oil) at the ready, because the latest news will make you a believer.
Click: Foods That Lower Cholesterol
Researchers in Spain conducted a large, randomized trial to study the effects of a Mediterranean diet versus a more traditional diet. Recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the results were so strongly in favor of the Mediterranean diet that they actually stopped the trial early!
The study involved both men (ages 55 to 80) and women (ages 60 to 80) who had either diabetes or three risk factors for heart disease. These typical heart disease risk factors included smoking, elevated blood pressure, elevated bad cholesterol (LDL) or low good cholesterol (HDL), being overweight or obese (BMI greater than 30) or a positive family history of early heart disease.
QUIZ: How Healthy Is Your Body?
The authors divided the participants randomly into three groups: Mediterranean diet + extra olive oil, Mediterranean diet + extra nuts and a control group (regular diet). None of the three groups were encouraged to restrict their diet or alter their exercise; the point was just to look for the potential benefits of a Mediterranean diet on heart-health outcomes.
The researchers assessed the participants yearly, and they found that the participants who followed the Mediterranean diet had a lower risk of heart disease compared to a traditional Western diet. This is fabulous news for anyone who likes to eat good food, which honestly, is just about anyone. If you enjoy fruits and vegetables, fish, lean meats and olive oil, eating them is your prescription for a healthy heart. Importantly, this is not a diet. It’s a way of life, a lifestyle.
So, brass tacks. How do you maintain this lifestyle? Above all else, keep it simple. Go for nonfat yogurt and fresh fruit, maybe with some nuts, for breakfast. Simple salads and lean protein for lunch, maybe with a whole grain. And for dinner, think fish! Maybe some olives, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese. Limit the processed foods, limit the extra sugar—and plan for an extended retirement in the lap of Mediterranean health and luxury.
Click green for further info
Source: Nuritional Archives
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Obesity very high in 13 states; many in the South
Little change in state obesity rates last year;
highest in South and Midwest, lowest in Colo.
August 2013
Click green for further info
Adult obesity still isn't budging, the latest government survey shows.
The national telephone survey found 13 states with very high rates of obesity last year. Overall, the proportion of U.S. adults deemed obese has been about the same for years now.
"A plateau is better than rising numbers. But it's discouraging because we're plateauing at a very high number," said Kelly Brownell, a Duke University public policy expert who specializes in obesity.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does the survey each year, and recently released 2012 results.
At least 30 percent of adults were obese in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. In 2011, a dozen states reached that threshold.
Louisiana and Mississippi led the list. In both, nearly 35 percent of adults were obese. Colorado was lowest, with less than 21 percent obese.
It's not surprising states in the South and Midwest top the charts year after year, experts say. Many states in those regions have higher poverty rates.
"When you have a limited income, you have to buy foods that are cheap. And foods that are cheap tend to have a lot of sugar and salt and fat," said Dr. George Bray, an obesity expert at Louisiana State University.
The CDC defines someone as obese if their weight-to-height ratio — called a "body mass index" — hits 30 or higher.
A 5-foot-9 person would be considered obese at 203 pounds or more.
The CDC's annual telephone survey asks adults their height and weight. Overall, nearly 28 percent of Americans were obese, the 2012 survey found. That's roughly the same as it's been since 2008.
Another CDC survey — which weighs and measures participants — is considered more accurate. Since the middle of the last decade, that survey has found that around 35 percent of U.S. adults are obese.
The story may be different with children. A CDC study released last week showed — for the first time — slight drops in obesity for low-income preschoolers in 18 states.
Experts called that report encouraging, but note it studied children fed through a federal program which provides food vouchers and other services. The decline in obesity was largely attributed to program changes — instituted in 2009 — that eliminated juice from infant food packages, provided less saturated fat, and made it easier to buy fruits and vegetables.
Click green for further info
Source: CDC - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - www.cdc.gov Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)www.cdc.gov/CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -
Your Online Source for Credible Health Information. Travelers' Health - Vaccines and Immunizations - Diseases & Conditions
__________________________________________
AMA Declares Obesity a Disease
Date: June 19, 2013
STAF, Inc.'s opinion is:
AMA - American Medical Association - did this mostly to raise the income of the members
STAF, Inc. is the leading, new organization in Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition - obesity and overweight can and will be conquered by just learning to eat less and learning to eat natural, healthy food prepared in our own kitchen
not in a fast-food (= bad food; it is not food) facility.
Most people eat more or less processed food (= made in a factory) - that's no food.
STAF, Inc. has a program that provides all info you need, and: in a correct manner.
_____________
Quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant, don't"
(Michael Pollan)
Quotation: "Eat food, not much - mostly fruit & vegetables"
(Michael Pollan)
Quotation: "To stay healthy and slim you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(CvC, Ph.D, STAF, Inc.'s CEO)
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In case some green link below is not connecting search the web with the title
The American Medical Association confronted some weighty issues at its annual meeting in Chicago in June, 2013.
In perhaps its biggest policy change on weight and health to date, the AMA recognized obesity as a disease.
American Medical Association - ama-assn.org/
By changing obesity's status from "a major public health problem" to a chronic disease, Dr. Patrice Harris, a member of the AMA's board of trustees, said that the organization hoped to open up the range of medical interventions that could help the one-third of Americans now considered obese.
7 Effects of Obesity
"We believe that raising the level of seriousness by classifying obesity as a disease may encourage third-party payers to increase coverage for treatment and may also encourage greater investment for study," she said.
The decision overrode a recommendation by an AMA committee that had studied the matter for more than a year. While committee members weren't authorized to speak to the media, their final report pointed out that obesity was typically diagnosed using body mass index, a measure that is imprecise and not always associated with poor health outcomes.
For example, someone with a body mass index higher than 30 – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's definition of obese – might be perfectly healthy, while someone below that threshold might be sick. Classifying obesity as a disease, the committee argued, might cause confusion because it's difficult to link excess weight to health problems, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
But obesity researcher James O. Hill, executive director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the University of Colorado, said most professionals who diagnose, treat and research obesity are in agreement that a BMI higher than 30 spells trouble.
"I think it's fair game to argue about what the overweight range of BMIs mean for health because the data is all over the place. But once you're over 30, I think it's pretty clear someone is at risk," Hill said.
Hill said he welcomed the AMA's new classification of obesity.
"We recognize that over a third of the population has a disease. Now we can start getting some standardization for reimbursements and treatments," he said.
Dr. Nikhil Dhurandhar, an obesity researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., and vice president of the Obesity Society, said he also believed that the AMA's proclamation was a step in the right direction.
"The recognition of obesity as a disease is an extremely important milestone. Obesity has been a disease. It is now recognized to be so," he said, noting that the society had worked with the AMA on its stance.
Plus-Sized Mannequin Offends Some
Dhurandhar said that while he didn't believe anything the AMA does or says is going to miraculously make obesity disappear, its new position paves the way for more effective diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Richard Besser, the chief health and medical correspondent for ABC News, said he thought the AMA's declaration was much ado about nothing.
"I think it matters little whether we call obesity a disease, a condition or a disorder. We are already talking about the obesity epidemic. It matters less what we call it than what we do to prevent it," he said.
Besser urged Americans to put more effort into exercising and eating a healthy diet.
We need to get physical activity back into everyone's lives, starting with our kids. We need to get them moving in school and after school. We need to get them eating healthy foods in appropriate amounts. That is where the conversation should be focused, not on whether this is a disease," he said.
Continuing its message of obesity awareness, the AMA also issued a statement against prolonged sitting and encouraged Americans to try different alternatives to sitting, such as standing desks, treadmill desks and walking meetings.
"Prolonged sitting, particularly in work settings, can cause health problems," Harris said. "Encouraging workplaces to offer employees alternatives to sitting all day will help to create a healthier work force," Harris said.
Medical experts have long recognized that sitting for hours on end is not as benign an activity as it seems. Studies find that after four hours of sitting still, the genes and enzymes regulating the amount of glucose and fat in the body start to shut down so that fat in the blood stream is captured and stored by fat cells all throughout the body, especially around the organs.
An Archives of Internal Medicine survey of some 220,000 adults found that those who sat for more than eight hours a day had a 15 percent greater risk of dying within three years than those who sat for fewer than four hours a day.
As the AMA meeting wraps up, there are still some other obesity-related proposals that will be considered during today's final voting session, including a recommendation to remove sugar-sweetened beverages as a subsidized item from the government Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that provides millions of low-income families with nutritional assistance.
Hill says such a policy if adopted would be more contentious than the AMA's other objectives. Though he certainly isn't defending sugary beverages and encourages all Americans consume less of them, he said he felt there was a real danger to blaming obesity and poor health on a single factor in the diet.
"We love a villain, but we shouldn't forget that obesity is complex and multifactorial," he said. "It may make us feel good to do this one thing, but removing soda isn't going to resolve the obesity crisis."
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Source: AMA - America Medical Association
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The Potatoes: Good for our health
There's a reason potatoes are the number one crop in the world; they're cheap, filling and tasty
Regular old white potatoes are good for you. One medium potato, baked with the skin, is under 200 calories and is a great source of fiber, vitamin C, B6 and potassium.
(Do not do this:) When you peel them and fry them, or smother them in butter, cheese, sour cream and bacon bits, well, that's another story.
There's a reason potatoes are the number one crop in the world; they're cheap, filling and tasty.
But sometimes they get a bad rap because they're carb-heavy and look a lot like the white foods we're often told to avoid, such as white rice and white bread. Unlike those, a whole potato is actually a whole food, which is exactly what you want to fill your diet with.
In order to reap the benefits, you have to eat them whole. That means leaving on the skin, which is a concentrated source of fiber and contains beautifying phytochemicals comparable to what you find in broccoli. It also means choosing a plain steamed or baked potato instead of French fries, au gratin or any other fat-laden preparation.
At the end of the day, potatoes are still a starchy food that produces an insulin reaction, so if you overindulge, they can drive blood sugar levels down and leave you hungry again in a couple hours. You can game the system by cooking your potato and letting it cool, which increases the amount of resistant starch that stimulates satiety hormones to help keep you fuller longer. Can't stand the idea of potatoes without a pad of hot, melty butter? Stick to antioxidant-rich, low-glycemic-index sweet potatoes instead.
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Study Finds
Healthy Diet CAN and WILL Help Reverse
Brain Damage
Caused By Overeating & eating typical processed American diet
Here Recent Science Aid For Permanent Weight Loss
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for College & University teaching in all degree levels
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In your whole family, apply the information you learn in this website
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See the details in the article 3 of 3 below
Article 1 of 3
You’ve tried and tried to lose weight, but it just doesn’t happen. Or you lose a bit, then gain it back with a vengeance. Sound familiar?
One nationally known obesity experts is Dr. Louis Aronne, M.D., Director of the Comprehensive Weight-Control Program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital /Weill Cornell Medical Center.
According to Aronne, scientists are finally finding answers to the mystery that has stumped them for so long: Why do some people seem to find it impossible to lose weight, despite numerous serious attempts to get slim using diets and exercise?
And what they’ve discovered might surprise you:
Years of eating – and overeating – the typical American diet actually damages the brain. More specifically, it damages the signaling pathways in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates metabolism.
“The evidence is quite convincing – eating fattening foods causes inflammatory cells to go into the hypothalamus,” explains Aronne. “This overloads the neurons and causes neurological damage.”
A groundbreaking study in the British Journal of Nutrition published in February, 2013, is one example of the kind of high-quality, on-target research that’s proving the theory of hypothalamic damage and thus paving the way to new weight loss strategies, Aronne says.
A team of scientists at the University of Liverpool analyzed a body of research that included studies of different weight loss diets.
What they found was that a diet high in saturated fat and simple carbohydrates sets in motion a chain reaction of “metabolic dysfunction” involving the appetite regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin. (Leptin’s job is to suppress appetite, ghrelin’s to increases it.) In addition, a fatty high-carb diet resulted in “alterations in structural plasticity” – i.e. brain changes.
Over time, consuming too many calories from fat and simple sugars damages the nerves that conduct signals through the hypothalamus, affecting the function of leptin and ghrelin, and thus the body’s ability to regulate weight and metabolism, says Aronne. ”Because of this damage, the signals don’t get through about how much fat is stored.”
In other words, your brain has gone haywire and you can no longer trust the messages it’s sending you about appetite, hunger, and fullness.
“It’s like your gas gauge points to empty all the time, whether or not the tank is full,” says Aronne. “So you keep stopping for gas, and then eventually you start filling up gas cans and storing them in the back of your car because you’re so convinced you could run out of gas at any moment.”
So What Does Work for Weight Loss?
Change your diet, and change it fast. “It’s about biology,” Aronne is fond of saying.
(See below article 3 of 3 - there is the correct eating plan)
While some damage to the hypothalamus may be permanent, it’s possible to reverse much of it. “If less fatty food comes in, it reduces the rate of damage,” he explains, noting that it doesn’t matter so much which specific diet you follow,
as long as it’s one that cuts calories, reduces fat, and reduces simple carbohydrates.
Of course, there are lots of trendy diets. There’s no reason not to try a new approach and see if it works better for you than the ones you’ve tried in the past. But work with your body, not against it, Aronne says, and the weight will come off much faster.
But wait, there’s more.
Retooling your diet to be rich in health-promoting foods can stop and even reverse the damage done by an unhealthy one.
In the above-mentioned study at the University of Liverpool, the researchers also looked at the impact of omega-3 fatty acids, known to be beneficial to brain health. And sure enough, fish oil appears to modulate some of the negative effects of the saturated fats and carbs.
What that means, in effect, is that switching to a healthy diet can heal the hypothalamic damage that’s playing havic with your hunger and satiety cues.
Eat lean meat, plenty of seafood (wild-caught fish that has backbone & scales when still swimming around; no farm-raised fish - too polluted), lots of vegetables and fruit, and unprocessed grains.
There’s also more information on Aronne and his views on brain signaling and weight loss available on the Weill Cornell Medical College website.
But here’s secret number two: Permanent weight loss takes time. Aronne is quick to point out that many of those who’ve dropped massive amounts of weight on The Biggest Loser have gained most of it back again within a year or two. Once again, science suggests the problem is that it takes time for the brain’s metabolic messaging system to heal.
Weight Loss Medications May Help - but has negative side effects - avoid it
- this info is put here because many M.D.'s offer medications for an imagined easier fast-way - there is no such a thing. Healthy & safe weightloss leading to a lasting positive result takes time and discipline to follow the instructions based on natural food, not based in chemicalized, processed food-"like" non-food, yet called food - it is no food for any human. Fast food = bad food.
This info is put here for giving some info relating to medication - as said: AVOID medication - you need natural, healthy food and your body will heal itself. Takes time and your own discipline.
If you’re in the group of people who’ve tried (really tried) controlling your weight with diet and exercise, Aronne says it’s worth considering taking a prescription weight loss medication. Doing so can reset your brain to begin healing the hypothalamic damage. The two new diet drugs that just entered the market,Qsymia (formerly Qnexa) and Belviq, have the potential to do this, Aronne says.
“Qsymia supports neuropeptide Y, amplifying the signals that come from the hypothalamus,” Aronne says, adding that Belviq (lorcaserin) and the migraine drug Topamax also have a beneficial effect on brain signaling. In other words, these drugs at least partially fix the broken gas gauge.
Along with being overweight comes insulin and leptin resistance, Aronne says.
“When inflammatory cells go into the hypothalamus, they prevents leptin – which signals to the brain that the stomach is full from getting in,” Aronne says. Among other things, Belviq stimulates the effect of leptin, Aronne says. “We don’t know exactly how it works, but it’s possible the mechanisms are hypothalamic. Belviq appears to amplify signals that go to the critical area of injury.”
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WARNING by STAF, Inc. CEO, Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.:
All man-made medications have negative side effects - avoid the medication
CORRECT HOME COOKED NUTRITION WILL HEAL YOUR BODY
- see Article 3 of 3 below -
It's known Dr. Aronne reported in the past on concerns about side effects from Qsymia and Belviq. Qsymia has been looked at for potential heart valve damage because phentermine, one of the two drugs in the combination, was part of the notorious Fen Phen diet drug combo that caused serious heart valve damage in the 1980s and early 90s. *) See Fen Phen web link below
But from Aronne’s perspective, the drugs have been studied very thoroughly and these concerns are unfounded. And more importantly, the seriousness of the health problems – and the increased risk of death – associated with obesity outweigh the risks of the drugs.
Fen Phen web link:
- Fenfluramine/phentermine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenfluramine/phentermine
The drug combination fenfluramine/phentermine, usually called fen-phen, was an ... A 1984 study found a weight loss of 7.5 kg on average in 24 weeks, ...History - Possible uses - Adverse effects - References
Article 2 of 3
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are classified as (1) simple or (2) complex
- see details below
Carbohydrates are one of the main dietary components. This category of foods includes sugars, starches, and fiber.
Function
The primary function of carbohydrates is to provide energy for the body, especially the brain and the nervous system. An enzyme called amylase helps break down carbohydrates into glucose (blood sugar), which is used for energy by the body.
Food Sources
Carbohydrates are classified as (1) simple or (2) complex.
The classification depends on the chemical structure of the food, and how quickly the sugar is digested and absorbed. Simple carbohydrates have one (single) or two (double) sugars.
Complex carbohydrates have three or more sugars.
Examples of single sugars from foods include:
- Fructose (found in fruits)
- Galactose (found in milk products)
- Lactose (found in dairy)
- Maltose (found in certain vegetables and in beer)
- Sucrose (table sugar)
Complex carbohydrates, often referred to as "starchy" foods, include:
- Legumes
- Starchy vegetables
- Whole-grain breads and cereals
- Fruits
- Milk and milk products
- Vegetables
- Candy
- Regular (nondiet) carbonated beverages, such as soda
- Syrups
- Table sugar
Also, many refined foods, such as white flour, sugar, and white rice, lack B vitamins and other important nutrients unless they are marked "enriched" (and even then they are "enriched" with chemicals).
It is healthiest to get carbohydrates, vitamins, and other nutrients in as natural a form as possible -- for example, from fruit instead of table sugar.
Side Effects
- Getting too many carbohydrates can lead to an increase in total calories, causing obesity.
- Not getting enough carbohydrates can cause a lack of calories (malnutrition), or excessive intake of fats to make up the calories.
Recommendations
Most people should get between 40% and 60% of total calories from carbohydrates, preferably from complex carbohydrates (starches) and natural sugars. Complex carbohydrates provide calories, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Foods that are high in processed, refined simple sugars provide calories, but very little nutrition. It is wise to limit these sugars.
To increase complex carbohydrates and healthy nutrients:
- Eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Eat more whole-grain rice, breads, and cereals.
- Eat more legumes (beans, lentils, and dried peas).
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Article 3 of 3
The correct nutrition plan
with least costs explained
This article below is placed on the internet daily
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This info will save trillions in health care costs
America must learn the #1 skill: Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition
Avoid big food bills, big bellies & big sickness costs
Quote: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
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The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. The new program guides you to buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
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Mail any size of donation in any currency as paper money to: STAF, Inc., GPO 339, New York, NY 10116-0339, USA. In the envelope enclose your name & email address - STAF, Inc. will email you a tax deductible confirmation receipt.100 % of donations will be used for STAF, Inc.'s help operations in reducing sickness & promoting healthy lifestyle.
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STAF. Inc.'s founding President
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New test aims to better detect viral infections
You need this information
WASHINGTON — It happens too often: A doctor isn't sure what is causing someone's feverish illness but prescribes antibiotics just in case, drugs that do not work if a virus is the real culprit.
Now Duke University researchers are developing a blood test to more easily tell when a respiratory illness is due to a virus and not a bacterial infection, hoping to cut the dangerous overuse of antibiotics and speed the right diagnosis.
It works by taking a fingerprint of your immune system — how its genes are revving up to fight the bug. That's very different from how infections are diagnosed today. And if the experimental test pans out, it also promises to help doctors track brand-new threats, like the next flu pandemic or that mysterious MERS virus that has erupted in the Middle East.
- CDC - Coronavirus - Middle East Respiratory Syndrome - MERS-CoVwww.cdc.gov/coronavirus/mers/CDC Coronavirus: Coronaviruses are common throughout the world. They can infect people and animals. Five different coronaviruses can infect people and ...
That viral "signature could be quite powerful, and may be a game-changer," said Geoffrey Ginsburg, Duke's genomic medicine chief. He leads the team that reported that a study involving 102 people provided early evidence that the test can work.
Today, when symptoms alone aren't enough for diagnosis, a doctor's suspicion guides what tests are performed — tests that work by hunting for evidence of a specific pathogen. Fever and cough? If it's flu season, you might be tested for the flu virus. An awful sore throat? Chances are you'll get checked for strep bacteria. A negative test can leave the doctor wondering what germ to check for next, or whether to make a best guess.
Moreover, rapid in-the-office tests aren't always accurate and can miss infections. So patients may have blood or other samples sent to labs to try to grow any lurking bacteria and tell if it's to blame, additional testing that can take days.
"This is something we struggle with every day," said Octavio Ramilo, infectious disease chief at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, who wasn't involved in the new study. Particularly with children, a respiratory virus and a bacterial infection "in the beginning look completely alike," he added. Nationwide Children's Hospital :: Leading Pediatric Hospital in ...www.nationwidechildrens.org/Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of the largest and most comprehensive pediatric hospitals ...
Hence researchers at a number of universities are trying to harness a fairly recent discovery: As your immune system detects an invading bug, different genes are activated to fend off a viral infection than to fight a bacterial or fungal one. Those subtle molecular changes appear to be occurring even before you feel any symptoms. And they form distinct patterns of RNA and proteins, what's called a genomic fingerprint.
The Duke team discovered 30 genes that are switched on in different ways during a viral attack. The test essentially is a freeze-frame to show "what those genes are doing at the moment in time that it's captured," explained Duke lead researcher Aimee Zaas, an infectious disease specialist.
Aimee Zaas, associate professor of infectious diseases and international health at Duke University, is part of a team of researchers that is developing a blood test for viral infections.(Photo: Shawn Rocco, Duke Medicine, via AP)
Small studies spotted that viral signature in people who volunteered to be infected with different influenza strains for science.
For a more real-world simulation, the researchers then analyzed blood samples stored from feverish people who had come to the emergency room — and who were eventually diagnosed, the old-fashioned way, with either some type of virus or a bacterial infection.
The genomic test proved 89% accurate in sorting out who had a virus, and did even better at ruling out those who didn't, Zaas reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
It took 12 hours to get results. The researchers hope to speed that up so that it might work as quickly as some in-office tests.
Still, "it's a promising tool," said Ramilo, an Ohio State University professor who is doing similar research. He called the Duke study an important step toward creating a commercial test, and predicts one might reach the market within five years.
Why would a doctor want to know merely that a virus is present and not which virus? That's enough information to rule out antibiotics, Zaas said. Unnecessary antibiotic use is one factor in the growing problem of drug-resistant germs, which the government blames for more than 23,000 deaths a year.
Plus, if a dangerous new virus begins spreading, like MERS, this approach could help avoid quarantining people unnecessarily by telling right away which ones are virus-free, Ginsburg added.
In Ohio, Ramilo is exploring a more immediate need: When young infants have high fevers, they're often hospitalized while doctors run a battery of tests to find the fraction who have a serious bacterial infection. He is leading a study involving 22 pediatric emergency rooms to see if a genomic fingerprint approach could separate which babies really need all that testing.
But the virus-or-not question is just the beginning, Ramilo said. His research suggests genomic fingerprints also can distinguish a flu strain from other common viruses. And the Duke team is analyzing a huge study of students living in dormitories, to see if the genomic test detected who was incubating the flu before their first sniffle — and thus might be useful in stemming outbreaks.
Source: Science Translational Medicine
Science Translational Medicinestm.sciencemag.org/
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Article 1 of 3 (Articles 2 - 3/3 next below)
Important information for every person
Some Common Foods That Cause Inflammation
A high sodium to potassium ratio in your diet
is thought to create an inflammatory response
Season your side dishes and entrées with
fresh or dried herbs such as thyme, basil, sage, rosemary, turmeric, or try no-sodium-added spice mixes
Inflammation is a condition that damages healthy tissue,
raises blood pressure, and can potentially encourage cancer cells to grow
- Inflammatory foods increase risk for chronic health problems
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The cancer cells grow only in an acidy body - they die in an alkaline body
Processed food, wrong foot items and wrong food combination cause an acidy body condition while eating mostly fresh vegetables and fruit and applying correct food combining rules will create an alkaline body. The cancer cells will not grow in an alkaline body.
Since consuming too many omega-6 fatty acids (in relation to omega-3s)
can increase the risk of inflammation, swap omega-6-laden soy, sunflower, corn, cottonseed, safflower, and mixed vegetable oils with cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. For higher-heat cooking or a more neutral taste, use organic expeller pressed canola oil (those sold in glass bottles are the best).
Trans-fatty (partially-hydrogenated) acids definitely increase inflammatory biomarkers in the body., says Daphne Miller, M.D., author of The Jungle Effect: A Doctor Discovers the Healthiest Diets from Around the World -- Why They Work and How to Bring Them Home.
So avoid them in general. Ghee (clarified butter) is a good alternative: Yes, butter contains omega-6 fatty acids, but clarified butter has an intense flavor, so you can use a lot less of it than normal butter. To get a rich, buttery taste without a heavy dose of omega-6 fat in recipes is to take half a teaspoon of ghee and blend it with some olive oil."
Ghee is prepared by melting and simmering butter until all the water evaporates and the milk solids settle at the bottom.
Click: Ghee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghee
Inflammatory foods increase risk for chronic health problems such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and autoimmune disease. And though the jury’s still out, a couple of studies point to saturated animal fats as inflammatory culprits. Instead of fatty meats like burgers, hot dogs, bacon, bologna, or ribs, eat more omega-3-rich fish like Atlantic salmon, sardines, mackerel, and tuna (no farm raised fish (too polluted), only wild-caught - cheaper in cans), as well as beans, nuts, and whole soy foods.
Instead of cream cheese, substitute small amounts of naturally soft, spreadable cheeses like goat cheese or part-skim ricotta when topping toast or making dips—they're naturally lower in saturated fat.
Pass up processed cheese (e.g. so called "American cheese") and enjoy small amounts of natural, hard cheeses for more flavor (and less sodium). If you can find it, cheese made from the milk of grass-fed animals is best.
There are some studies that show that a high sugar diet fuels inflammation. Cut back on sugary cereals and choose low-sugar, high-fiber varieties instead. Another anti-inflammatory breakfast option? Oatmeal—especially minimally-processed steel cut oats. Do not consume processes breakfast cereals - they are processed with too many chemicals causing inflammation - home cook using oats, barley, brown rice as your family cereal. Also combination of the 3 natural cereals gives you delicious combination. Notice: they all have a different cooking time, thus, cook them each separately and combine at the end for a delicious, tasty & healthy home-cooked cereal. You also save plenty of money when home cooking and you save even more in saved sickness care expenses.
Even yogurt with “fruit on the bottom” can have a surprising amount of sugar. Choose low-fat or nonfat yogurt (preferably organic), or go for Greek yogurt to get an extra dose of protein. Sweeten plain yogurt with a teaspoon of agave or brown-rice syrup, a dash of cinnamon, and some diced fruit.
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Source: STAF, Inc. archives (Articles 2 - 3/3 next below)
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Article 2 of 3 (Article 1 of 3 next above)
Improve Your Eating Habits to Stay Healthy
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With the rise of eating-related issues like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, the need to improve the overall health of our country is becoming more urgent - it's time to make some changes in our daily habits and eating patterns.
Related: 8 Drinks to Boost Your Metabolism
Of course, no one wants to be thought of as the picky eater (the one who brings their own dressing to restaurants or refuses to order anything as is on the menu), but sometimes embracing a healthier way of life means doing new things that probably won't feel natural at first. We're not talking about extreme measures here, but little habits like starting the morning with a big glass of water and eating more vegetables and less processed foods.
For expert opinions and advice, we turned to two well-respected nutritionists, Marion Nestle, a professor at NYU and author of Food Politics as well as numerous other books, and Keri Glassman, author and founder of Nutritious Life in New York City. As Glassman says, "Taking small steps can make a big difference toward a healthier lifestyle. Examine what your personal diet pitfalls are and start to change them one habit at a time." As a jumping-off point, Glassman suggests starting small and trying to get in the habit of ordering dishes that are grilled and baked instead of fried when dining out, and asking for a side of vegetables instead of fries.
Related: 10 Diets That Don't Work
Of course, this advice might not be new to some people and, with the excess of health information on the web, it's easy to forget the basics and caught up in the hot trend of the moment or the new go-to diet that claims to melt away the pounds. But this is news worth repeating: losing weight and becoming healthier is not accomplished by quick-fix changes that can be done and then forgotten about. It requires lifestyle changes that need to be sustained.
Do It: Eat More Whole Foods
Glassman explains that the idea behind whole foods is to ideally eliminate as many packaged foods as possible from your diet and choose ones with as few ingredients listed as possible. For example, "it's not just the vitamin C in an orange that contributes to our health, so you can't eat a pack of fruit snacks fortified with vitamin C and think you're getting the same benefits. There is a whole group of phytochemicals, fiber, and substances that scientist haven't even discovered yet that all work together in a whole orange to improve our health."
Related: 10 Diet Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Do It: Eat a Variety of Nutrient-Rich Foods and a Balanced Diet
"This is standard boring nutritionists' advice from me, too," says Nestle. "I have an easier translation: eat plenty of vegetables and don't eat too much junk food." Glassman stresses that variety and balance are very important in a diet because of all the different nutrients the body needs, and it's impossible to get all of them from the same foods, even if they are healthy ones.
Do It: Cook More at Home and Ahead of Time (important)
Nestle recommends learning how to cook and prepare meals quickly. As she says, "It's not hard to cook something from scratch in the time it takes to heat up frozen meals or those stored in the refrigerator." Glassman suggests spending a few hours on the weekend to make meals and snacks for the week to make up for the work days when schedules are more hectic. These healthy meals can be brought to work for lunch or quickly heated up after work for dinner.
Lose It: Skipping Meals
As Nestle says, "Starvation is not good for health." Glassman expands to add that when you skip meals, your body is denied needed calories, which provide the energy our cells need to operate at optimal level.
Lose It: Eating on the Go and Convenience Foods
When on the road or in a pinch, buying packaged and processed foods is an easy choice. But what comes with that? Empty nutrients, unpronounceable ingredients, and tons of preservatives, saysGlassman. Instead, plan ahead of the week on the weekend or keep healthy snacks on hand. She suggests nuts, fiber crackers, natural peanut butter to spread on apples or bananas, trail mix (better homemade and without candy), or healthy nutrition bars like Kind.
Lose It: Going Food Shopping Without a List
If this happens, it often results in a grocery cart full of unneeded foods and unhealthy snacks, plus a large bill.
As Glassman says, when you don't have a plan of attack, it's easy to get lost in the grocery store and wind up spending more money than planned on. With that said, go in with a plan and buy what you came for. Avoid the center aisles of the market, which usually contain processed foods, unless you're looking for something on your list like brown rice or whole-grain pasta or canned tomatoes.
Source: Cooking home is the healthiest eating
See the slideshow below in article 2 of 2
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Article 3 of 3 (Article 1 of 2 next above)
How to Make Everyday Food Healthier Slideshow
While most of us eat similar foods on a day-to-day basis, like meats, fish, vegetables, and pasta, how we eat them is different — and also very important. While the quality of what we’re eating does matter, the way the food is prepared matters even more.
For instance, deep-fried broccoli will not give you nearly the amount of nutrients and health benefits as steamed broccoli. Similarly, drenching vegetables in butter and cream is not as healthy as roasting them with olive oil and herbs.
Simply looking at how foods are prepared and implementing simple swaps to make everyday foods healthier can increase the nutritional value of meals and improve our lifestyles.
The good news is that making these changes will come at little to no cost of your time or money. Switching some of your cooking methods around (like baking instead of frying) or swapping one thing for the other are easy ways to make your everyday foods healthier.
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Source: Home cooking is the healthiest way to eat
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Necessary reminder
Increase your hygiene level to avoid
sickness causing bacteria & viruses and stay health
Trough out this website, STAF, Inc.'s editors give meaning to certain words or sayings
that may be unfamiliar to the speakers of English as their second language
Good hygiene facilitates good health,
(facilitate = make an action or process easy or easier)
which we all know will (1) reduce medical costs – and in the long run, that will (2) translate into big savings. In the bathroom, germs can easily surface. Stay healthy by knowing when to toss the following five bathroom items.
Razors
Let’s start with that old razor left sitting in the shower. All that water can quickly rust the blade. If you spot any, pitch it immediately. Another way to spot a dull blazer: If it no longer glides over your skin, or if you feel any pulling, pitch it.
Extend the life of your razor by running it under hot water after each use, and let it air dry outside the shower.
Toothbrushes
Dentists say to replace your toothbrush every three months. To keep your toothbrush germ-free, place it upright to dry in the open air. Keep multiple brushes at least an inch apart (to prevent spreading germs) and away from the toilet. Each flush sends a spray of bacteria into the air, so flush with the lid down.
Medicine
Despite its name, the medicine cabinet is actually the worst place to store medicine including prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The shower’s heat and humidity can cause pills to lose effectiveness before expiration or even go bad. Case in point: pharmacists say that a warm, muggy environment can turn aspirin from a pain reliever into a stomach irritant.
Stay safe and store medicine in a cool, dry place. And never take a drug that has changed color or texture. Properly dispose of medications by placing them in the trash with used coffee grounds or giving them back to a pharmacist. Never flush pills down the toilet - it will pollute the ground water, the rivers, the lakes, the oceans - animals get polluted & sick, humans get polluted & sick.
Makeup
It doesn’t come with an expiration date, but that doesn’t mean makeup lasts forever. Each time you apply, you risk transferring bacteria back to the product. The FDA recommends washing your hands before applying, tightly closing containers and never sharing make up. If you get an eye infection, it's best to discard any eye makeup you were using. Never add water or saliva to revive dried-up cosmetics; you’re just adding germs. Keep makeup below 85 degrees and out of direct sunlight.
Towels
Finally, the grossest place in your bathroom is NOT the toilet bowl or even the tub — it’s your towel.
A leading microbiologist from the University of Arizona says damp towels are incubators for bacteria, including
e-coli and salmonella. Best to (1) refresh your towels every two to three days, and (2) make sure they drfully between uses.
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Source: Financially Fit Home
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For Your Better Health
7 Kitchen Items You Should Toss Now
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It’s easy to tell when some things have been around for too long. But figuring out the freshness of other items in your kitchen is not always so obvious. Here are seven things you may need to toss out right now.
Latte or Coffee with Milk
Here’s a question for all you morning latte lovers: Ever take a sip of after it’s been sitting on your desk or counter for hours? Well, unrefrigerated milk can start to grow bacteria in as little as 10 minutes. Because today’s milk is pasteurized, it won’t taste sour, but that doesn’t mean it’s still safe to drink. Since a latte’s full of milk, it’s best to toss after about an hour if you haven’t finished it.
Click: When You Should Repair Instead of Replace
Eggs
From the outside, it’s tough to tell if eggs have gone bad. After all, they can last several weeks after the use-by date stamped on the carton. But if you’re not sure, a good test is to place an egg in a bowl of cold water. Fresh eggs should sink to the bottom. An egg that sinks but stands on its point should be used quickly, and floating eggs are no good. For a longer lifespan, keep eggs in their carton on the lower fridge shelves where it’s coldest. There they’ll stay fresher longer. Avoid the built-in egg tray, which can get too warm from the door getting opened often.
Spices
You may have bought some ground cumin a few years back to make your grandmother’s favorite recipe, and it’s still in your spice drawer. That’s okay because spices last forever, right? Not exactly. Spices don’t necessarily spoil, but they do lose their strength and taste over time. To get the most out of your spices, store them in tightly sealed containers in a cool, dark place to lock out moisture and keep them fresh. A good rule of thumb is to toss ground spices, herbs and seeds after a year. Whole spices, herbs and flowers will keep fresh for about one to two years. Seeds stay fresh two to three years. Ground roots should be discarded after two years, while whole roots will keep for three years.
Pizza and Leftovers
Next, when entertaining, it’s best to avoid letting certain food, like pizza, sit out for more than two hours. Your chances of getting food poisoning from bacteria growth increase the longer perishable foods sit at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for three to four days. Refrigeration slows bacterial growth on food, but it’s still there. Play it safe and always reheat leftovers to prevent food poisoning. It may be tempting, but think twice before reaching for that cold slice of pizza!
Baby Food
Now when it comes to food safety, the youngest family members are most susceptible to foodborne illness. The healthiest is to feed them from a bowl instead of straight from the baby food jar. The spoon can transfer germs from saliva to the jar, causing bacterial growth. Never return uneaten food to the jar, and use a clean spoon to add food from the jar to the dish. Previously opened baby food jars can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours.
Your Dish Sponge
The kitchen may the germiest room in your house, but the dish sponge is the single dirtiest item. Believe it or not, it’s actually worse than the toilet seat or bathroom faucet. The tiny spaces that make sponges perfect for cleaning also make them cozy homes for bacteria that can cause food poisoning, the flu or even staph infections. You can disinfect them by zapping a soaked sponge in the microwave for a couple minutes or running them through the high-heat cycle in your dishwasher. Allow dish sponges to dry completely between uses, and never use them to clean up after raw eggs, meat or fish. Experts suggest tossing dish sponges every two weeks.
STAF, Inc. says; DO NOT USE at all any dish sponges - they are never safe for your health - use a harder brush (soft one collects bacteria & viruses easier)
Chipped Dishes
While you’re ridding your kitchen of germs, check the cabinets for chipped or broken dishes. When a glass or plate cracks, the sanitary seal gets broken, allowing bacteria to take root. Washing won’t help, so it’s best just to throw them out.
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Source: Financially Fit Home
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Why Clutter Costs You
We're desensitized to the 41 pounds of junk mail and over 2,000 nonsense e-mails we get each year
There are 10 billion pounds of unwanted mail sent in America every year
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Just how many hundreds of unnecessary emails do you have sitting in your inbox? What about that pile of mail you stash away and forget to review until who knows when?
It happens to the best of us because, well, we're desensitized to the 41 pounds of junk mail and over 2,000 nonsense e-mails we get each year. It's an overwhelming amount of clutter that, in the end, impacts our productivity, organization and our money.
Want to know much time digital junk like spam, texts and even Facebook ads waste? On the low end, corporations figure 4-5 seconds each. Based on that math, this easily leads to a couple of hours wasted every year, but for some of us it could be far worse. Think about it. How much time do you spend searching for buried email?
And with paper, it's the same. One study found that 47% of workers reported lost time, 16% said they've been tardy to meetings, and 14% have missed deadlines over simple desk disorganization.
King among the clutter is junk mail and it impacts not just households, but the government, as well. In fact, the U.S. Postal Service calculates it throws out about 35% of all mail due to non-delivery.
"There are 10 billion pounds of unwanted mail sent in America every year," says Chuck Teller, chief strategist officer for TrustedID. "Households across America have to manage that. Our cities are the ones that have to pay to throw that away. It costs over a billion dollars a year."
Now 60% of the mail you receive actually comes from companies you do business with, but while they're sending you legitimate mail, they're also sending you junk. All this excess can make you misplace bills or tax information, and, as a result, suffer from late fees and accrued interest.
How to stop all the clutter madness?
With email, you're only a few clicks away from an organized inbox. Just make proper use of all your tools: mark junk as spam, unsubscribe from lists, and use labels to filter out promotions. In fact, experts recommend determining an email's importance the very first time you glance at it. "Delete," "archive," or "star" for easy reference, or leave as a "to do" in your inbox. It all takes just seconds.
"In our email inbox, we have a lot of control, " Teller says. "We can file things, we can filter them, opt out with a click. In our postal mailbox, it all comes in one chunk. There's really no good way to opt out. You have to go online and do a lot of research."
To help with postal mail, sign up for a free removal service like Catalog Choice, which lets you unsubscribe to over 8,000 companies at once. Or, you can do the work yourself. First, register at the Direct Marketing Association, which stops unsolicited commercial mail for up to five years for $1. Then, email: [email protected] to receive fewer catalogs and visit OptoutPrescreen.com to stop credit and insurance solicitations. But be warned: no opt-out service is perfect. For best results, contact companies directly and file complaints if they don't comply.
Finally, for paper mail, employ the same strategies as email. Make sure the first time you touch it is your last by making a quick decision as to whether it gets filed, put in your to-do folder, recycled or shredded.
It's a lot cheaper and more environmentally sensitive to stop the waste at the source, rather than send the garbage truck to your house to pick it up and throw it away.
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Source: Financially fit
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Info for every person
Nine Common Foods
that Will Help Your Body Burn Fat
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They are mostly garden-fresh (or frozen) vegetables, fresh fruit (not from any can), natural spices & wild caught fish that have a backbone & scales (no lobsters, shrimps, oysters - these are not fish). Do not eat farm-raised food - too polluted.
You can eat these below listed foods to spike the metabolism, trigger hormones that release fat, and eliminate toxins that make it hard for your body to shed unwanted pounds. Just be cautioned: For these foods to work their miracles, they must be consumed as part of a clean diet (not fast-food = bad food, not processed food because the real food dies in the process). That's right, don't expect to make up for a junk-filled day by noshing on a few fat-burning kale chips.
1. Kale
This king of vegetable is not only the most nutrient-dense food on the planet, it also helps suppress the appetite and clears toxins from the body. Four cups of kale (the amount you'd use for a salad) has 10 grams of fiber and enough detoxifying nutrients to super-charge your liver's detoxification pathways for 48 hours! A cleaner body means fewer cravings for sugar and fried food, your fat cells' greatest allies.
Easy meal ideas: Assemble a raw kale salad with avocado, yellow peppers, and grape tomatoes; try crunchy kale chips; or sip on a cooling green vegetable juice.
2. Broccoli Rabe
Who knew that food could talk to your fat cells? That's exactly what the phytonutrient sulforaphane in broccoli rabe does. It stimulates an enzyme that tells your fat cells to burn fat. Meet your negotiator.
Easy meal ideas: Sauté broccoli rabe with lemon zest and chili flakes, mix broccoli rabe, or toss broccoli rabe and summer squash with olive oil, mint, lemon juice, and pine nuts.
3. Avocados
The fat in avocado is healthy fat and actually a triple-fat burner. Its monounsaturated fat plumps up cell membranes, enabling cells to better chat with fat-burning hormones. It also switches off the body's fat storage hormones. In addition, it boosts the metabolism by protecting the energy-producing part of cells from free radical damage. Bring on the guacamole!
Easy meal ideas: Eat half an avocado with sea salt and tomatoes for an on-the-go breakfast, add avocado to a spinach and green bean salad, or make an avocado smoothie with coconut milk and cinnamon.
4. Brazil Nuts
Next time you want to discard those large nuts from the mixed nut selection, don't. They're actually little fat-burners. They help boost the metabolism by converting the thyroid hormone to its active form. They also bind up toxins that would otherwise store themselves in your fat cells and contribute to cellulite.
Easy meal ideas: Snack on Brazil nuts, drink Brazil nut milk with vanilla and cardamom, or sprinkle Brazil nuts on a mango, papaya, and citrus fruit salad.
5. Chia Seeds
Packed with omega-3 fats, fiber, and protein, these tiny seeds help suppress the appetite, fire up the metabolism, and turn on glucagon, one of the body's fat-burning hormones. The trick is to soak them for 15 minutes so they swell up to 10 times their size. Just as with oatmeal, the larger the seeds are, the quicker your stomach will release those hormones that let you know you're full-and hopefully satisfied.
Easy meal ideas: Make a chia seed pudding by soaking them in almond milk and then topping them with raw almonds, blend them with coconut milk and pineapple for a piña colada-inspired dessert, or eat a chia energy bar.
6. Wild Salmon
While you can't eat your way to a six-pack (that requires a few crunches), you can strip abdominal fat by consuming wild caught salmon on a regular basis. The omega-3s in wild salmon help improve insulin sensitivity, which shrinks fat from your waistline. Wild salmon also activates the thyroid hormone for a faster metabolism.
Easy meal ideas: Steam wild salmon and enjoy with fresh vegetables.
7. Coconut Oil
Not all dietary fats are created equal. Coconut oil is rich in medium-chained-triglycerides (MCTs), which your body preferentially uses for energy, leaving less opportunity for them to be stored as fat.A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed greater abdominal fat loss over a 16-week period when MCTs were consumed versus olive oil. That doesn't mean ditching your olive oil entirely (it has other beneficial properties). Instead, use coconut oil to cook with and olive oil for a salad dressing.
8. Cinnamon
This aromatic spice helps move glucose into the cells faster so our fat storage hormone, insulin, hangs around a lot less. But note: Eating a cinnamon bun doesn't count! You need to consume at least a quarter of a teaspoon of cinnamon to reap its fat-burning benefits.
Easy meal ideas: Add cinnamon to a vanilla smoothie, make an apple-spiced chia pudding, or toss cinnamon through warmed quinoa with raspberries and pistachios.
9. Coffee
We knew there was a reason we loved our morning cup of Joe! Coffee stimulates adrenaline, which sends a message to your fat stores to burn fat. When you drink coffee 20 minutes before a workout, it also acts as an ergogenic aid
(ergogenic = increasing capacity for bodily or mental labor especially by eliminating fatigue symptoms) enabling you to train more intensely. The key is to make it caffeinated and black, as milk reduces coffee's fat-burning potential. Also, if you drink more than 3 cups a day, coffee can start to interfere with your body's ability to regulate insulin, its fat storage hormone.
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Source: Today's Herbs
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IMPORTANT INFO FOR EVERYONE
Every person will benefit by reading this article
A Cure for the Allergy Epidemic?
Date:November, 2013
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WILL the cure for allergies come from the cowshed?
Allergies are often seen as an accident. Your immune system misinterprets a harmless protein like dust or peanuts as a threat, and when you encounter it, you pay the price with sneezing, wheezing, and in the worst cases, death.
What prompts some immune systems to err like this, while others never do? Some of the vulnerability is surely genetic. But comparative studies highlight the importance of environment, beginning, it seems, in the womb. Microbes are one intriguing protective factor. Certain ones seem to stimulate a mother’s immune system during pregnancy, preventing allergic disease in children.
By emulating this naturally occurring phenomenon, scientists may one day devise a way to prevent allergies.
This task, though still in its infancy, has some urgency. Depending on the study and population, the prevalence of allergic disease and asthma increased between two- and threefold in the late 20th century, a mysterious trend often called the “allergy epidemic.”
These days, one in five American children have a respiratory allergy like hay fever, and nearly one in 10 have asthma.
Nine people die daily from asthma attacks. While the increase in respiratory allergies shows some signs of leveling off, the prevalence of food and skin allergies continues to rise. Five percent of children are allergic to peanuts, milk and other foods, half again as many as 15 years ago. And each new generation seems to have more severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reactions than the last.
Some time ago, I visited a place where seemingly protective microbes occurred spontaneously. It wasn’t a spotless laboratory in some university somewhere. It was a manure-spattered cowshed in Indiana’s Amish country.
My guide was Mark Holbreich, an allergist in Indianapolis. He’d recently discovered that the Amish people who lived in the northern part of the state were remarkably free of allergies and asthma.
About half of Americans have evidence of allergic sensitization, which increases the risk of allergic disease. But judging from skin-prick tests, just 7.2 percent of the 138 Amish children who Dr. Holbreich tested were sensitized to tree pollens and other allergens. That yawning difference positions the Indiana Amish among the least allergic populations ever described in the developed world.
This invulnerability isn’t likely to be genetic. The Amish originally came to the United States from the German-speaking part of Switzerland, and these days Swiss children, a genetically similar population, are about as allergic as Americans.
Ninety-two percent of the Amish children Dr. Holbreich tested either lived on farms or visited one frequently. Farming, Dr. Holbreich thinks, is the Amish secret. This idea has some history. Since the late 1990s, European scientists have investigated what they call the “farm effect.”
The working hypothesis is that innocuous cowshed microbes, plant material and raw milk protect farming children by favorably stimulating their immune systems throughout life, particularly early on. That spring morning, Dr. Holbreich gave me a tour of the bonanza of immune stimuli under consideration.
We found our hosts, Andrew Mast and his wife, Laura, hard at work milking cows in the predawn chill.
Dr. Holbreich, slight and bespectacled, peppered them with questions. At what age did Mr. Mast begin working in the cowshed? “My first memory is of milking,” he said, at about the age of 5. What about his children, two straw-haired girls, then ages 2 and 3; did they spend time in the cowshed? The elder girl came to the barn at 3 months of age, he said. “People learn to walk in here.” Do expectant mothers work in the barn? “Yes,” Laura said. “We work.”
Dr. Holbreich had made his point: whatever forces were acting here, they were chronic, and they began before birth. As the sun rose, Dr. Holbreich and I sniffed the damp, fermented feed (slightly malty); shoveled fresh cow manure (“Liquid gold,” Dr. Holbreich said only half-jokingly, “the best medicine you could think of”); and marveled at the detritus floating in the air. Extrapolating from previous research, with each breath we were inhaling perhaps 1,000 times more microbes than usual. By breakfast time, grime had collected under our nails, hay clung to our clothes, and muck to our boots. “There’s got to be bacteria, mold and plant material,” Dr. Holbreich said. “You do this every day for 30 years, 365 days a year, you can see there are so many exposures.”
The challenge of identifying the important exposures — and getting them into a bottle — is a pressing one. In parts of the developing world, where allergic disease was once considered rare, scientists have noted an uptick, especially in urban areas. China offers a dramatic case in point. A 2009 study found a more than threefold difference in allergic sensitization (as judged by skin-prick tests) between schoolchildren in rural areas around Beijing and children in the city proper. Doctor-diagnosed asthma differed sixfold. Maybe not coincidentally, 40 percent of the rural children had lived on farms their whole lives.
Immigrants from the developing world to the developed tend to be less allergic than average. But the longer they reside in their adopted countries, the more allergic they become. And their native-born children seem to gain the vulnerability to asthma, sometimes surpassing it. All of which highlights a longstanding question in the allergy field. As Dr. Holbreich puts it, “What is it about westernization that makes people allergic?”
When hay fever first emerged as a common complaint among the upper classes of Britain in the 19th century — and became a badge of refinement — farmers, who were exposed to more pollen than probably anyone else, seemed relatively invulnerable to the new affliction. In the 1990s, European scientists rediscovered the phenomenon in the small alpine farms of Switzerland. A bevy of studies followed, comprising thousands of subjects across Switzerland, Germany, Austria and elsewhere. Critically, by comparing children living in the same rural areas, scientists could discount urban pollution. Everyone was breathing the same country air.
And earlier this year, some of Dr. Holbreich’s collaborators, from the University of Basel in Switzerland, made a strong case that physical activity couldn’t explain the disparity either. They had rural children wear devices that measured movement for a week. There was little difference in physical activity between farming and nonfarming children.
What matters then? Erika von Mutius, a doctor and epidemiologist at Munich University in Germany who has led much of this research, suspects diversity is important. Farms with the greatest array of microbes, including fungi, appear to be the most protective against asthma. At the Mast farm, the cowshed wasn’t more than 60 feet from the house. In Europe, scientists found that microbes waft from cowsheds into homes.
In one study, they showed that an infant’s risk of eczema was inverse to the microbial load in her mother’s mattress.
Timing seems to matter tremendously. The earlier exposure begins, it seems, the greater the protection — and that includes during pregnancy. Children born to mothers who work with livestock while pregnant, and who lug their newborns along during chores, seem the most invulnerable to allergic disease later.
Here, the farm effect dovetails with the burgeoning science on the prenatal origins of disease generally. What happens to your mother during the nine months before your birth may affect your vulnerability to many diseases decades later, from heart disease and obesityto schizophrenia.
Allergies and asthma seem to follow the rule as well.
Susan Prescott, a doctor and researcher at the University of Western Australia in Perth, has noted differences in the placentas of children who later develop allergies. A critical subset of white blood cells — called regulatory T-cells — seems relatively scarce at birth. Rather than enabling aggression, these cells help the immune system restrain itself when facing substances that are not true threats. A healthy population of these and other “suppressor” cells is important, scientists now suspect, in preventing allergies and asthma. So it seems significant that European farming children are born with a comparative surfeit of these cells. Bianca Schaub, a doctor and researcher at Munich University, has found that farming newborns have more regulatory T-cells in cord blood than babies of nonfarmers. In test tubes, these cells more effectively quash allergic-type reactions. And that suppressive ability increases with the number of different types of animals the mother tended while pregnant. The more cows, pigs and chickens a mother encounters, essentially, the more easily her offspring may tolerate dust mites and tree pollens.
Animal studies demonstrate how this might work. Some years back, scientists at Philipps University of Marburg in Germany sprayed pregnant mice with microbes originally isolated from Bavarian cowsheds. The exposure induced favorable changes in gene expression at the placenta. The pups born to these mice were protected against asthma.
This research suggests that farming mothers might benefit from a naturally occurring immunotherapy, one that preprograms the developing fetus against allergic disease. Yet how to apply that therapy deliberately remains unclear. Is “microbial pressure” what matters — a stiff microbial wind in our sails? Or do certain cowshed microbes actually colonize farmers, and favorably calibrate their immune function?
There’s evidence to support both explanations, which aren’t mutually exclusive anyway.
Before you rush to the nearest farm, however, a word of caution. Some studies indicate that if you grow up in an urban environment, occasional visits to the farm may exacerbate allergic propensities. If you haven’t matured with abundant microbial stimulation, the thinking goes, encountering it intermittently may push you into overdrive, prompting the misery you seek to avoid.
And yet, a prospective study from Denmark published this month suggests that it’s never too late. Young adults who began farming (with livestock) were less likely to develop new allergic sensitivities than rural peers who chose other professions. Existing allergies didn’t disappear. Rather, the farming environment seemed to prevent new sensitizations.
Which brings us to farm milk. In Europe, the consumption of unpasteurized milk has repeatedly correlated with protection against allergic disease. In America, 80 percent of the Amish studied by Dr. Holbreich consume raw milk. In a study published earlier this year, Dr. Schaub’s group showed that European children who consumed farm milk had more of those regulatory T-cells, irrespective of whether they lived on farms. The higher the quantity of those cells, the less likely these children were to be given diagnoses of asthma. Here, finally, is something concrete to take off the farm.
None of these scientists recommend that people consume raw milk; it can carry deadly pathogens. Rather, they hope to identify what’s protective in the milk and either extract it or preserve the ingredients during processing. Microbes may not be the key ingredient in this case. Instead, farm milk may act as a prebiotic — selectively feeding good microbes within. Another possibility is that as with human breast milk, antibodies and immune-signaling proteins in cow’s milk influence the human immune system, steering it toward tolerance.
As a whole, this research reframes the question of what prompted the late 20th-century allergy epidemic. Is the problem one of exposure to allergens, many of which aren’t exactly new to human experience? Or is the problem one of increasing sensitivity to whatever allergens are present?
The science suggests the latter. The Mast cowshed, with its rich array of microbial stimuli, probably resembles the world in which the human immune system evolved more than, say, an apartment high above Manhattan. The Amish in Indiana, who for reasons of religious faith have maintained a 19th-century-like lifestyle, may not be less allergic. Rather, during the dramatic reordering of human existence that began with the Industrial Revolution, everyone else may have become more allergic. Immunologically speaking, the farming Amish and farmers generally may more closely resemble an evolutionary norm for our species.
Moises Velasquez-Manoff is a science writer and the author of “An Epidemic of Absence.”
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Source: NYT
Below 6 artickles relating to allergies _____________________________________________________________________________________
Allergic Teen Dies After Eating Cookie
Article 1 of 6
His mother, Robin Fitzpatrick, never knew peanuts could kill her son.
Cameron Groezinger-Fitzpatrick, 19, a college freshman who suffered from a severe nut allergy, died Friday, 3/8/13 after eating a cookie that contained peanut oil. His friend had sworn it didn't.
"We were all so shocked, it came out of nowhere," Fitzpatrick told ABCNews.com. "For 19 years, he had been knock-on-wood safe." Plymouth, Mass., native was first diagnosed with a nut allergy when he was 8, after projectile-vomiting "across the room" at a Chinese restaurant, his mother said. In high school he suffered from a serious allergic reaction after he dropped his asthma inhaler into a pile of acorns while running. The wild nuts caused his throat to constrict. But he was fine after getting prompt treatment, his mother said.
Then, one week ago, he ate half a cookie.
Spring break had just started and the international business major with plans to study abroad in Australia had only been home for two hours, on a visit from Rhode Island where he attended Bryant University, according to his mother.
PHOTOS: 17 Scary Allergy Triggers In case the photo link has expired search the web to find the original article and click there the link for the pictures
He and his friend were out driving and bought cookies. Groezinger- Fitzpatrick's friend ate one first. The friend said he didn't taste any hint of peanut.
"He said, Ah, the hell with it, I'm sure it's fine," his friend recalled Groezinger- Fitzpatrick as saying, his mother said.
Within minutes the teen was home; it was about 6:30 that evening, and he was doubled over and turning black and blue, his mother said. "I can't breathe, I can't breathe," he had said. He hadn't unpacked yet so his mom couldn't find his Epi-Pen -- an epinephrine autoinjector. She had one in her cupboard but it had expired two months earlier. First responders told her over the phone that she shouldn't use it.
A fire chief who lived next door brought over an Epi-Pen, which was administered to the teen. (Later, his doctor told his mother she could have used the expired pen, but couldn't say whether it would have helped him.)
Once at the hospital, 15 people tag-teamed to perform CPR on the dying teen. For two hours, they tried to revive him.
"I was begging so much, these people were crying and working on him, thinking, 'We're only doing this for the mother,'" she said.
At 9 p.m., he was declared dead. Fitzpatrick stayed with her son's body until 1 a.m.
"I didn't know you can die from nut allergies. I feel foolish," she said.
At least three million American children suffer from a food or digestive allergy, and the problem is growing, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 1997 and 2007, the figure rose 18 percent.
Severe food allergies stem from a combination of genes, environment and possibly diet, said Dr. Kari Nadeau, associate professor of allergies and immunology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
"We need more research to be done to help save lives," she said. "We don't have all the answers now."
As a small child, Groezinger-Fitzpatrick refused to nuts because their smell made him sick.
"It's almost like his body knew," said his mother.
Doctors later diagnosed him with an allergy to all nuts and told Groezinger- Fitzpatrick he could live a normal life. But he had to be very careful.
He wrote a bucket list at age 9. He carried an Epi-Pen. He checked food labels and questioned food service workers constantly.
But on Friday, there was no label. And his body didn't alert him to danger.
Now Groezinger-Fitzpatrick, who was on the dean's list at his college, won't be able to live in Australia with his girlfriend or work in finance.
He just might be able to cross off one of his bucket list items, though -- to save a life. He donated his organs.
"He always wanted to do something big," said his mother, as she prepared to attend his wake. More than 1,000 people were expected. "He's going out big. He's going to make others realize [they need to] be supercautious. Be your biggest advocate," she said.
Source: ABCNews.com
__________________________________________________________________
Article 2 of 6
16 Scary Allergy Triggers
(1) Even small traces of peanuts can cause deadly reactions in people with severe peanut allergies. Constriction of the airways, a drop in blood pressure, a racing heart and dizziness are signs of anaphylaxis, which requires an emergency injection of epinephrine.
(2) Tree nuts like walnuts, pecans, cashews and pistachios can also cause anaphylaxis in people with allergies. Some people can tolerate certain nuts, but are sometimes advised to avoid all nuts just in case.
(3) Wheat and its glue-like protein gluten can cause itchiness and swelling of the mouth, throat and skin, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, cramping and diarrhea in people with allergies. Severe wheat allergies can trigger anaphylaxis. The best treatment is to avoid exposure, a tall order for such a common ingredient.
(4) Weeds tend to release their pollen in late summer or early fall. Ragweed, a common culprit, can trigger allergic rhinitis, better known as hay fever, a miserable set of symptoms that includes runny nose, watery eyes and sore throat.
(5) Milk allergies can cause wheezing, hives, vomiting, diarrhea and anaphylaxis (see the next article below), a life-threatening reaction. The only way to prevent milk allergy symptoms is to avoid milk, and replace it with another good source of calcium.
(6) Soy allergies can cause hives and, in rare cases, life-threatening anaphylaxis. Most children grow out of soy allergies, but some have to avoid the bean for life.
(7) Allergic reactions to shellfish like shrimp, crab, lobster and squid can range from hives and nasal congestion to anaphylaxis. Antihistamines can quell the more mild symptoms, but people with severe allergies should carry an epinephrine injector at all times.
(8) Bony fish like cod, haddock, halibut, mackerel, trout and salmon can trigger rashes, hives, digestive symptoms and anaphylaxis in people with fish allergies. Some people can tolerate certain kinds of fish and not others.Egg allergies can trigger hives, nasal inflammation, vomiting and, in severe cases, anaphylaxis. Some people can tolerate eggs when cooked into foods like cookies, but others have to avoid them altogether.
(9) Egg allergies can trigger hives, nasal inflammation, vomiting and, in severe cases, anaphylaxis. Some people can tolerate eggs when cooked into foods like cookies, but others have to avoid them altogether.
(10) Most trees release their pollen in late winter or early spring, wreaking havoc on the sinuses of seasonal allergy sufferers. The worst offenders include ash, birch, cedar, elm, oak and willow trees.
(11) Mold can grow outside in compost piles and rotting leaves, as well as inside in moist crevices, triggering a runny nose, itchy throat and eyes, and coughing in people with allergies. The best treatment is avoidance.
(12) Pets can trigger allergic reactions through their dander, saliva or urine. People with pet allergies can opt for animals without fur or ones that don't shed dander. When visiting pet owners, antihistamines can help keep mild allergy symptoms at bay.
(13) Allergic reactions to drugs can cause rashes and hives, wheezing and swelling and, in severe cases, anaphylaxis. Treatments range from antihistamines to emergency epinephrine. Penicillin is the most common drug allergen.
(14) Latex can cause skin rashes and hives as well as asthma symptoms in people with allergies. In severe cases, the natural rubber can trigger anaphylaxis. Avoidance of the stretchy material, commonly used in medical supplies, is key.
(15) Dust can trigger a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing in people with allergies, not to mention asthma symptoms like wheezing and shortness of breath. Non-carpet flooring and HEPA air filters can help minimize exposure.
(16) Bug bites and stings can trigger swelling, hives and difficulty breathing in people with allergies. They can also trigger a drop in blood pressure, dizziness and cardiac arrest. People with severe allergies should carry an epinephrine injector.
Click colored areas for further info
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Article 3 of 6
Mislabeled Fish Raise Food Allergy Risk
Click colored areas for further info
Nearly 40 percent of seafood sold in New York City is mislabeled, according to a conservation group’s new report on a fishy practice that spells trouble for people with food allergies.
“Recent testing has revealed that dishonest labeling and fraudulent seafood substitution for certain species is rampant and widespread,” researchers from the ocean conservation group Oceana wrote in their report, which they said was based on DNA testing of 142 seafood samples collected from unidentified New York City grocery stores, restaurants and sushi bars.
Oceana previously reported fish mislabeling rates as high as 48 percent in Boston and 55 percent in Los Angeles.
Oceana said the findings are particularly troubling given that seafood ranks among the top eight food allergens. And since fish allergies are often species-specific, experts say the bait-and-switch opens the door to dangerous exposures.
“If [a person] is not allergic to the fish they think they are getting, and that fish is substituted with one to which they are allergic, they obviously could have a serious allergic reaction,” said Dr. David Fleischer, an associate professor of pediatric allergy and immunology at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colo. “Patients need to be able to trust the people they purchase fish from.”
Here’s a table of commonly substituted fish from the report:
What You BoughtWhat You Gotred snapperCaribbean red snapper, crimson snapper, goldbanded jobfish, ocean perch, porgy/seabream, spotted rose snapper, tilapia, tilefish, white bass, yellowtail snapperwhite tunaescolarhalibuttilefishwild salmon, king salmonrainbow trout, farmed Atlantic salmonPacific codfarmed Pangasius “catfish”grouperNile perch, breamlemon solesummer flounder, blackback flounderstriped basswhite bassAmong the “most troubling substitutions,” according to the report, was fish labeled as white tuna that turned out to be escolar, a type of snake mackerel linked to gastrointestinal problems. Also, fish sold as red snapper and halibut turned out to be tilefish, which has mercury levels that land it on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “do-not-eat” list for pregnant or nursing women and young children.
“Without accurate, honest labels that show exactly what fish you are eating and where it was harvested, those who need this critical advice about specific fish will be left unprotected,” the report authors wrote.
Previous reports on fish fraud have sparked outrage from politicians, who argue the FDA should do more to curb seafood mislabeling.
“Seafood fraud is not only deceptive marketing, but it can also pose serious health concerns, particularly for pregnant women seeking to limit exposure to heavy metals or individuals with serious allergies to certain types of fish,” Senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. wrote in an October 2012 letter to the FDA. “Consumers should not have to question the safety of their seafood.”
But it’s unclear where along the chain “from bait to plate” the mislabeling is taking place. Citing a 2009 Government Accountability Office report, Boxer said 86 percent of seafood consumed in the U.S. originates overseas but only 2 percent of it is inspected by the FDA and only 0.01 percent is “explicitly inspected for fraud or mislabeling.”
“Seafood can follow a complex path from the point when it is caught to the point when it is sold to a consumer, making it difficult to isolate the point where fraud occurs,” she wrote. “To effectively address this problem, we need better traceability and enforcement throughout the entire chain of sale, from bait to plate.”
A spokeswoman for the FDA said the agency had not yet reviewed the Oceana report and “therefore cannot comment on the report at this time.” But, she added, “All seafood is required to be labeled in a manner that is truthful and not misleading and in accordance with federal regulations. It is not acceptable to misrepresent the identity of a product, including at the final point of sale to a consumer.”
Buying fish from reputable dealers and being wary about unusually low prices can help protect consumers from fish fraud, according to the FDA. The agency also has a list of commonly substituted seafood products and photos of whole fish and fillets.
Click colored areas for further info
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Article 1 of 6
His mother, Robin Fitzpatrick, never knew peanuts could kill her son.
Cameron Groezinger-Fitzpatrick, 19, a college freshman who suffered from a severe nut allergy, died Friday, 3/8/13 after eating a cookie that contained peanut oil. His friend had sworn it didn't.
"We were all so shocked, it came out of nowhere," Fitzpatrick told ABCNews.com. "For 19 years, he had been knock-on-wood safe." Plymouth, Mass., native was first diagnosed with a nut allergy when he was 8, after projectile-vomiting "across the room" at a Chinese restaurant, his mother said. In high school he suffered from a serious allergic reaction after he dropped his asthma inhaler into a pile of acorns while running. The wild nuts caused his throat to constrict. But he was fine after getting prompt treatment, his mother said.
Then, one week ago, he ate half a cookie.
Spring break had just started and the international business major with plans to study abroad in Australia had only been home for two hours, on a visit from Rhode Island where he attended Bryant University, according to his mother.
PHOTOS: 17 Scary Allergy Triggers In case the photo link has expired search the web to find the original article and click there the link for the pictures
He and his friend were out driving and bought cookies. Groezinger- Fitzpatrick's friend ate one first. The friend said he didn't taste any hint of peanut.
"He said, Ah, the hell with it, I'm sure it's fine," his friend recalled Groezinger- Fitzpatrick as saying, his mother said.
Within minutes the teen was home; it was about 6:30 that evening, and he was doubled over and turning black and blue, his mother said. "I can't breathe, I can't breathe," he had said. He hadn't unpacked yet so his mom couldn't find his Epi-Pen -- an epinephrine autoinjector. She had one in her cupboard but it had expired two months earlier. First responders told her over the phone that she shouldn't use it.
A fire chief who lived next door brought over an Epi-Pen, which was administered to the teen. (Later, his doctor told his mother she could have used the expired pen, but couldn't say whether it would have helped him.)
Once at the hospital, 15 people tag-teamed to perform CPR on the dying teen. For two hours, they tried to revive him.
"I was begging so much, these people were crying and working on him, thinking, 'We're only doing this for the mother,'" she said.
At 9 p.m., he was declared dead. Fitzpatrick stayed with her son's body until 1 a.m.
"I didn't know you can die from nut allergies. I feel foolish," she said.
At least three million American children suffer from a food or digestive allergy, and the problem is growing, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 1997 and 2007, the figure rose 18 percent.
Severe food allergies stem from a combination of genes, environment and possibly diet, said Dr. Kari Nadeau, associate professor of allergies and immunology at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
"We need more research to be done to help save lives," she said. "We don't have all the answers now."
As a small child, Groezinger-Fitzpatrick refused to nuts because their smell made him sick.
"It's almost like his body knew," said his mother.
Doctors later diagnosed him with an allergy to all nuts and told Groezinger- Fitzpatrick he could live a normal life. But he had to be very careful.
He wrote a bucket list at age 9. He carried an Epi-Pen. He checked food labels and questioned food service workers constantly.
But on Friday, there was no label. And his body didn't alert him to danger.
Now Groezinger-Fitzpatrick, who was on the dean's list at his college, won't be able to live in Australia with his girlfriend or work in finance.
He just might be able to cross off one of his bucket list items, though -- to save a life. He donated his organs.
"He always wanted to do something big," said his mother, as she prepared to attend his wake. More than 1,000 people were expected. "He's going out big. He's going to make others realize [they need to] be supercautious. Be your biggest advocate," she said.
Source: ABCNews.com
__________________________________________________________________
Article 2 of 6
16 Scary Allergy Triggers
(1) Even small traces of peanuts can cause deadly reactions in people with severe peanut allergies. Constriction of the airways, a drop in blood pressure, a racing heart and dizziness are signs of anaphylaxis, which requires an emergency injection of epinephrine.
(2) Tree nuts like walnuts, pecans, cashews and pistachios can also cause anaphylaxis in people with allergies. Some people can tolerate certain nuts, but are sometimes advised to avoid all nuts just in case.
(3) Wheat and its glue-like protein gluten can cause itchiness and swelling of the mouth, throat and skin, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, cramping and diarrhea in people with allergies. Severe wheat allergies can trigger anaphylaxis. The best treatment is to avoid exposure, a tall order for such a common ingredient.
(4) Weeds tend to release their pollen in late summer or early fall. Ragweed, a common culprit, can trigger allergic rhinitis, better known as hay fever, a miserable set of symptoms that includes runny nose, watery eyes and sore throat.
(5) Milk allergies can cause wheezing, hives, vomiting, diarrhea and anaphylaxis (see the next article below), a life-threatening reaction. The only way to prevent milk allergy symptoms is to avoid milk, and replace it with another good source of calcium.
(6) Soy allergies can cause hives and, in rare cases, life-threatening anaphylaxis. Most children grow out of soy allergies, but some have to avoid the bean for life.
(7) Allergic reactions to shellfish like shrimp, crab, lobster and squid can range from hives and nasal congestion to anaphylaxis. Antihistamines can quell the more mild symptoms, but people with severe allergies should carry an epinephrine injector at all times.
(8) Bony fish like cod, haddock, halibut, mackerel, trout and salmon can trigger rashes, hives, digestive symptoms and anaphylaxis in people with fish allergies. Some people can tolerate certain kinds of fish and not others.Egg allergies can trigger hives, nasal inflammation, vomiting and, in severe cases, anaphylaxis. Some people can tolerate eggs when cooked into foods like cookies, but others have to avoid them altogether.
(9) Egg allergies can trigger hives, nasal inflammation, vomiting and, in severe cases, anaphylaxis. Some people can tolerate eggs when cooked into foods like cookies, but others have to avoid them altogether.
(10) Most trees release their pollen in late winter or early spring, wreaking havoc on the sinuses of seasonal allergy sufferers. The worst offenders include ash, birch, cedar, elm, oak and willow trees.
(11) Mold can grow outside in compost piles and rotting leaves, as well as inside in moist crevices, triggering a runny nose, itchy throat and eyes, and coughing in people with allergies. The best treatment is avoidance.
(12) Pets can trigger allergic reactions through their dander, saliva or urine. People with pet allergies can opt for animals without fur or ones that don't shed dander. When visiting pet owners, antihistamines can help keep mild allergy symptoms at bay.
(13) Allergic reactions to drugs can cause rashes and hives, wheezing and swelling and, in severe cases, anaphylaxis. Treatments range from antihistamines to emergency epinephrine. Penicillin is the most common drug allergen.
(14) Latex can cause skin rashes and hives as well as asthma symptoms in people with allergies. In severe cases, the natural rubber can trigger anaphylaxis. Avoidance of the stretchy material, commonly used in medical supplies, is key.
(15) Dust can trigger a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing in people with allergies, not to mention asthma symptoms like wheezing and shortness of breath. Non-carpet flooring and HEPA air filters can help minimize exposure.
(16) Bug bites and stings can trigger swelling, hives and difficulty breathing in people with allergies. They can also trigger a drop in blood pressure, dizziness and cardiac arrest. People with severe allergies should carry an epinephrine injector.
Click colored areas for further info
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Article 3 of 6
Mislabeled Fish Raise Food Allergy Risk
Click colored areas for further info
Nearly 40 percent of seafood sold in New York City is mislabeled, according to a conservation group’s new report on a fishy practice that spells trouble for people with food allergies.
“Recent testing has revealed that dishonest labeling and fraudulent seafood substitution for certain species is rampant and widespread,” researchers from the ocean conservation group Oceana wrote in their report, which they said was based on DNA testing of 142 seafood samples collected from unidentified New York City grocery stores, restaurants and sushi bars.
Oceana previously reported fish mislabeling rates as high as 48 percent in Boston and 55 percent in Los Angeles.
Oceana said the findings are particularly troubling given that seafood ranks among the top eight food allergens. And since fish allergies are often species-specific, experts say the bait-and-switch opens the door to dangerous exposures.
“If [a person] is not allergic to the fish they think they are getting, and that fish is substituted with one to which they are allergic, they obviously could have a serious allergic reaction,” said Dr. David Fleischer, an associate professor of pediatric allergy and immunology at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colo. “Patients need to be able to trust the people they purchase fish from.”
Here’s a table of commonly substituted fish from the report:
What You BoughtWhat You Gotred snapperCaribbean red snapper, crimson snapper, goldbanded jobfish, ocean perch, porgy/seabream, spotted rose snapper, tilapia, tilefish, white bass, yellowtail snapperwhite tunaescolarhalibuttilefishwild salmon, king salmonrainbow trout, farmed Atlantic salmonPacific codfarmed Pangasius “catfish”grouperNile perch, breamlemon solesummer flounder, blackback flounderstriped basswhite bassAmong the “most troubling substitutions,” according to the report, was fish labeled as white tuna that turned out to be escolar, a type of snake mackerel linked to gastrointestinal problems. Also, fish sold as red snapper and halibut turned out to be tilefish, which has mercury levels that land it on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “do-not-eat” list for pregnant or nursing women and young children.
“Without accurate, honest labels that show exactly what fish you are eating and where it was harvested, those who need this critical advice about specific fish will be left unprotected,” the report authors wrote.
Previous reports on fish fraud have sparked outrage from politicians, who argue the FDA should do more to curb seafood mislabeling.
“Seafood fraud is not only deceptive marketing, but it can also pose serious health concerns, particularly for pregnant women seeking to limit exposure to heavy metals or individuals with serious allergies to certain types of fish,” Senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. wrote in an October 2012 letter to the FDA. “Consumers should not have to question the safety of their seafood.”
But it’s unclear where along the chain “from bait to plate” the mislabeling is taking place. Citing a 2009 Government Accountability Office report, Boxer said 86 percent of seafood consumed in the U.S. originates overseas but only 2 percent of it is inspected by the FDA and only 0.01 percent is “explicitly inspected for fraud or mislabeling.”
“Seafood can follow a complex path from the point when it is caught to the point when it is sold to a consumer, making it difficult to isolate the point where fraud occurs,” she wrote. “To effectively address this problem, we need better traceability and enforcement throughout the entire chain of sale, from bait to plate.”
A spokeswoman for the FDA said the agency had not yet reviewed the Oceana report and “therefore cannot comment on the report at this time.” But, she added, “All seafood is required to be labeled in a manner that is truthful and not misleading and in accordance with federal regulations. It is not acceptable to misrepresent the identity of a product, including at the final point of sale to a consumer.”
Buying fish from reputable dealers and being wary about unusually low prices can help protect consumers from fish fraud, according to the FDA. The agency also has a list of commonly substituted seafood products and photos of whole fish and fillets.
Click colored areas for further info
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Article 4 of 6
Tick May Be Spreading Vegetarianism
Click colored areas for further info
A tiny tick*) might be to blame for a rash of meat allergies in central and southern regions of the U.S.
A bite from the lone star tick, so-called for the white spot on its back, looks innocent enough. But researchers say saliva that sneaks into the wound might trigger a reaction to meat agonizing enough to convert lifelong carnivores into wary vegetarians.
"People will eat beef and then anywhere from three to six hours later start having a reaction; anything from hives to full-blown anaphylactic shock*)," said Dr. Scott Commins, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. "Most people want to avoid having the reaction, so they try to stay away from the food that triggers it."
*) anaphylactic shock - see next below article 5 of 6 for additional info
briefly: anaphylactic shock = a sudden, severe allergic reaction characterized by a sharp drop in blood pressure, urticaria, and breathing difficulties that is caused by exposure to a foreign substance, such as a drug or bee venom, after a preliminary or sensitizing exposure. The reaction may be fatal if emergency treatment, including epinephrine injections, is not given immediately. Also called anaphylaxis
Cases of the bizarre allergy are cropping up in areas ripe with lone star ticks, according to research presented today at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif. But whether the bugs cause meat allergies remains unclear.
Tick Bite Treatment and Lyme Disease Watch Video (Internet video links expire in certain time - search for the video using the label on the left
Babesiosis: The New Lyme Disease? Watch VideoBabesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with Babesia, a genus of protozoal piroplasms. After trypanosomes, Babesia is thought to be the second most common blood parasites of mammals, and they can have a major impact on health of domestic animals in areas without severe winters. Human babesiosis is uncommon, but reported cases have risen recently because of expanded medical awareness.
Click: Babesiosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/
A New Reason to Worry About Ticks? Watch Video
"It's hard to prove," said Commins. "We're still searching for the mechanism."
Allergies are immune reactions to foreign substances, from pet hair to peanuts. As antibodies attack the substance that caused the reaction, they trigger the release of histamine, a chemical that causes hives and, in severe cases, life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Commins said blood levels of antibodies for alpha-gal, a sugar found in beef, lamb and pork, rise after a single bite from the lone star tick. He said he hopes experiments that combine tiny samples of tick saliva with the invisible antibodies will prove the two are directly connected.
"It's complicated, no doubt," said Commins. "But we think it's something in the saliva."
The long lag between exposure to meat and the allergic reaction complicates things even more.
"Most food allergies occur very quickly," said Dr. Stanley Fineman, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. "It's also a bit unusual to see adults develop a food allergy."
But the tick bite theory could help explain the sudden onset of some meat allergies, Fineman added.
Other Common food allergens include peanuts, shellfish, milk, eggs, soy and wheat. And most food allergy sufferers are glad to discover the source of their misery, even if it means upheaval for their diets.
"Avoidance is the best way to handle any food allergy," he said.
But meat allergies are hard for some brawny barbecuers to swallow.
"Some people are totally destroyed," said Commins. "Others say, 'Maybe I'm better off without it.'"
*) Click: Tick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick
Ticks are small arachnids**) in the order Ixodida. Along with mites, they constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites (external parasites), living by ...
Ticks of domestic animals - Tick-borne disease - Tick (disambiguation) - Skin biopsy
**) Arachnids are a class (Arachnida) of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although the front pair of legs in some species has converted to a sensory function, while in other species, differentappendages can grow large enough to take on the appearance of extra pairs of legs. The term is derived from the Greek word ἀράχνη (aráchnē), meaning "spider".[2]
Click: Arachnid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachnid
Almost all extant arachnids are terrestrial. However, some inhabit freshwater environments and, with the exception of the pelagic zone, marine environments as well. They comprise over 100,000 named species, including spiders, scorpions, harvestmen,ticks, mites and Solifugae.[3]
Click colored areas for further info
__________________________________________________________________________________
Tick May Be Spreading Vegetarianism
Click colored areas for further info
A tiny tick*) might be to blame for a rash of meat allergies in central and southern regions of the U.S.
A bite from the lone star tick, so-called for the white spot on its back, looks innocent enough. But researchers say saliva that sneaks into the wound might trigger a reaction to meat agonizing enough to convert lifelong carnivores into wary vegetarians.
"People will eat beef and then anywhere from three to six hours later start having a reaction; anything from hives to full-blown anaphylactic shock*)," said Dr. Scott Commins, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. "Most people want to avoid having the reaction, so they try to stay away from the food that triggers it."
*) anaphylactic shock - see next below article 5 of 6 for additional info
briefly: anaphylactic shock = a sudden, severe allergic reaction characterized by a sharp drop in blood pressure, urticaria, and breathing difficulties that is caused by exposure to a foreign substance, such as a drug or bee venom, after a preliminary or sensitizing exposure. The reaction may be fatal if emergency treatment, including epinephrine injections, is not given immediately. Also called anaphylaxis
Cases of the bizarre allergy are cropping up in areas ripe with lone star ticks, according to research presented today at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting in Anaheim, Calif. But whether the bugs cause meat allergies remains unclear.
Tick Bite Treatment and Lyme Disease Watch Video (Internet video links expire in certain time - search for the video using the label on the left
Babesiosis: The New Lyme Disease? Watch VideoBabesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with Babesia, a genus of protozoal piroplasms. After trypanosomes, Babesia is thought to be the second most common blood parasites of mammals, and they can have a major impact on health of domestic animals in areas without severe winters. Human babesiosis is uncommon, but reported cases have risen recently because of expanded medical awareness.
Click: Babesiosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/
A New Reason to Worry About Ticks? Watch Video
"It's hard to prove," said Commins. "We're still searching for the mechanism."
Allergies are immune reactions to foreign substances, from pet hair to peanuts. As antibodies attack the substance that caused the reaction, they trigger the release of histamine, a chemical that causes hives and, in severe cases, life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Commins said blood levels of antibodies for alpha-gal, a sugar found in beef, lamb and pork, rise after a single bite from the lone star tick. He said he hopes experiments that combine tiny samples of tick saliva with the invisible antibodies will prove the two are directly connected.
"It's complicated, no doubt," said Commins. "But we think it's something in the saliva."
The long lag between exposure to meat and the allergic reaction complicates things even more.
"Most food allergies occur very quickly," said Dr. Stanley Fineman, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. "It's also a bit unusual to see adults develop a food allergy."
But the tick bite theory could help explain the sudden onset of some meat allergies, Fineman added.
Other Common food allergens include peanuts, shellfish, milk, eggs, soy and wheat. And most food allergy sufferers are glad to discover the source of their misery, even if it means upheaval for their diets.
"Avoidance is the best way to handle any food allergy," he said.
But meat allergies are hard for some brawny barbecuers to swallow.
"Some people are totally destroyed," said Commins. "Others say, 'Maybe I'm better off without it.'"
*) Click: Tick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick
Ticks are small arachnids**) in the order Ixodida. Along with mites, they constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites (external parasites), living by ...
Ticks of domestic animals - Tick-borne disease - Tick (disambiguation) - Skin biopsy
**) Arachnids are a class (Arachnida) of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although the front pair of legs in some species has converted to a sensory function, while in other species, differentappendages can grow large enough to take on the appearance of extra pairs of legs. The term is derived from the Greek word ἀράχνη (aráchnē), meaning "spider".[2]
Click: Arachnid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachnid
Almost all extant arachnids are terrestrial. However, some inhabit freshwater environments and, with the exception of the pelagic zone, marine environments as well. They comprise over 100,000 named species, including spiders, scorpions, harvestmen,ticks, mites and Solifugae.[3]
Click colored areas for further info
__________________________________________________________________________________
Article 5 of 6
PART A
Part B next below - Epipens for all - a NYT article
epipen = for the treatment of acute allergic reactions to avoid or treat the onset of anaphylactic shock & to avoid a potential death
Anaphylaxis
Definition
Anaphylaxis is a rapidly progressing, life-threatening allergic reaction.
Click green for further info
Description
Anaphylaxis is a type of allergic reaction, in which the immune system responds to otherwise harmless substances from the environment. Unlike other allergic reactions, however, anaphylaxis can kill. Reaction may begin within minutes or even seconds of exposure, and rapidly progress to cause airway constriction, skin and intestinal irritation, and altered heart rhythms. In severe cases, it can result in complete airway obstruction,shock, and death.
Causes and symptoms
Causes
Like the majority of other allergic reactions, anaphylaxis is caused by the release of histamine and other chemicals from mast cells. Mast cells are a type of white blood cell and they are found in large numbers in the tissues that regulate exchange with the environment: the airways, digestive system, and skin.
On their surfaces, mast cells display antibodies called IgE (immunoglobulin type E). These antibodies are designed to detect environmental substances to which the immune system is sensitive. Substances from a genuinely threatening source, such as bacteria or viruses, are called antigens. A substance that most people tolerate well, but to which others have an allergic response, is called an allergen. When IgE antibodies bind with allergens, they cause the mast cell to release histamine and other chemicals, which spill out onto neighboring cells.
The interaction of these chemicals with receptors on the surface of blood vessels causes the vessels to leak fluid into surrounding tissues, causing fluid accumulation, redness, and swelling. On the smooth muscle cells of the airways and digestive system, they cause constriction. On nerve endings, they increase sensitivity and cause itching.
In anaphylaxis, the dramatic response is due both to extreme hypersensivity to the allergen and its usually systemic distribution. Allergens are more likely to cause anaphylaxis if they are introduced directly into the circulatory system by injection. However, exposure by ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact can also cause anaphylaxis. In some cases, anaphylaxis may develop over time from less severe allergies.
Anaphylaxis is most often due to allergens in foods, drugs, and insect venom. Specific causes include:
Exposure to cold or exercise can trigger anaphylaxis in some individuals.
Key termsACTH — Adrenocorticotropic hormone, a hormone normally produced by the pituitary gland, sometimes taken as a treatment for arthritis and other disorders.
Antibody — An immune system protein which binds to a substance from the environment.
NSAIDs — Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin and ibuprofen.
Tracheostomy tube — A tube which is inserted into an incision in the trachea (tracheostomy) to relieve upper airway obstruction
Symptoms may include:
Not all symptoms may be present.
Diagnosis
Anaphylaxis is diagnosed based on the rapid development of symptoms in response to a suspect allergen. Identification of the culprit may be done with RAST testing, a blood test that identifies IgE reactions to specific allergens. Skin testing may be done for less severe anaphylactic reactions.
TreatmentEmergency treatment of anaphylaxis involves injection of adrenaline (epinephrine) which constricts blood vessels and counteracts the effects of histamine. Oxygen may be given, as well as intravenous replacement fluids. Antihistamines may be used for skin rash, and aminophylline for bronchial constriction. If the upper airway is obstructed, placement of a breathing tube or tracheostomy tube may be needed.
PrognosisThe rapidity of symptom development is an indication of the likely severity of reaction: the faster symptoms develop, the more severe the ultimate reaction. Prompt emergency medical attention and close monitoring reduces the likelihood of death. Nonetheless, death is possible from severe anaphylaxis. For most people who receive rapid treatment, recovery is complete.
Prevention
Avoidance of the allergic trigger is the only reliable method of preventing anaphylaxis. For insect allergies, this requires recognizing likely nest sites. Preventing food allergies requires knowledge of the prepared foods or dishes in which the allergen is likely to occur, and careful questioning about ingredients when dining out. Use of a Medic-Alert tag detailing drug allergies is vital to prevent inadvertent administration during a medical emergency.
People prone to anaphylaxis should carry an "Epi-pen" or "Ana-kit," which contain an adrenaline dose ready for injection.
Source: Medical Dictionary
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Article 5 of 6
PART B epipen = for the treatment of acute allergic reactions to avoid or treat
the onset of anaphylactic shock & to avoid a potential death
Epinephrine auto-injectors, the most well known of which are EpiPens, contain adrenaline and are the first line of emergency treatment for anaphylaxis, an extremely severe allergic reaction that can become fatal within minutes
EpiPens for All
AMARRIA JOHNSON, who attended first grade at Hopkins Elementary School in Richmond, Va., was an outgoing and energetic girl who loved animals, singing and telling jokes. She won reading and citizenship awards and planned to become a teacher. She also was allergic to peanuts.
On Jan. 2, 2012, a classmate gave Amarria a peanut on the playground. Despite her allergy, Amarria ate the nut and soon had trouble breathing. She sought out a teacher, but at the school health clinic, there was no epinephrine auto-injector prescribed for Amarria. Epinephrine auto-injectors, the most well known of which are EpiPens, contain adrenaline and are the first line of emergency treatment for anaphylaxis, an extremely severe allergic reaction that can become fatal within minutes.
At the time, employees in Amarria’s public school were not allowed to use epinephrine prescribed for one student on a different child; instead, the school called an ambulance, which transported Amarria to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead of anaphylaxis and cardiac arrest.
I’m the mother of a child with food allergies, and stories like Amarria’s are my worst nightmare. In describing her tragedy, I question the fairness of reducing a 7-year-old girl to a symbol. Nevertheless I repeat the circumstances of Amarria’s death because it appears they directly affected legislation in her state.
Just a few months after she died, “Amarria’s Law” was in place; the law requires Virginia schools to stock epinephrine and allows school authorities to give it to children without a prescription, and indemnifies those who administer it in a life-threatening situation. There is now an opportunity for similar legislation to be enacted nationally, in the form of the click: School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, and I urge lawmakers to pass it. The House approved the bill in July, and it is likely to go before the Senate this fall.
According to the nonprofit advocacy group Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), one in 13 children under age 18 has food allergies, with an 18 percent increase having occurred between 1997 and 2007; during roughly the same period, the number of children with a peanut allergy tripled. In other words, if you’re an adult who doesn’t remember food allergies being so prevalent during your own childhood, you’re exactly right. Although there are many theories about the increases, no one can explain them with certainty.
Much like publicly available defibrillators, “stock” or “undesignated” epinephrine — that is, not prescribed to a particular person — can save lives without stigmatizing recipients or potential recipients or creating restrictions for those without allergies. Currently 30 states allow schools to keep undesignated epinephrine, but only four states require it. In an ideal world, every child who has known allergies would have access to prescribed epinephrine during school hours. But any parent who’s ever made a special trip to school to drop off some item forgotten at home — a preschooler’s favorite nap time blanket, a fourth grader’s lunch or a sophomore’s soccer uniform — knows that few of us live in an ideal world.
And even under the best circumstances, epinephrine auto-injectors aren’t a one-time purchase: an allergic child needs them both at home and at school, and they expire. They also must be replaced after use. Fortunately, assistance programs exist so that families who otherwise couldn’t afford them can acquire auto-injectors free or for minimal costs. Similarly, the pharmaceutical company Mylan Specialty L.P. is now in the second year of its EpiPen4Schools program, through which schools can acquire free undesignated EpiPens. The fact that nurses or health aides, who apply for these EpiPens, have taken advantage of the program in all 50 states reflects a widespread belief by medical personnel in the importance of undesignated epinephrine; as of last month, the company had distributed EpiPens to nearly 25,000 schools. But even though schools nationwide have acquired undesignated epinephrine through the program, the laws in some states are confusingly silent about who is authorized to use it. A student’s fate can depend on one adult’s judgment call.
Disturbingly, a significant portion of severe allergic reactions at school occur among students with no prior allergy diagnosis. During the 2012-13 school year, of the 38 people in Chicago public schools who were injected with undesignated EpiPens provided through the EpiPen4Schools program, 21 did not previously know they had an allergy. (The youngest student was 3, the oldest was 19, and two recipients were school staff members.) As a nurse at the office of my family’s allergy doctor has said to me repeatedly, “Anyone can develop an allergy to anything at any time.”
Those of us in allergic families know that being directly affected by allergies isn’t a requirement for compassion; the world, thank goodness, is populated by many sympathetic individuals. Still, it’s not hard to find people who are hostile and disbelieving toward allergies. I suspect that the most vociferous antagonists of the allergic community won’t understand just what it’s like to live with allergies unless they themselves or someone close to them develops them, but I hope, for their sakes, that these people are blessed with the luxury of maintaining their skepticism. If they’re not, I also hope that safeguards such as the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act are firmly in place to protect them and the people they love.
Source: NYT & Curtis Sittenfeld - the author, most recently, of the novel “Sisterland.”
Click green for further info 6 of 6 - A related article info with a web link
next below
___________________________________
PART A
Part B next below - Epipens for all - a NYT article
epipen = for the treatment of acute allergic reactions to avoid or treat the onset of anaphylactic shock & to avoid a potential death
Anaphylaxis
Definition
Anaphylaxis is a rapidly progressing, life-threatening allergic reaction.
Click green for further info
Description
Anaphylaxis is a type of allergic reaction, in which the immune system responds to otherwise harmless substances from the environment. Unlike other allergic reactions, however, anaphylaxis can kill. Reaction may begin within minutes or even seconds of exposure, and rapidly progress to cause airway constriction, skin and intestinal irritation, and altered heart rhythms. In severe cases, it can result in complete airway obstruction,shock, and death.
Causes and symptoms
Causes
Like the majority of other allergic reactions, anaphylaxis is caused by the release of histamine and other chemicals from mast cells. Mast cells are a type of white blood cell and they are found in large numbers in the tissues that regulate exchange with the environment: the airways, digestive system, and skin.
On their surfaces, mast cells display antibodies called IgE (immunoglobulin type E). These antibodies are designed to detect environmental substances to which the immune system is sensitive. Substances from a genuinely threatening source, such as bacteria or viruses, are called antigens. A substance that most people tolerate well, but to which others have an allergic response, is called an allergen. When IgE antibodies bind with allergens, they cause the mast cell to release histamine and other chemicals, which spill out onto neighboring cells.
The interaction of these chemicals with receptors on the surface of blood vessels causes the vessels to leak fluid into surrounding tissues, causing fluid accumulation, redness, and swelling. On the smooth muscle cells of the airways and digestive system, they cause constriction. On nerve endings, they increase sensitivity and cause itching.
In anaphylaxis, the dramatic response is due both to extreme hypersensivity to the allergen and its usually systemic distribution. Allergens are more likely to cause anaphylaxis if they are introduced directly into the circulatory system by injection. However, exposure by ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact can also cause anaphylaxis. In some cases, anaphylaxis may develop over time from less severe allergies.
Anaphylaxis is most often due to allergens in foods, drugs, and insect venom. Specific causes include:
- Fish, shellfish, and mollusks
- Nuts and seeds
- Stings of bees, wasps, or hornets
- Papain from meat tenderizers
- Vaccines, including flu and measles vaccines
- Penicillin
- Cephalosporins
- Streptomycin
- Gamma globulin
- Insulin
- Hormones (ACTH, thyroid-stimulating hormone)
- Aspirin and other NSAIDs
- Latex, from exam gloves or condoms, for example.
Exposure to cold or exercise can trigger anaphylaxis in some individuals.
Key termsACTH — Adrenocorticotropic hormone, a hormone normally produced by the pituitary gland, sometimes taken as a treatment for arthritis and other disorders.
Antibody — An immune system protein which binds to a substance from the environment.
NSAIDs — Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin and ibuprofen.
Tracheostomy tube — A tube which is inserted into an incision in the trachea (tracheostomy) to relieve upper airway obstruction
Symptoms may include:
- Urticaria (hives)
- Swelling and irritation of the tongue or mouth
- Swelling of the sinuses
- Difficulty breathing
- Wheezing
- Cramping, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Anxiety or confusion
- Strong, very rapid heartbeat (palpitations)
- Loss of consciousness.
Not all symptoms may be present.
Diagnosis
Anaphylaxis is diagnosed based on the rapid development of symptoms in response to a suspect allergen. Identification of the culprit may be done with RAST testing, a blood test that identifies IgE reactions to specific allergens. Skin testing may be done for less severe anaphylactic reactions.
TreatmentEmergency treatment of anaphylaxis involves injection of adrenaline (epinephrine) which constricts blood vessels and counteracts the effects of histamine. Oxygen may be given, as well as intravenous replacement fluids. Antihistamines may be used for skin rash, and aminophylline for bronchial constriction. If the upper airway is obstructed, placement of a breathing tube or tracheostomy tube may be needed.
PrognosisThe rapidity of symptom development is an indication of the likely severity of reaction: the faster symptoms develop, the more severe the ultimate reaction. Prompt emergency medical attention and close monitoring reduces the likelihood of death. Nonetheless, death is possible from severe anaphylaxis. For most people who receive rapid treatment, recovery is complete.
Prevention
Avoidance of the allergic trigger is the only reliable method of preventing anaphylaxis. For insect allergies, this requires recognizing likely nest sites. Preventing food allergies requires knowledge of the prepared foods or dishes in which the allergen is likely to occur, and careful questioning about ingredients when dining out. Use of a Medic-Alert tag detailing drug allergies is vital to prevent inadvertent administration during a medical emergency.
People prone to anaphylaxis should carry an "Epi-pen" or "Ana-kit," which contain an adrenaline dose ready for injection.
Source: Medical Dictionary
_____________________
=======================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
Article 5 of 6
PART B epipen = for the treatment of acute allergic reactions to avoid or treat
the onset of anaphylactic shock & to avoid a potential death
Epinephrine auto-injectors, the most well known of which are EpiPens, contain adrenaline and are the first line of emergency treatment for anaphylaxis, an extremely severe allergic reaction that can become fatal within minutes
EpiPens for All
AMARRIA JOHNSON, who attended first grade at Hopkins Elementary School in Richmond, Va., was an outgoing and energetic girl who loved animals, singing and telling jokes. She won reading and citizenship awards and planned to become a teacher. She also was allergic to peanuts.
On Jan. 2, 2012, a classmate gave Amarria a peanut on the playground. Despite her allergy, Amarria ate the nut and soon had trouble breathing. She sought out a teacher, but at the school health clinic, there was no epinephrine auto-injector prescribed for Amarria. Epinephrine auto-injectors, the most well known of which are EpiPens, contain adrenaline and are the first line of emergency treatment for anaphylaxis, an extremely severe allergic reaction that can become fatal within minutes.
At the time, employees in Amarria’s public school were not allowed to use epinephrine prescribed for one student on a different child; instead, the school called an ambulance, which transported Amarria to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead of anaphylaxis and cardiac arrest.
I’m the mother of a child with food allergies, and stories like Amarria’s are my worst nightmare. In describing her tragedy, I question the fairness of reducing a 7-year-old girl to a symbol. Nevertheless I repeat the circumstances of Amarria’s death because it appears they directly affected legislation in her state.
Just a few months after she died, “Amarria’s Law” was in place; the law requires Virginia schools to stock epinephrine and allows school authorities to give it to children without a prescription, and indemnifies those who administer it in a life-threatening situation. There is now an opportunity for similar legislation to be enacted nationally, in the form of the click: School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, and I urge lawmakers to pass it. The House approved the bill in July, and it is likely to go before the Senate this fall.
According to the nonprofit advocacy group Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), one in 13 children under age 18 has food allergies, with an 18 percent increase having occurred between 1997 and 2007; during roughly the same period, the number of children with a peanut allergy tripled. In other words, if you’re an adult who doesn’t remember food allergies being so prevalent during your own childhood, you’re exactly right. Although there are many theories about the increases, no one can explain them with certainty.
Much like publicly available defibrillators, “stock” or “undesignated” epinephrine — that is, not prescribed to a particular person — can save lives without stigmatizing recipients or potential recipients or creating restrictions for those without allergies. Currently 30 states allow schools to keep undesignated epinephrine, but only four states require it. In an ideal world, every child who has known allergies would have access to prescribed epinephrine during school hours. But any parent who’s ever made a special trip to school to drop off some item forgotten at home — a preschooler’s favorite nap time blanket, a fourth grader’s lunch or a sophomore’s soccer uniform — knows that few of us live in an ideal world.
And even under the best circumstances, epinephrine auto-injectors aren’t a one-time purchase: an allergic child needs them both at home and at school, and they expire. They also must be replaced after use. Fortunately, assistance programs exist so that families who otherwise couldn’t afford them can acquire auto-injectors free or for minimal costs. Similarly, the pharmaceutical company Mylan Specialty L.P. is now in the second year of its EpiPen4Schools program, through which schools can acquire free undesignated EpiPens. The fact that nurses or health aides, who apply for these EpiPens, have taken advantage of the program in all 50 states reflects a widespread belief by medical personnel in the importance of undesignated epinephrine; as of last month, the company had distributed EpiPens to nearly 25,000 schools. But even though schools nationwide have acquired undesignated epinephrine through the program, the laws in some states are confusingly silent about who is authorized to use it. A student’s fate can depend on one adult’s judgment call.
Disturbingly, a significant portion of severe allergic reactions at school occur among students with no prior allergy diagnosis. During the 2012-13 school year, of the 38 people in Chicago public schools who were injected with undesignated EpiPens provided through the EpiPen4Schools program, 21 did not previously know they had an allergy. (The youngest student was 3, the oldest was 19, and two recipients were school staff members.) As a nurse at the office of my family’s allergy doctor has said to me repeatedly, “Anyone can develop an allergy to anything at any time.”
Those of us in allergic families know that being directly affected by allergies isn’t a requirement for compassion; the world, thank goodness, is populated by many sympathetic individuals. Still, it’s not hard to find people who are hostile and disbelieving toward allergies. I suspect that the most vociferous antagonists of the allergic community won’t understand just what it’s like to live with allergies unless they themselves or someone close to them develops them, but I hope, for their sakes, that these people are blessed with the luxury of maintaining their skepticism. If they’re not, I also hope that safeguards such as the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act are firmly in place to protect them and the people they love.
Source: NYT & Curtis Sittenfeld - the author, most recently, of the novel “Sisterland.”
Click green for further info 6 of 6 - A related article info with a web link
next below
___________________________________
Article 6 of 6
Compare and study this Mayo Clinic link also
Anaphylaxis - MayoClinic.com
www.mayoclinic.com/health/anaphylaxis/DS00009
Anaphylaxis — Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, risk factors and treatment of this dangerous allergic reaction.
Symptoms - Treatments and drugs - Risk factors - Coping and support
_____________
Compare and study this Mayo Clinic link also
Anaphylaxis - MayoClinic.com
www.mayoclinic.com/health/anaphylaxis/DS00009
Anaphylaxis — Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, risk factors and treatment of this dangerous allergic reaction.
Symptoms - Treatments and drugs - Risk factors - Coping and support
_____________
STAF, Inc. is planning to create similar schools worldwide & add Colleges
____________
Mom Oprah' Always on Call for South African Graduates
Yahoo! editors have selected this article as a favorite of 2012
The first class of young women to graduate from Oprah Winfrey’s South African boarding school is now beginning college.
For any dedicated mother, that means shopping for their new dorm rooms. And so that’s what media mogul known to her students as “Mom Oprah” is doing – that and fielding many late night phone calls from the graduates of her school.
"We’re texting all the time," Winfrey told ABC News’s JuJu Chang recently. "I was on the phone last night for an hour with one of them."
Six of the 72 students who began school at Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls five years ago are now attending college in the U.S.
It’s a new role in which Winfrey revels. "Being able to step into the mother role and be a real mother, friend, companion, adviser, comforter to these girls has added another level to my life that really just came as a surprise to me," she said. "I didn’t really know that I would love it so much."
Winfrey, who quit her popular talk show last year, said she is a "person who grew up knowing whatever you have, you have to give that back."
Her decision to found the school came after realizing she had made enough money to be more than comfortable. “There comes a time when you look in your closet and say, "'Enough shoes,'" she said. “Now what can I do that’s going to be of value … to other people?"
A camera crew followed the girls for a recent documentary: "The First Graduating Class: Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls," which recently aired on OWN (= Oprah Winfrey Network).
Welcome to the official website of OWN - the Oprah Winfrey Network ...www.oprah.com/own
OWN - The Oprah Winfrey Network - is more than a television network, it's anetwork of people just like YOU.
Full Episodes - Shows - Oprah's Next Chapter - TV Schedule
Click green for further info
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Revolution Hits the Universities
Date: January 26, 2013
Online learning, from Cairo to Chicago t0 Copenhagen & to Helsinki
THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
There’s a lot of bad news in the world today to get you down, but there is one big thing happening that leaves me incredibly hopeful about the future, and that is the budding revolution in global online higher education. Nothing has more potential to lift more people out of poverty — by providing them an affordable education to get a job or improve in the job they have. Nothing has more potential to unlock a billion more brains to solve the world’s biggest problems. And nothing has more potential to enable us to reimagine higher education than the massive open online course, or MOOC, platforms that are being developed by the likes of Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and companies like Coursera and Udacity.
Last May I wrote about Coursera — co-founded by the Stanford computer scientists Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng — just after it opened. Two weeks ago, I went back out to Palo Alto to check in on them. When I visited last May, about 300,000 people were taking 38 courses taught by Stanford professors and a few other elite universities. Today, they have 2.4 million students, taking 214 courses from 33 universities, including eight international ones.
Anant Agarwal, the former director of M.I.T.’s artificial intelligence lab, is now president of edX, a nonprofit MOOC that M.I.T. and Harvard are jointly building. Agarwal told me that since May, some 155,000 students from around the world have taken edX’s first course: an M.I.T. intro class on circuits. “That is greater than the total number of M.I.T. alumni in its 150-year history,” he said.
Yes, only a small percentage complete all the work, and even they still tend to be from the middle and upper classes of their societies, but I am convinced that within five years these platforms will reach a much broader demographic. Imagine how this might change U.S. foreign aid. For relatively little money, the U.S. could rent space in an Egyptian village, install two dozen computers and high-speed satellite Internet access, hire a local teacher as a facilitator, and invite in any Egyptian who wanted to take online courses with the best professors in the world, subtitled in Arabic.
YOU just have to hear the stories told by the pioneers in this industry to appreciate its revolutionary potential. One of Koller’s favorites is about “Daniel,” a 17-year-old with autism who communicates mainly by computer. He took an online modern poetry class from Penn. He and his parents wrote that the combination of rigorous academic curriculum, which requires Daniel to stay on task, and the online learning system that does not strain his social skills, attention deficits or force him to look anyone in the eye, enable him to better manage his autism. Koller shared a letter from Daniel, in which he wrote: “Please tell Coursera and Penn my story. I am a 17-year-old boy emerging from autism. I can’t yet sit still in a classroom so [your course] was my first real course ever. During the course, I had to keep pace with the class, which is unheard-of in special ed. Now I know I can benefit from having to work hard and enjoy being in sync with the world.”
One member of the Coursera team who recently took a Coursera course on sustainability told me that it was so much more interesting than a similar course he had taken as an undergrad. The online course included students from all over the world, from different climates, incomes levels and geographies, and, as a result, “the discussions that happened in that course were so much more valuable and interesting than with people of similar geography and income level” in a typical American college.
Mitch Duneier, a Princeton sociology professor, wrote an essay in The Chronicle of Higher Education in the fall about his experience teaching a class through Coursera: “A few months ago, just as the campus of Princeton University had grown nearly silent after commencement, 40,000 students from 113 countries arrived here via the Internet to take a free course in introductory sociology. ... My opening discussion of C. Wright Mills’s classic 1959 book, ‘The Sociological Imagination,’ was a close reading of the text, in which I reviewed a key chapter line by line. I asked students to follow along in their own copies, as I do in the lecture hall. When I give this lecture on the Princeton campus, I usually receive a few penetrating questions. In this case, however, within a few hours of posting the online version, the course forums came alive with hundreds of comments and questions. Several days later there were thousands. ... Within three weeks I had received more feedback on my sociological ideas than I had in a career of teaching, which significantly influenced each of my subsequent lectures and seminars.”
Agarwal of edX tells of a student in Cairo who was taking the circuits course and was having difficulty. In the class’s online forum, where students help each other with homework, he posted that he was dropping out. In response, other students in Cairo in the same class invited him to meet at a teahouse, where they offered to help him stay in the course. A 15-year-old student in Mongolia, who took the same class as part of a blended course and received a perfect score on the final exam, added Agarwal, is now applying to M.I.T. and the University of California, Berkeley.
As we look to the future of higher education, said the M.I.T. president, L. Rafael Reif, something that we now call a “degree” will be a concept “connected with bricks and mortar” — and traditional on-campus experiences that will increasingly leverage technology and the Internet to enhance classroom and laboratory work. Alongside that, though, said Reif, many universities will offer online courses to students anywhere in the world, in which they will earn “credentials” — certificates that testify that they have done the work and passed all the exams. The process of developing credible credentials that verify that the student has adequately mastered the subject — and did not cheat — and can be counted on by employers is still being perfected by all the MOOCs. But once it is, this phenomenon will really scale.
I can see a day soon where you’ll create your own college degree by taking the best online courses from the best professors from around the world — some computing from Stanford, some entrepreneurship from Wharton, some ethics from Brandeis, some literature from Edinburgh — paying only the nominal fee for the certificates of completion. It will change teaching, learning and the pathway to employment. “There is a new world unfolding,” said Reif, “and everyone will have to adapt.”
Click green for further info
__________________________________________
Biggest readers in U.S. teens or 30-something
Survey by Reuters
10/23/12
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The most likely book readers in the United States are high-school students, college-age adults and people in their 30s, with e-book use highest among 30-somethings, a survey released on 10/23/12 showed.
Seventy-eight percent of Americans had read at least one book in the previous 12 months, with the rate 83 percent among those aged between 16 and 29, according to the survey by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project.
The survey is part of Pew's effort to assess U.S. reading habits as e-books change the reading landscape and the borrowing services of libraries.
The highest percentage of readers by age was 88 percent, among the 18-24 age group, followed by 86 percent in the 16-17 range. Readers in the 30-39 group trailed at 84 percent.
The lowest percentage of readers was among people older than 65, at 68 percent. The survey covered books in print, in electronic formats and audiobooks.
Among Americans who read e-books, those under 30 are more likely to read them on a cell phone, at 41 percent, or on a computer (55 percent) than on an e-book reader (23 percent) or tablet (16 percent).
Forty-seven percent of younger Americans read long-form e-content such as books, magazines or newspapers. But the highest e-book use was among people 30 to 39, at one quarter.
The findings were the result of a phone survey of 2,986 people aged 16 and older conducted between November 16 and December 21. The margin of error is 2.2 percentage points.
In a separate May 2012 survey, 60 percent of respondents under 30 said they used a library in the past year.
"Many of these young readers do not know they can borrow an e-book from a library, and a majority of them express the wish they could do so on pre-loaded e-readers," the Pew report said.
The library survey was done online, with 6,573 people answering at least some questions and 4,396 completing the questionnaire. No margin of error was given.
This article is for your private use, only
________________________
Article 1 of 4 (Article 2 of 4 next below)
Nerve Damage Found
in Nearly Half of Fibromyalgia Patients
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Massachusetts researchers who used a small (!) group of subjects to study fibromyalgia found that nearly half the patients with the disorder had nerve problems. These individuals experienced damage to nerve fibers located in their skin and also showed evidence of a second illness.
A research team from Massachusetts General Hospital followed 27 adult fibromyalgia patients and 30 healthy subjects. In addition to signs of nerve damage in the fibromyalgia subjects, they found evidence of a disease known as small-fiber polyneuropathy (SFPN) in these patients, according to ScienceDaily.
Fibromyalgia is known as a particularly frustrating disorder for those who have it because not all medical professionals take it seriously. Since it's difficult to treat, many patients need a team of healthcare providers.
Although experts have suggested a number of potential causes, none has been specifically linked to the illness. The National Institute of Muscular and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases reports that the condition strikes as many as 5 million American adults. Around 80 to 90 percent are women.
SFPN is a disorder marked by severe pain attacks that usually originate in the hands or the feet, although some patients experience a more generalized pain over the whole body, Genetics Home Reference reports. Many symptoms are similar to those fibromyalgia patients report. SFPN patients can't feel pain that occurs in a very small area, like that from a pin prick. Some have trouble telling the difference between hot and cold, while for others, extreme temperatures trigger attacks.
SFPN is a form of peripheral neuropathy. It affects the peripheral nervous system, which links the brain and the spinal cord to muscles and cells that detect various sensations. Unlike fibromyalgia, it has a number of known causes that doctors can treat and sometimes cure.
The objective of the Massachusetts research was to explore any possible links between fibromyalgia and SFPN. The subjects completed questionnaires and underwent physical exams and tests to look for SFPN, including neuropathy assessments, skin biopsies to evaluate nerve fibers in the lower legs, and tests of autonomic functions like heart rate. The results showed significant neuropathy in patients with fibromyalgia, but not in the control subjects.
Thirteen fibromyalgia patients had a notable reduction in nerve fiber density, autonomic function test results that were abnormal, or both conditions. This indicates SFPN. While diabetes is a common SFPN cause, none of the patients appeared diabetic. Two had a hepatitis C infection. More than half showed signs of immune system dysfunction.
The researchers have published their findings in the journal PAIN. They concluded that their results provide some of the earliest evidence of a specific mechanism behind at least some cases of fibromyalgia. They look at the results as a step toward finding improved ways to treat the disorder. The next step -- getting independent confirmation of the results from other labs -- is already underway.
Vonda J. Sines has published thousands of print and online health and medical articles. She specializes in diseases and other conditions that affect the quality of life.
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Click:Fibromyalgia - MayoClinic.comwww.mayoclinic.com/health/fibromyalgia/DS00079
Fibromyalgia — Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, treatment of this chronic condition characterized by widespread pain.Symptoms - Treatments and drugs - Fibromyalgia misconceptions - Causes
Source: ScienceDaily
(Article 2 of 2 next below)
______________________________________________________________
Article 2 of 4 (Article 1 of 4 next above)
Small-Fiber Polyneuropathy - SFPN
Many Fibromyalgia Patients Have Small-Fiber Polyneuropathy
Source: American Neurological Association (ANA) 137th Annual Meeting in partnership with
the Association of British Neurologists. Abstract W1409. Poster presented October 7-9, 2012
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BOSTON — In a small study of patients labeled as having fibromyalgia, almost half actually had small-fiber polyneuropathy (SFPN), a potentially treatable condition.
Therefore, it is important that patients considered to have fibromyalgia be tested for SFPN, Anne Louise Oaklander, MD, PhD, associate in neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues reported here at the American Neurological Association (ANA) 137th Annual Meeting.
"Fibromyalgia is such a common and expensive health care problem and although most people are aware of its existence now, it has no associated pathology with it," she explained. "So it's not a diagnosis in the true sense of the word, and that leaves patients frustrated and unable to gain real traction towards a cure."
Dr. Oaklander noted that despite an emphasis on central mechanisms as the cause of fibromyalgia, these findings suggest that a specific — and sometimes treatable — type of peripheral neuropathy is a common cause of the condition.
"This is exciting for us because it's the beginning of objective data on what the actual cause of patients' symptoms may be," she said.
Widespread Chronic Pain
The condition is a syndrome with prominent widespread chronic pain. Thus, her laboratory tested the hypothesis that some patients with fibromyalgia may have SFPN, which "produces widespread chronic pain and very similar symptoms. The difference though is that small-fiber polyneuropathy is a true disease, meaning that there are objective tests for it, known causes, and the possibility of disease-modifying treatments and cure," Dr. Oaklander told Medscape Medical News.
The investigators recruited 25 patients 18 years of age or older from the community who met the best available clinical and research definition of fibromyalgia (mean age, 46.5 years), as well as 29 control participants (mean age, 44.8 years). The groups were well matched for demographic characteristics, including sex (76% to 79% women).
The researchers applied consensus-recommended diagnostic tests for SFPN, including standard diagnostic autonomic function testing, an early neuropathy scale, and PGP9.5 immunohistochemical staining of a 3-mm skin punch biopsy specimen from the distal portion of the leg. PGP9.5 is a pan-axonal marker.
The diagnostic test results and markers were analyzed in a blinded fashion. Intraepidermal nerve fiber (IENF) densities were normalized to control values expected for age and sex.
"The diagnostic criterion, universally accepted around the world, is that someone whose nerve fiber density in their biopsy is below the fifth centile of predicted value is considered to have definite small-fiber polyneuropathy," Dr. Oaklander said.
"The major finding of our study is that half of the cohort of fibromyalgia patients but none of an age-matched control group had evidence of nerve loss. And so to neurologists this meets the diagnostic criteria for small-fiber polyneuropathy."
For the various tests overall, 46% of the patients with fibromyalgia and 17% of controls (P < .001) met the rigorous criteria for SFPN.
More specifically, 40% of the patients with fibromyalgia met the SFPN diagnostic criteria upon IENF staining. Their IENF densities averaged 28% ± 6% of the predicted norm vs 47% ± 6% for controls (P < .02).
Interestingly, there was no overall difference between patients with fibromyalgia and controls on autonomic function testing. Among the fibromyalgia cohort, 17% met diagnostic criteria for SFPN on autonomic testing vs 15% of controls (P = .67).
Link to Diabetes
"The significance of this finding is that unlike with fibromyalgia there are known causes of small-fiber polyneuropathy, many of which are amenable to treatment," Dr. Oaklander pointed out. "The most common 1 in the U.S. is diabetes, even prediabetes. So we're now moving on to test this cohort of patients for potentially treatable causes, which offer them the possibility of improvement and perhaps even cure."
In all of her studies, she said that when she found small-fiber polyneuropathy, "a substantial proportion of patients turn out to have either diabetes or pre-diabetes. Most of them don't even know that. It's so common.
"We noticed that virtually all of the patients that we were able to give an ultimate diagnosis of small-fiber [polyneuropathy] in fact said, 'Oh, I've been told I have fibromyalgia for the last 10 years'."
Besides diabetes, causes of SFPN include malignancies, autoimmune conditions, toxins, and mutations, and possible symptoms overlap those of fibromyalgia. Some patients with SFPN may not have pain but may have sensory loss or autonomic symptoms, such as abnormal blood pressure or gastrointestinal disturbances. Dr. Oaklander added that people at the lower end of the normal range of test results for SFPN may eventually develop symptoms.
Her laboratory and some other academic and commercial ones are accredited to run the IENF density tests.
Observing the poster, Gary Rosenberg, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, commented to Medscape Medical News that he occasionally sees patients with fibromyalgia but noted, "They tend to go to the rheumatologist, not the neurologists" since fibromyalgia has traditionally been considered a rheumatologic condition. Dr. Rosenberg was not involved in the study.
Although fibromyalgia is purely a clinical diagnosis, this new information may add to the understanding of the pain syndrome "so it could be useful," he said, in that it explains the pathophysiology of some common pain presentations.
The study did not receive any commercial funding. Dr. Oaklander and Dr. Rosenberg have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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Source: American Neurological Association (ANA) 137th Annual Meeting in partnership with the Association of British Neurologists. Abstract W1409. Poster presented October 7-9, 2012.
(Article 3 of 3 next below)
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Article 3 of 4 (Articles 1 - 2/4 next above)
A New Cause for Unexplained Pain in Children
Small-fiber peripheral neuropathy not just for adults
Juvenile-onset small-fiber neuropathy, or JOSeFiNE
The report was published March 11, 2013 in Pediatrics
A new study of childhood-onset chronic pain could change the way that clinicians evaluate and treat unexplained pain in kids. Anne Louise Oaklander and Max Klein of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, US, found that 59 percent of 41 young patients they studied with unexplained, widespread chronic pain could be diagnosed with small-fiber peripheral neuropathy, and another 17 percent were classified as “probable” cases.
Adult-onset small-fiber peripheral neuropathy is a well-known cause of chronic pain in middle age and beyond, but “the idea that previously healthy children, teens, and young adults could develop this is somewhat of a new concept,” Oaklander said. She hopes that the characterization of this syndrome, which the authors call juvenile-onset small-fiber neuropathy, or JOSeFiNE, will influence the way that pediatricians think about pain, and offer them a roadmap for diagnosis and possible treatment of SFPN.
Christopher Klein, a neurologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, US, who was not involved in the study (and is no relation to study author Max Klein), said the authors should be commended for searching for the roots of unexplained, debilitating pain in children. “It’s a serious attempt to ascertain the potential organic cause of the kids’ pain,” he said.
The report was published March 11 in Pediatrics.
Expanding awareness
In older adults, SFPN is most often caused by diabetes, vitamin deficiency, cancer, or chemotherapy, and involves the loss of the small, mostly unmyelinated sensory and autonomic nerve axons in the peripheral nervous system, which notably include the pain-sensing cells. Patients often suffer from widespread chronic pain, and may have autonomic disturbances as well. An objective diagnosis of SFPN is made by skin biopsy showing loss of nociceptive epidermal nerve fibers and by tests of autonomic function (heart rate regulation and other tests). But this sort of diagnosis is not usually considered in patients whose chronic widespread pain began in childhood or adolescence.
In 2007, Oaklander described a formerly healthy 20-year-old man who developed erythromelalgia—burning pain with redness and swelling of his hands and feet. She diagnosed SFPN (Paticoff et al., 2007). After that, she said, “[physicians] started sending me more and more cases” of what looked like SFPN in juveniles from around the US and the world. “I thought, ‘I’d better start keeping track of these cases,’” she said. “Through that process, it became clear to me that this was a distinct syndrome.”
In the new study, Oaklander and Max Klein systematically analyzed all the clinical data from 41 patients, who had all been under age 21 when their pain began. Based on results of objective measures including skin and nerve biopsies and physiological measures of autonomic function, more than half of the patients met diagnostic criteria for SFPN (frankly abnormal measure on at least one definitive test), and most of the rest were categorized as probable or possible cases (mildly abnormal results on one or more tests). In only one patient were the tests entirely normal.
Christopher Klein raised the point that they might have made a diagnosis in even more subjects had they included quantitative sensory testing (QST). “Some patients might have normal test results in [biopsy and autonomic tests] because those tests measure loss of function, but they don’t measure exaggerated function, like [sensory] nerve hyperexcitability,” which can also be a feature of SFPN, Klein said. Oaklander agreed that QST might indeed have expanded the SFPN diagnosis to more patients, but she wanted this initial characterization to be as rigorous as possible by including only objective tests. Although informative, QST relies on patients’ subjective report of sensation.
Although the authors themselves conducted many of the skin biopsies, all of the autonomic function testing and most of the wealth of additional tests came from the extensive medical records accrued by these children over the years at other academic medical centers. “These were very sick kids, and their parents were diligent about seeking medical help for them,” said Oaklander. In the quest for diagnosis and treatment, the children underwent countless tests. In some cases, she said, “they had pretty much been subjected to all possible tests and treatments.” Finding out which tests had or had not been informative was a goal for the researchers, considering that some of the tests pose significant risks to children, and are expensive. “MRI was not helpful, spinal tap was not helpful,” said Oaklander. Strikingly, most other tests for neuropathy—including nerve-conduction tests and electromyography—did not even hint at the condition in the kids.
Autoimmune roots?
Some patterns did emerge from the medical histories. A third of the patients had a history of autoimmune disease, and many more displayed immune-related abnormalities on blood tests. “This paper shows again that autoimmunity may be important” in neuropathic pain, said Christopher Klein, an idea that has recently emerged in adults but is new for children. In some of the children, tests detected autoantibodies to voltage-gated potassium channels (VGKC) or N-type calcium channels—molecules that have recently been implicated in chronic pain click: PRF related news story.
And for some of the patients, their pain and other symptoms were improved or even cured by corticosteroids or immune globulin—therapies that modulate the immune system. But Oaklander cautioned physicians not to assume that such treatment would be appropriate for all cases of childhood pain, or even SFPN. “These are serious medications with serious side effects,” said Oaklander. “We’d like to encourage consideration and appropriate evaluation of the patients. We certainly don’t want the pendulum to swing the other way,” she said, and lead to random use of immunotherapy.
Oaklander says this report is by no means the final word on JOSeFiNE, but rather it offers a starting point to consider neuropathy in young people. “Once you’ve seen these cases are possible, it opens your eyes. And when you see [patients] improve with treatment, it makes a believer out of you, especially considering there are no competing theories or effective treatments,” she said. “Already, some physicians have become aware [of the work] and modified their practice accordingly” by considering the diagnosis of small-fiber polyneuropathy in their young patients, she said.
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Source: March 11, 2013 Pediatrics _______________________________________________
Article 4 of 4
Pediatrics 2013 April
Evidence of small-fiber polyneuropathy in unexplained,
juvenile-onset, widespread pain syndrome
Oaklander AL, Klein MM.
SourceDepartment of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 275 Charles St/Warren 310, Boston, MA 02114, USA. [email protected]
Abstract OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that acquired small-fiber polyneuropathy (SFPN), previously uncharacterized in children, contributes to unexplained pediatric widespread pain syndromes.
METHODS:Forty-one consecutive patients evaluated for unexplained widespread pain beginning before age 21 had medical records comprehensively analyzed regarding objective diagnostic testing for SFPN (neurodiagnostic skin biopsy, nerve biopsy, and autonomic function testing), plus histories, symptoms, signs, other tests, and treatments. Healthy, demographically matched volunteers provided normal controls for SFPN tests.
RESULTS:Age at illness onset averaged 12.3 ± 5.7 years; 73% among this poly-ethnic sample were female (P = .001). Sixty-eight percent were chronically disabled, and 68% had hospitalizations. Objective testing diagnosed definite SFPN in 59%, probable SFPN in 17%, and possible SFPN in 22%. Only 1 of 41 had entirely normal SFPN test results. Ninety-eight percent of patients had other somatic complaints consistent with SFPN dysautonomia (90% cardiovascular, 82% gastrointestinal, and 34% urologic), 83% reported chronic fatigue, and 63% had chronic headache. Neurologic examinations identified reduced sensation in 68% and vasomotor abnormalities in 55%, including 23% with erythromelalgia. Exhaustive investigations for SFPN causality identified only history of autoimmune illnesses in 33% and serologic markers of disordered immunity in 89%. Treatment with corticosteroids and/or intravenous immune globulin objectively and subjectively benefited 80% of patients (12/15).
CONCLUSIONS: More than half among a large series of patients with childhood-onset, unexplained chronic widespread pain met rigorous, multitest, diagnostic criteria for SFPN, which extends the age range of acquired SFPN into early childhood. Some cases appeared immune-mediated and improved with immunomodulatory therapies.
Source: Pediatrics
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Press Release by Kaiser Permanente August 1,2013
Children with Elevated Blood Pressure
Don't Get Recommended Follow-Up,
Few at Risk for Hypertension
Those who receive a high blood-pressure reading
should be rechecked at the same visit
DENVER, Aug. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Children who have a first elevated blood pressure at the doctor's office are not likely to receive the recommended follow-up blood-pressure readings within a month, according to a study published in Pediatrics. However, when the blood-pressure reading was later repeated, most children's blood pressure returned to normal for their age, sex and height.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130718/SF49717LOGO)
Authors of the study examined the electronic health records of 72,625 children and adolescents ages 3 to 17 over a three-year period at Kaiser Permanente in Colorado and Northern California, and HealthPartners of Minnesota who received blood-pressure checks as part of their routine clinical care. While 8.4 percent of children in the study had at least one visit with elevated blood pressure, only 20.9 percent of those children received another blood-pressure screening within a month. Of those with one elevated blood-pressure reading, only 1.4 percent went on to develop childhood hypertension, defined as three consecutive high blood-pressure readings on three separate days.
"Diagnosing hypertension during childhood is difficult because normal blood pressure for children changes as they age. It's fairly common for children to have a single elevated blood-pressure reading, but when their doctors repeat the test, it appears that most children won't actually have hypertension," said Matthew F. Daley, MD, a researcher at the Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado. "This tells us that parents should have their children's blood pressure checked and, if it's high, rechecked at the same visit."
The researchers also found that factors such as obesity (which is associated with hypertension) or stage 2 hypertension did not significantly affect whether children received follow-up blood-pressure checks within a month of a first elevated blood pressure.
Hypertension is a chronic medical condition characterized by elevated blood pressure in the circulatory system, which forces the heart to work harder than normal to circulate blood throughout the body. Children's blood pressure can be quite variable, and excitement and nervousness at the doctor's office can result in elevated blood-pressure readings for children, according to the authors, so children and adolescents are only diagnosed as hypertensive after three consecutive readings that are at or above the 95th percentile for their age, sex and height.
Screening for hypertension in children and adolescents who don't exhibit symptoms occurs during routine clinical care, but little is known about patterns of care after a first elevated blood pressure reading. Guidelines from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommend repeating the blood-pressure test one to two weeks after the first elevated blood pressure reading.
"High blood pressure during childhood can lead to high blood pressure in adulthood," said Dr. Daley. "And adult cardiovascular disease — including coronary artery disease and strokes — can have its origin in childhood, so diagnosing and controlling hypertension in children is important for their health later in life."
Kaiser Permanente can conduct transformational health research like this in part because it has the largest private patient-centered electronic health record system in the world. The organization's electronic health record system, Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect®, securely connects 9.1 million patients to 17,000 physicians in 611 medical offices and 37 hospitals. It also connects Kaiser Permanente's research scientists to one of the most extensive collections of longitudinal medical data available, facilitating studies and important medical discoveries that shape the future of health care delivery for patients and the medical community.
The findings are part of Kaiser Permanente's ongoing child health research. Earlier this year, Kaiser Permanente published a study linking childhood obesity with exposure to the chemical BPA. And in January, Kaiser Permanente published findings showing that high blood pressure in children is less common than previously thought.
The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health.
Other authors of the paper include: Alan R. Sinaiko, MD, University of Minnesota; Liza M. Reifler, MPH, Heather M. Tavel, BS, and Jason M. Glanz, PhD, Kaiser Permanente Colorado; Karen L. Margolis, MD, MPH, Emily Parker, PhD, and Nicole K. Trower, HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research; Malini Chandra, MS, MBA, Kaiser Permanente Northern California; Nancy E. Sherwood, PhD, Kenneth Adams, PhD, and Elyse O. Kharbanda, MD, MPH, HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research; Louise C. Greenspan, MD, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center; Joan C. Lo, MD, Kaiser Permanente Northern California; Patrick J. O'Connor, MD, MPH, HealthPartners Institute for Education and Research; David J. Magid, MD, MPH, Kaiser Permanente Colorado.
About the Kaiser Permanente Colorado Institute for Health Research:
The Kaiser Permanente Colorado Institute for Health Research (IHR) publishes and disseminates epidemiologic, behavioral, and health services research to improve the health and medical care of Kaiser Permanente members and the communities it serves. The organization has a specific focus on conducting research that can be translated into clinical practice, health promotion, and policies to influence the health of individuals and populations. Currently, the IHR's staff of over 120 is working on more than 160 epidemiological, clinical, behavioral, community, and health services research projects. Now in its 20th year of operation, the IHR is responsible for many landmark findings. Among the most notable are recent studies about vaccine safety and vaccine refusal, home blood pressure monitoring and research that identified life-saving practices for heart attack patients in the emergency room. Teams of investigators collaborate on major research projects with national partners including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccine Safety Datalink, the HMO Research Network, and the NIH Cardiovascular Research Network and the Cancer Research Network. Learn more at http://kpco-ihr.org.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 9.1 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health.
For more information, go to www.kp.org/newscenter
Source: Press Release by Kaiser Permanente,August 1, 2013
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STAF, Inc.'s Comment, Dr. Christian von Christophers, President STAF, Inc., -nfp-
The Nobel Peace Prize 2012 was given to European Union - an important decision - it definitely will help creating a stronger world peace.
Conceived in secret at a chateau near Brussels, what is now the European Union - EU, was created by the 1957 Treaty of Rome, signed with great fanfare in the Italian capital's 15th century Palazzo dei Conservatori. The six-state 'common market' it founded grew into the 27-nation European Union ranging from Ireland's Atlantic shores to the borders of Russia.
(Quote) The EU has transformed most of Europe "from a continent of wars to a continent of peace," Nobel Committee Chairman Thorbjoern Jagland said in announcing the award in Oslo. "The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to focus on what it sees as the EU's most important result:
(1) The successful struggle for peace and reconciliation and for democracy and human rights.
(2) The award served as a reminder that the EU had largely brought peace to a continent which tore itself apart in two world wars in which tens of millions died."
Jagland praised the EU for rebuilding Europe from the devastation of World War Two and for its role in spreading stability after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
(3) These facts will make other world leaders think and look deeper how we all are united in this world: peace, crime, corruption, religious intolerance, wars, terrorizing actions, killings, public health: obesity & and other serious challenges from a wrong lifestyle and harmful, processed, chemicalized foods, fast food (= bad food).
See at the end of this tab: video: World's smallest republic, Nauru; 100 % of the population (10,000) were in good health until minerals were found in their small island and the western businessmen invaded bringing the wrong, unhealthy, western "fast food = bad-food" industry introducing the unhealthy western lifestyle which now has made close to 100 % of Nauru's population sick with obesity related, KILLING sicknesses as is the situation in the developed, western-style eating countries, including in the U.S.
Study the article below - it is and will be historically an important chapter of human history
The Nobel Peace Prize 2012 was given to European Union - an important decision - it definitely will help creating a stronger world peace.
Conceived in secret at a chateau near Brussels, what is now the European Union - EU, was created by the 1957 Treaty of Rome, signed with great fanfare in the Italian capital's 15th century Palazzo dei Conservatori. The six-state 'common market' it founded grew into the 27-nation European Union ranging from Ireland's Atlantic shores to the borders of Russia.
(Quote) The EU has transformed most of Europe "from a continent of wars to a continent of peace," Nobel Committee Chairman Thorbjoern Jagland said in announcing the award in Oslo. "The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to focus on what it sees as the EU's most important result:
(1) The successful struggle for peace and reconciliation and for democracy and human rights.
(2) The award served as a reminder that the EU had largely brought peace to a continent which tore itself apart in two world wars in which tens of millions died."
Jagland praised the EU for rebuilding Europe from the devastation of World War Two and for its role in spreading stability after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
(3) These facts will make other world leaders think and look deeper how we all are united in this world: peace, crime, corruption, religious intolerance, wars, terrorizing actions, killings, public health: obesity & and other serious challenges from a wrong lifestyle and harmful, processed, chemicalized foods, fast food (= bad food).
See at the end of this tab: video: World's smallest republic, Nauru; 100 % of the population (10,000) were in good health until minerals were found in their small island and the western businessmen invaded bringing the wrong, unhealthy, western "fast food = bad-food" industry introducing the unhealthy western lifestyle which now has made close to 100 % of Nauru's population sick with obesity related, KILLING sicknesses as is the situation in the developed, western-style eating countries, including in the U.S.
Study the article below - it is and will be historically an important chapter of human history
Important for world peace
Nobel award "far-sighted"
(click the green title above for further info)
European Union wins Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel award "far-sighted" (click)
By Balazs Koranyi and Victoria Klesty | Reuters
This article is for your private use, only
- CLICK green for the Peace Picture
Enlarge PhotoReuters/Reuters - Reuters News Graphic illustrating the European Union winning the Nobel Peace prize, October 12, 2012. The European Union won the Nobel Peace Prize for its long-term role in uniting the continent, …more
Enlarge PhotoEuropean Commission President Jose …
Enlarge PhotoThe sculpture "Europe a Coeur" …
Article: Merkel says Nobel Prize a personal spur to action on Europe
Article: Eurosceptic Norway questions its Peace Prize choice
Article: Germany's Kohl calls Nobel award "far-sighted"
Article: Crisis-hit Europeans see cruel joke in EU Nobel
The European Union won the Nobel Peace Prize
OSLO (Reuters) - On Friday, 12/10/12, for promoting peace, democracy and human rights over six decades in an award seen as a morale boost as the bloc struggles to resolve its economic crisis.
The award served as a reminder that the EU had largely brought peace to a continent which tore itself apart in two world wars in which tens of millions died.
The EU has transformed most of Europe "from a continent of wars to a continent of peace," Nobel Committee Chairman Thorbjoern Jagland said in announcing the award in Oslo.
"The EU is currently undergoing grave economic difficulties and considerable social unrest," Jagland said. "The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to focus on what it sees as the EU's most important result: the successful struggle for peace and reconciliation and for democracy and human rights."
Jagland praised the EU for rebuilding Europe from the devastation of World War Two and for its role in spreading stability after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
While welcomed by European leaders, the award will have little practical effect on the debt crisis afflicting the single currency zone, which has brought economic instability and social unrest to several states with rioting in Athens and Madrid.
On the streets of the Greek capital, where demonstrators have burned Nazi flags to protest against German demands for austerity, the award was greeted with disbelief.
"Is this a joke?" asked Chrisoula Panagiotidi, 36, a beautician who lost her job three days ago. "It's the last thing I would expect. It mocks us and what we are going through right now. All it will do is infuriate people here."
The prize, worth $1.2 million, will be presented in Oslo on December 10. It was not immediately clear who from the EU would be there to collect the cheque and what it would be spent on.
CONCEIVED IN SECRET
Conceived in secret at a chateau near Brussels, what is now the European Union was created by the 1957 Treaty of Rome, signed with great fanfare in the Italian capital's 15th century Palazzo dei Conservatori.
The six-state 'common market' it founded grew into the 27-nation European Union ranging from Ireland's Atlantic shores to the borders of Russia.
At the time the Cold War was in full swing after Soviet tanks put down an anti-communist rebellion in Budapest. Western countries led by the United States had formed NATO and the Kremlin responded with the Warsaw Pact.
But the EU is now mired in crisis with enormous strains between capitals over the euro, the common currency shared by 17 nations and created to further economic and monetary union.
Politicians in Germany, one of the main forces behind the foundation of the EU, were delighted with the award.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Europe's most powerful leader, said it was a "wonderful decision". French President Francois Hollande, whose country has with Germany formed the EU's main axis of power, said it was an "immense honor".
Helmut Kohl, the chancellor who reunified Germany and pushed the country into the euro, said: "The Nobel Peace Prize for the EU is above all a confirmation of the European peace project,"
After centuries of war on the continent the EU has been at peace within its borders, but its effort to stop war in former Yugoslavia -- an initiative hailed by one minister as "the hour of Europe" -- was a failure.
The British government, less committed to the European ideal than other EU members, made no comment on the prize. Ed Balls, a senior member of the opposition Labour Party, remarked sarcastically: "They'll be cheering in Athens tonight, won't they?"
Nigel Farage, leader of Britain's fiercely eurosceptic UKIP party, added: "This goes to show that the Norwegians really do have a sense of humor."
"I FIND THIS ABSURD"
In Madrid, Francisco Gonzalez expressed bafflement. "I don't see the logic in the EU getting this prize right now. They can't even agree among themselves," the 62-year-old businessman said.
In Berlin, public relations worker Astrid Meinicke, 46, was also skeptical. "I find it curious. I think the EU could have engaged itself a bit better, especially in Syria," she said, near the city's historic Brandenburg Gate.
In the home of the peace prize, many Norwegians are bitterly opposed to the EU, seeing it as a threat to the sovereignty of nation states. "I find this absurd," the leader of Norway's anti-EU membership organization Heming Olaussen told state broadcaster NRK.
Norway has twice voted "no" to joining the EU, in 1972 and 1994. The country has prospered outside the bloc, partly thanks to huge oil and gas resources.
Among those tipped to win was Russia's small Ekho Moskvy radio, a frequent critic of the Kremlin. Editor in chief Alexei Venediktov conceded the prize to a worthy winner.
"We are only 115. They are 500 million. It is an honor (to lose to the EU)," he told Reuters.
(Reporting by Alister Doyle, Terje Solsvik and Reuters European bureaux; Writing by Giles Elgood; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Source: Yahoo News, Reuters
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Are There Any Europeans Left?
Date: March 2013
An essay
SO Greece didn’t collapse, and Europe began breathing easier. But not for long. Italy’s rebellious voters, who opted for a flamboyant billionaire and a clown, reminded us last week how deeply in crisis the Continent is. Meanwhile, France is going it virtually alone in Mali, and Britain talks openly of jumping the European ship altogether. This is a crisis not just of Europe’s currency, but of its soul.
If there ever was an emerging vision of a united Europe, it is falling apart for lack of support from its various peoples. Each has its own resentments or suspicions of its partners. But all suffer the same lack: very few of their citizens think of themselves first as Europeans.
Oddly enough, it turns out, back in the late 20th century, the leaders and institutions of the Old Continent never understood that to build a common Europe, they needed to find, or cultivate, Europeans with a Continental spirit, to give the project a federating mortar.
How could this be? The history of Europe’s past half-century is usually depicted as step after step toward a common future. But maybe, to understand where we are now, the story should start earlier — not with the coalescing of France and Germany in the 1960s but with the model of Europe in the decade before the calamity of 1914.
In important ways, the Europe of 1913 was more cosmopolitan and European than the Europe of today. Ideas and nationalities mingled and converged in a hotbed of creativity. That year saw the height of Futurism, the beginnings of abstraction in Picasso and Braque, the debut of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” the publication of “Swann’s Way” by Proust. Collaborations to uncover science’s deepest secrets jumped borders easily. The architecture of imperial Austria and republican France found imitators in smaller gems of cities throughout Central and Southern Europe; they were called Little Vienna or Little Paris.
And there were large communities of cosmopolitan expatriates — “passeurs” between cultures, notably urbanized Jews, as well as German minorities, scattered throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Though prejudice ran deep and they were harshly mistreated in many places, in others they could identify as citizens of a broader European group, not merely the land they inhabited, and aspire to respect and comfort.
Later, at the hands of totalitarians, most of the Jews would be slaughtered, and the Germans — like other groups — deported to their country of origin. Alongside their greater crimes, Hitler and Stalin thus did their parts to erase the idea of cosmopolitanism as the old Europe had understood it.
Which makes the usual starting point of the modern European narrative — the rubble of 1945 — all the more poignant. An overwhelming imperative to rebuild, augmented by the cold war, united Western Europe and pushed West Germany center stage. Europeans prospered in an increasingly common market. But the unifying element was not optimism as much as dread — fear of another war among themselves or of Soviet expansion was what spurred West Europeans to bridge differences if they developed.
After the Berlin Wall fell, Western Europe expanded east and seemed to be serenely approaching the End of History — peace, prosperity, social security, democracy, with a unifying token, the euro, from Helsinki, Finland, to Seville, Spain. For its more than 400 million people, Europe became a theme park, museum, supermarket — the EasyJet continent: efficient, fast, open to all at little cost.
But now Europe asks for sacrifices and solidarity, and it finds itself on the decline. Everywhere, populists and nationalists gain. Managing austerity, fighting debt — this, it turns out, is no way to unite Europe.
Perhaps Europe’s leaders should have been more alarmed when enthusiasm for unity began fraying even before the crisis. In 2005, French and Dutch voters blocked progress toward a European constitution. Meanwhile, the newly free countries of Central and Eastern Europe — Milan Kundera’s “kidnapped West,” disfigured by 45 years of Soviet occupation — hadn’t so much re-Europanized their economies as globalized them. The same is true of Europe’s rising generation; it knows the pleasures of a modern economy. But those are available globally to anyone with their level of wealth and privilege. Apart from that euro in their pockets, Europe’s young people do not feel Europe’s presence on a daily basis.
Leaders of opinion, commerce and government generally agree that the Continent could benefit from greater political unity, since globalization favors continental blocs. But the nations and peoples of Europe would have to give up great areas of sovereignty, and nothing has prepared them for this. At the rate things are going, if Europeans are asked to push for unity, they will refuse.
For that reason, Europe must find a new idea, a new vision, a mortar for the future. Familiar lofty principles will not be enough. The rights of man, pluralism, freedom of thought, free-market social democracy — all are in the nations’ constitutions; citizens don’t need the European Union to supply them.
How, then, to establish emotional ties to Europe?
Perhaps the answer is to conceive of a Europe in the flesh, with colors, smells, folklore, poetic force. And variety. The goal is not one formed on familiar principles — common language or history or bloodlines — but the very opposite: a supranational, fundamentally Continental cultural understanding and reference point. Mr. Kundera talks of Europe’s “maximum diversity in minimum space” — a notion perhaps as powerful as “liberté, egalité, fraternité,” or “all men are created equal.”
Such a foundational ideal is the sine qua non of Continental political unity. A European culture at large would allow for ties that no longer exist but used to, when the passeurs and the Little Viennas and the flow of brilliance across borders conveyed what it meant to consider oneself a European.
It could be achieved through a European civic curriculum in every school; through emphasis on mastering other languages; through increasing exchange programs (across ages and classes); through improving mobility; through unifying European health and retirement systems; through electing European representatives directly responsible to their constituents; through more equal treatment of guest workers and immigrants.
Now there’s food for thought. François Hollande, Angela Merkel and especially David Cameron: remember the passeurs! Encourage the creation of a single European public and cultural space. Give us a vision for the peoples of Europe: make them dream of being one people, and leave your ambiguities behind. If you sincerely aspire to a political Europe, then take up the responsibility with courage and a vision that goes beyond the next elections and the next economic bump in the road.
Promote the Continent’s spiritual unity, organized around its diversity.
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Source: NYT
Olivier Guez is a contributor to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the author of a book about Jews in Germany since 1945. This essay was translated by Edward Gauvin from the French.
_____________________________________________________________
Here is the opposite to the article EU as the human rights defender
The article below is a good example
of a modern-day suppressor of all human rights
This article below about the Russian despot, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, ignoring all human rights in Russia,
was published on the internet for the worldwide view just 2 days apart
from the date when the European Union was awarded the Nobel Peace Price
Foreword to the article below
The foreword text written by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.,
The CEO of Save The American Family, STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
STAF, Inc. handles all life matters in the USA and worldwide in any country
___________
In Russia 2012
Pussy Riot members face tough life in penal colony
This article is an example of the governments in which a single entity rules with absolute power
This article is a good example for such a ruler
This is about the Russian Dictator & Despot, Mr. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, and how he handles the opposition:
send them to a fully corrupted court (doing what the despot tells to the court to decide), sentence them to prison, re-try and send back to the prison again, and again. Russian's richest man wanted to challenge Putin's wrongful, despotic power and: landed in prison again and again. Is he ever going to be free?
The chances are: never, until the Russian people take real actions for a new revolution and execute Mr. Putin as he does or at least send him to the work colonies for the rest of his life - and let the Russians come to look at him in work and whipped as Mr. Putin has treated his opponents.
Long live the freedom and the human rights!
Kick out the despots, the tyrants, the absolute rulers who govern without restrictions,
rulers who exercise power in a harsh, cruel manner, the abusive, murder-committing country leaders.
Create a real, open democracy and live happily ever-after.
____________________________________________________________
In Russia 2012
Pussy Riot members face tough life in penal colony
By MAX SEDDON | Associated Press, October 2012
- Enlarge Photo Click the green to enlarge photo
- Associated Press/Yuri Tutov - In this photo taken Aug. 22, 2012 imprisoned women stand during a morning inspection at a women's prison in a town of Sarapul, central Russia. Two members of the punk band Pussy …mor
- RELATED CONTENT
- Enlarge Photo In this photo taken Nov. 30, 2011, … Click the green to enlarge another photo
Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova will have to quickly learn the inner laws of prison life, survive the dire food and medical care, and risk bullying from inmates either offended by their "punk prayer" against President Vladimir Putin or under orders to pressure them.
"Everyone knows the rule: Trust no one, never fear and never forgive," said Svetlana Bakhmina, a lawyer who spent three years in a penal colony. "You are in no-man's land. Nobody will help you. You have to think about everything you say and do to remain a person."
Alekhina, 24, Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred for an impromptu performance in Moscow's main cathedral as Putin headed into an election that handed him a third term as Russia's president. The women insisted their protest was political. But many believers said they were deeply offended by the sight of the band members dancing on the altar in balaclavas.
An appeals court released Samutsevich on Wednesday, but upheld the two-year prison terms of the others. The presiding judge said that "their correction is possible only in isolation from society."
In colonies for women, inmates live in barracks with 30 to 40 to a room. They begin the day by shuffling outside for compulsory exercises at daybreak, in temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius in winter. After roll call and a breakfast of gruel, they spend seven to eight hours a day at work, usually hunched over sewing machines working on uniforms and other clothing.
Since there is only one women's penal colony near Moscow, female prisoners from the capital are commonly sent to Mordovia, a swampy, mosquito-infested province on the Volga River. Defense lawyers said Alekhina and Tolokonnikova would be transported to a penal colony within two weeks, after receiving copies of their sentences. The location was not yet known.
Despite the harsh conditions, many prisoners nonetheless prefer the colonies to the pre-trial detention centers, where they are kept in cramped, sometimes spectacularly unhygienic cells and only allowed out for an hour a day. The three Pussy Riot members were held in such a center since their February arrest.
Russian inmates are kept in a system that Russia's own justice minister has described as "monstrously archaic" and whose purpose has changed little for hundreds of years. Czarist Russia sent prisoners to remote Siberian colonies where labor was in short supply; the system was inherited and expanded by the Soviet Union, which worked millions of prisoners to death in the gulag. Russia incarcerates more people than any country in the world bar the United States and China, according to the International Centre for Prison Studies.
There have been other high-profile penal colony inmates in Putin's Russia.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the imprisoned head of the Yukos oil company, served part of his 14-year sentence in an Eastern Siberian colony. Once Russia's richest man, he served his time making mittens. Arrested in 2003, Khodorkovsky was convicted in two cases seen as punishment for challenging Putin's power.
Bakhmina, who once worked for Khodorkovsky, said you have little free time to yourself in the prison colony, where guards often compel prisoners to attend classes or participate in cultural activities. In a U.S. diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks in 2010, former Ambassador William Burns recalled visiting a women's prison where inmates put on a "bizarre fashion and talent show" for American officials.
"Boredom doesn't exist in the colony. It's too good a concept for it. You just regret the time you spend," Bakhmina said. "A normal person can't even imagine that environment — you have to get used to it and people have to get used to you. It takes several months, maybe half a year. It's all about how you behave — you have to not be conceited and respect other people."
Prisoners are typically paid the equivalent of about $10 a day, which they can use to buy food, cigarettes, and toiletries. Those whose families don't send them supplies scrape through on the unofficial labor market, cleaning up the facilities or doing work for wealthier inmates. Cigarette packs are the colony's internal currency.
Alekhina and Tolokonnikova, both university graduates, are unlikely to have much in common with their fellow inmates. "I didn't think there even were people like 90 percent of the people I met," Bakhmina recalled. "I never had any idea there were so many drug addicts, or so many people with speech impediments."
Spouses are allowed three-day conjugal visits four times a year. Prisoners who show especially good behavior can even be given two weeks' leave outside the camp. Bakhmina became pregnant while serving her term and was released several months after giving birth to a daughter. She saw her two older sons only twice during her three years in the penal colony, afraid it would be too traumatic for them to see their mother imprisoned.
Mothers with children under the age of 3 can keep them in centers on penal colony grounds, or in the case of one colony in Mordovia in their barracks. Alekhina's 5-year-old son and Tolokonnikova's 4-year-old daughter will live with relatives.
The two punk band members can be punished with up to 15 days in solitary confinement for minor infractions such as failing to make their beds or to put their hands behind their backs at roll call or to greet guards quickly enough.
Perhaps the greatest danger for the band members, however, will be posed by their fellow inmates. Physical violence, while a danger, is relatively rare in comparison to men's colonies. But the psychological pressure can be greater, said Vitaly Borshchyov, head of the Public Monitoring Commission, a human rights organization that works with the government to improve prison conditions.
"Colonies are all-consuming for women," he said. "Having a large group of women together in a single space is a recipe for tension and conflicts. You might get beaten up, sexually humiliated or forced to be someone's lover, especially if you're a young woman."
The Pussy Riot members' lawyers and supporters also fear that Orthodox believers may attack them, either inspired by the extremely negative coverage of their protest on state television or egged on by state officials.
"When things get worse on the outside, it gets transferred into the colonies," said Lev Ponomarev, a Soviet dissident who runs the Defending Prisoners' Rights foundation. "Scoundrels think they can get away with more. The authorities are totally indifferent."
The band members have vowed to remain defiant.
"We will not be silent," Alekhina told the appeals court Wednesday. "And even if we are in Mordovia or Siberia we will not be silent ... however zealously you try to smear us.
Source: Yahoo News
This article is for your private use, only.
The statement below is the opinion of Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -nfp-, statement by Dr. Chistian von Christophers, Ph.D., STAF, Inc. CEO
The above article shows and describes the Russian penalty colony conditions commonly used by the Putin Administrator to get rid of people challenging Putin's despotic power.
The Russian situation under Putin is a good example of dishonesty and abuse of power, destroying the individuals who dare raising their voice against the Dictator Putin.
(1) Study the above article - a good example of a bad government ignoring all human rights.
It's worth of your time assuming our human rights are close to your heart.
(2) Study the article just below: Mr. Putin's personal answers to the above article
____________________________________________________________
Here Mr. Putin's, called by STAF, Inc. 'a dictator', answer to the above article info
Please: study - beneficial details for everyone interested in world events
Pussy Riot got what they deserved: Putin
NOVO OGARYOVO, Russia (Reuters) - 10/25/12
Click green for further info
For pictures click green: Enlarge Gallery LEFT TO RIGHT Feminist punk group Pussy Riot members, from left,
Yekaterina Samutsevich, Maria Alekhina, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova sit in a glass cage at a court room in Moscow, October 10, 2012
_______
President Vladimir Putin flatly rejected Western criticism of the imprisonment of the Pussy Riot punk protest band, saying its three female members deserved their fate because they threatened the moral foundations of Russia.
During a two-hour dinner conversation with a group of foreign Russia experts, Putin spent most of his time carefully explaining how his country was trying to improve the business climate and diversify the economy away from its heavy dependence on oil and gas by promoting high-tech industries.
The Kremlin chief said he had "mixed feelings" about a $55 billion state-sponsored takeover of the country's number three private oil producer TNK-BP last week because it increased state-controlled Rosneft's domination of the energy sector.
But Putin said he acted to help BP and put an end to "fistfights" between the British oil major and its four Soviet-born oligarch partners. "We tried not to get involved, but when BP managers came to me and the government and said we want to cooperate with Rosneft, we could not say no," said Putin. Rosneft is run by a longtime close Putin ally, Igor Sechin, and the deal will give BP a stake of nearly 20 percent.
Putin said he was implementing new laws and reforming the courts to reach a target of moving Russia up from its 112th place in the annual World Bank rankings for ease of doing business - below Pakistan - to a top 20 place by 2018.
PUSSY RIOT
But the president, now in his 13th year running Russia, became animated only when asked about Pussy Riot during the seven-course meal with the Valdai Club of foreign journalists and academics at his Stalin-era residence in a wooded compound outside Moscow.
The Valdai members were kept waiting in a separate room for an hour and a half for the meeting, while Putin met a group of factory workers and teachers from the Volga region to discuss religious cults.
Two young women from Pussy Riot received two-year prison sentences for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after performing a crude anti-Putin protest song in Moscow's main cathedral. A third band member was released on a suspended sentence.
At Thursday's dinner Putin raised his voice, looked straight at the questioner and asked why Westerners who criticized Russia for sending two of the young women to labor camps far from Moscow had not come out in support of a jailed American who made an anti-Muslim hate film.
"Do you want to support people with such views? If you do, then why do you not support the guy who is sitting in prison for the film about the Muslims?" the president shot back.
This was an apparent reference to "The Innocence of Muslims", a crude hate video that triggered violent protests across the Islamic world when it was aired on the Internet.
An actress in the film has identified an Egyptian-born Californian, Mark Basseley Youssef, as its author. Youssef is currently detained on suspicion of violating his probation terms for a bank fraud conviction.
"We have red lines beyond which starts the destruction of the moral foundations of our society," Putin went on. "If people cross this line they should be made responsible in line with the law." He described Pussy Riot's protest as "an act of group sex aimed at hurting religious feelings".
CLAMPDOWN ON DISSENT
Putin's comments came amid a wider clampdown on dissent in Russia, which has included arrests of opposition leaders on criminal charges and tighter controls on media.
This has led to fears that the political system, which is highly centralized under the Kremlin, is becoming increasingly ossified and intolerant.
Putin deflected a question about the possible stagnation of the system by saying Russia was re-introducing direct elections for state governors, making it easier for political parties to register and allowing citizens to petition the state Duma (parliament) directly with proposals.
Many of the same faces who worked with Putin when he was deputy mayor of St Petersburg in the early 1990s are still in senior positions in Moscow in the government and in state companies.
But Putin said around two-thirds of the members of the government had been changed when he returned to the Kremlin earlier this year, swapping places with his protégé Dmitry Medvedev, who is now prime minister.
"I prefer to choose qualified, experienced people who have proved they can do well," the president explained. He rejected suggestions that there were any disputes inside the government in the wake of the departure just over a year ago of long-time Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin.
TRADE GOALS
Putin insisted that Russia would continue to give a high priority to growing its trade with its top business partner China, aiming to boost bilateral business to $100 billion a year from current levels of $83.5 billion.
Beijing and Moscow were also keen to do as much trade as possible in their national currencies, he said, noting that the rouble was fully convertible and that it was a "matter of time" until the yuan was, too.
By contrast, he berated the European Union for its "ridiculous" slowness in agreeing a visa-free regime for Russia and attacked Brussels for not taking him up on an offer of cooperation on a new satellite navigation system between the European Galileo system and Russia's GLONASS project.
"The EU has a visa-free regime with certain Latin American countries, and I don't think their crime levels are any less than ours," he said. "I don't understand this approach."
Putin also had a ready answer for a questioner who enquired how he would stop an exodus of talented, qualified young people to the West. It was entirely normal, he said, for young people to study and work in other countries where there was more money or a good education on offer.
And what would the president want historians to highlight as the greatest achievement of his third term in the Kremlin?
"You know, I am never guided by a possible assessment of my work," Putin said, before highlighting how the economy had doubled in size under his stewardship, average incomes had soared, gold reserves were the world's fourth biggest, the birth rate had increased - all what he termed "modest, positive changes ... but not enough".
"We need to create a democratic, effective system of governance so that people feel they are participating," he said. "We need to create an effective economy which is looking forward and to guarantee the country's security. I am sure we are capable of solving all these problems."
EXPLORE RELATED CONTENT 1 - 4 of 20
Please: study - beneficial details for everyone interested in world events
Pussy Riot got what they deserved: Putin
NOVO OGARYOVO, Russia (Reuters) - 10/25/12
Click green for further info
For pictures click green: Enlarge Gallery LEFT TO RIGHT Feminist punk group Pussy Riot members, from left,
Yekaterina Samutsevich, Maria Alekhina, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova sit in a glass cage at a court room in Moscow, October 10, 2012
_______
President Vladimir Putin flatly rejected Western criticism of the imprisonment of the Pussy Riot punk protest band, saying its three female members deserved their fate because they threatened the moral foundations of Russia.
During a two-hour dinner conversation with a group of foreign Russia experts, Putin spent most of his time carefully explaining how his country was trying to improve the business climate and diversify the economy away from its heavy dependence on oil and gas by promoting high-tech industries.
The Kremlin chief said he had "mixed feelings" about a $55 billion state-sponsored takeover of the country's number three private oil producer TNK-BP last week because it increased state-controlled Rosneft's domination of the energy sector.
But Putin said he acted to help BP and put an end to "fistfights" between the British oil major and its four Soviet-born oligarch partners. "We tried not to get involved, but when BP managers came to me and the government and said we want to cooperate with Rosneft, we could not say no," said Putin. Rosneft is run by a longtime close Putin ally, Igor Sechin, and the deal will give BP a stake of nearly 20 percent.
Putin said he was implementing new laws and reforming the courts to reach a target of moving Russia up from its 112th place in the annual World Bank rankings for ease of doing business - below Pakistan - to a top 20 place by 2018.
PUSSY RIOT
But the president, now in his 13th year running Russia, became animated only when asked about Pussy Riot during the seven-course meal with the Valdai Club of foreign journalists and academics at his Stalin-era residence in a wooded compound outside Moscow.
The Valdai members were kept waiting in a separate room for an hour and a half for the meeting, while Putin met a group of factory workers and teachers from the Volga region to discuss religious cults.
Two young women from Pussy Riot received two-year prison sentences for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after performing a crude anti-Putin protest song in Moscow's main cathedral. A third band member was released on a suspended sentence.
At Thursday's dinner Putin raised his voice, looked straight at the questioner and asked why Westerners who criticized Russia for sending two of the young women to labor camps far from Moscow had not come out in support of a jailed American who made an anti-Muslim hate film.
"Do you want to support people with such views? If you do, then why do you not support the guy who is sitting in prison for the film about the Muslims?" the president shot back.
This was an apparent reference to "The Innocence of Muslims", a crude hate video that triggered violent protests across the Islamic world when it was aired on the Internet.
An actress in the film has identified an Egyptian-born Californian, Mark Basseley Youssef, as its author. Youssef is currently detained on suspicion of violating his probation terms for a bank fraud conviction.
"We have red lines beyond which starts the destruction of the moral foundations of our society," Putin went on. "If people cross this line they should be made responsible in line with the law." He described Pussy Riot's protest as "an act of group sex aimed at hurting religious feelings".
CLAMPDOWN ON DISSENT
Putin's comments came amid a wider clampdown on dissent in Russia, which has included arrests of opposition leaders on criminal charges and tighter controls on media.
This has led to fears that the political system, which is highly centralized under the Kremlin, is becoming increasingly ossified and intolerant.
Putin deflected a question about the possible stagnation of the system by saying Russia was re-introducing direct elections for state governors, making it easier for political parties to register and allowing citizens to petition the state Duma (parliament) directly with proposals.
Many of the same faces who worked with Putin when he was deputy mayor of St Petersburg in the early 1990s are still in senior positions in Moscow in the government and in state companies.
But Putin said around two-thirds of the members of the government had been changed when he returned to the Kremlin earlier this year, swapping places with his protégé Dmitry Medvedev, who is now prime minister.
"I prefer to choose qualified, experienced people who have proved they can do well," the president explained. He rejected suggestions that there were any disputes inside the government in the wake of the departure just over a year ago of long-time Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin.
TRADE GOALS
Putin insisted that Russia would continue to give a high priority to growing its trade with its top business partner China, aiming to boost bilateral business to $100 billion a year from current levels of $83.5 billion.
Beijing and Moscow were also keen to do as much trade as possible in their national currencies, he said, noting that the rouble was fully convertible and that it was a "matter of time" until the yuan was, too.
By contrast, he berated the European Union for its "ridiculous" slowness in agreeing a visa-free regime for Russia and attacked Brussels for not taking him up on an offer of cooperation on a new satellite navigation system between the European Galileo system and Russia's GLONASS project.
"The EU has a visa-free regime with certain Latin American countries, and I don't think their crime levels are any less than ours," he said. "I don't understand this approach."
Putin also had a ready answer for a questioner who enquired how he would stop an exodus of talented, qualified young people to the West. It was entirely normal, he said, for young people to study and work in other countries where there was more money or a good education on offer.
And what would the president want historians to highlight as the greatest achievement of his third term in the Kremlin?
"You know, I am never guided by a possible assessment of my work," Putin said, before highlighting how the economy had doubled in size under his stewardship, average incomes had soared, gold reserves were the world's fourth biggest, the birth rate had increased - all what he termed "modest, positive changes ... but not enough".
"We need to create a democratic, effective system of governance so that people feel they are participating," he said. "We need to create an effective economy which is looking forward and to guarantee the country's security. I am sure we are capable of solving all these problems."
EXPLORE RELATED CONTENT 1 - 4 of 20
- Play Video Moscow court frees 1 of 3 Pussy Riot …
Associated Press Videos - Russia's President Putin chairs a session …
- Moscow court to consider Pussy Riot's …
MOSCOW - Three members of the punk band Pussy Riot are set to make their case before a Russian appeals … Full Story »Moscow court to consider Pussy Riot's appeal of 2-year prison sentences for anti-Putin protest
Associated Press - Play VideoProtest on Putin's birthday
Reuters Videos - MORE BUSINESS NEWS Click green for further info -- This article is for your private use, only ________________________________________________________________________________
(click) Roth and Shapley win 2012 economics Nobel
The two U.S. economists researched how to match different economic agents
such as students for schools or even organ donors with patients
Match-making science wins 2012 economics Nobel
for two Americans
Click green for further info
STOCKHOLM (Reuters), 10/15/12 - U.S. economists Alvin Roth and Lloyd Shapley won the 2012 Nobel prize for economics on Monday for research on how to match different economic agents such as students for schools or even organ donors with patients.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which made the award, said the 8 million crown ($1.2 million) prize recognized "the theory of stable allocations and the practice of market design".
The award citation said Shapley had used game theory to study and compare various matching methods and how to make sure the matches were acceptable to all counterparts, including the creation of a special algorithm.
Roth followed up on Shapley's results in a series of empirical studies and helped redesign existing institutions so that new doctors could be matched with hospitals, students with schools or patients with organ donors.
"This year's prize is awarded for an outstanding example of economic engineering," the committee added.
The economics prize, officially called the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, was established in 1968. It was not part of the original group of awards set out in dynamite tycoon Nobel's 1895 will.
Source: Yahoo News
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This article is for your private use, only
_____________________________________________________________
Article 1 of 3 Articles 2 & 3/3 next below
NRDC = Natural Resources Defense Council - Report of food waste in America
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS: MEDIA CENTER Main page | Archive
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contact: Jackie Wei, [email protected], 212-727-4569 or cell: 347-874-8305
If you are not a member of the press, please write to us at [email protected] or see our contact page
Date: August 21, 2012
New Report: America Trashes
Forty Percent of Food Supply
As Food Prices Rise,
NRDC (= Natural Resources Defense Council)
offers Tips to Cut Food Waste from Farm to Table
Click green for further info
NEW YORK (August 21, 2012) – Americans are throwing away 40 percent of food in the U.S., the equivalent of $165 billion in uneaten food each year, according to a new analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council. In a time of drought and skyrocketing food prices, NRDC outlines opportunities to reduce wasted food and money on the farm, in the grocery store and at home.
“As a country, we’re essentially tossing every other piece of food that crosses our path – that’s money and precious resources down the drain,” said Dana Gunders, NRDC project scientist with the food and agriculture program. “With the price of food continuing to grow, and drought jeopardizing farmers nationwide, now is the time to embrace all the tremendous untapped opportunities to get more out of our food system. We can do better.”
NRDC’s issue brief – Wasted: How America is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm To Fork to Landfill – analyzes the latest case studies and government data on the causes and extent of food losses at every level of the U.S. food supply chain. It also provides examples and recommendations for reducing this waste. Key findings include:
But consumers are also a major contributor to the problem, with the majority of food losses occurring in restaurants and household kitchens. A significant reason for this is large portions, as well as uneaten leftovers. Today, portion sizes are two to eight times larger than the government’s standard serving sizes.
Wasted food also translates into wasted natural resources, because of the energy, water and farmland necessary to grow, transport, and store food. About half of all land in the U.S. goes to agriculture; some 25 percent of all the freshwater consumed in this country, along with 4 percent of the oil, goes into producing food that is never eaten. Moreover, uneaten food accounts for 23 percent of all methane emissions in the U.S. - a potent climate change pollutant.
Increasing the efficiency of our food system is a triple-bottom-line solution that requires collaborative efforts by businesses, governments and consumers. Specifically:
“No matter how sustainably our food is farmed, if it’s not being eaten, it is not a good use of resources,” said Gunders. “Fortunately, there are ways to tackle the food waste problem, and everyone can play a role.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.4 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.
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Source: The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Articles 2 & 3/3 next below
_______________________________________
Article 2 of 3 Article 1 of 3 next above
Freezer Fundamentals
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According to a recent study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (article 1 of 3 above) , food waste costs the average American family $2,275 per year. Where's that money--and food--going?
In the trash. One simple way to help save money and food is to utilize your freezer.
This article explains the fundamentals of how to best preserve your food in the freezer.
Stock up on freezer bags, freezer-safe containers, aluminum foil or parchment paper,masking tape, and a sharpie pen. Choose freezer bags that have a label on them so you can easily mark your food. You'll use the foil or parchment paper to protect your solid foods. As for masking tape, you'll use it to label your containers. Masking tape can withstand cold temperatures and won't peel off with moisture.
Use freezer bags for anything liquid, such as stock and soups. Make sure the liquid is cold before you put it in the freezer bag, and the freeze the liquid flat so that it can be easily stacked. When you want to defrost it, just throw a bag into the refrigerator, come back to it, heat it up and you've got dinner."
Freeze fruit individually. If you buy a lot of berries in the middle of the season, get a good rimmed baking sheet, line it with that aluminum foil or parchment paper, and spread out the fruit. Once it's frozen through, toss the fruit into a freezable container and it's ready for use whenever you need it. For items like leftover tomato paste or chipotle paste, put tablespoon portions out on the rimmed baking sheet, and freeze them through.
Make use of ice cube trays! If you're not using your ice cube trays for water, use them to freeze things like pestos or pureed herbs. You can just drop them in the bottom of the tray, fill them with water and you have herb ice cubes that you can use in things like stocks and stews.
Avoid freezer burn. One of the easiest ways to do that is to make sure you're always freezing foods that are cooled down and not hot. Whenever you're freezing something in a plastic container or freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as possible so that there's no air, which encourages freezer burn. If you have something that's going to be marinated, such as chicken teriyaki, put it in the bag and freeze it right in the marinade. That way it freezes and marinates, and it's ready to go as soon as you defrost it.
Date your freezer packages. Identify what you're freezing and include its expiration date, not the date you put it in the freezer.
Organize your food in the freezer. Once you've prepared your food for the freezer, you'll need to make sure you arrange your food in the proper order. First, remember to pack your freezer as full as possible because this helps the freezer operate at its top efficiency and stay its coldest. Also? Make sure your freezer is set to the proper temperature. Food safety experts recommend that you set your freezer at zero degrees to maintain the quality of the food you are storing.
Fastest Way to Chill a Drink
Fridge
Depending on the starting temperature, cooling drinks in the fridge takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. Not nearly fast enough when you're parched.
Freezer
To speed the process, you can wrap a wet paper towel around them and stick them in the freezer. That's faster — like 20 minutes. And the physics of the wet paper towel is pretty interesting. It works the same way that perspiration cools you down: evaporation draws the heat away from your skin — or away from your drinks. Just don't let your drinks freeze all the way.
But IF 20 minutes is still too long- then:
Ice water
Putting your drinks in a bath of ice water chills them even faster than a freezer. Why? Because water conducts heat more easily than air. Compare sitting around in a 68-degree room to sitting around in a 68-degree tub and you'll quickly see what I mean.
To make sure, I started with cans of soda that had been sitting outside — about 78 degrees. After eight minutes in an ice bath, they got down to 50°F. That's way better than the fridge or freezer, but 50 degrees is still a bit too warm to be refreshing.
The Solution
Putting salt in the ice water can chill your drinks even faster. Why would this work? Salt water has a lower freezing point than fresh water (which is why salt is often put on roads to prevent icy conditions), and adding salt to a bowl of ice water actually decreases the temperature of the water.
Still, I had to put this to the test. Sure enough, after 8 minutes in salted ice water, the drinks dropped to 44°F. Ah, nice!
Comment from the public:
Liquid nitrogen does a nifty job of chilling drinks too. 5 seconds to 32 degrees.
nifty = good, skillful, or effective
Source: Home cooking & USDA
__________________________________________
Article 3 of 3 Articles 1 - 2/3 next above
6 myths about freezing food
Last week I went to town (slang: = to engage in an activity with excessive energy or excitement) on my freezer, throwing out all kinds of frozen packages from vegetables to meat to leftovers. I filled my 13-gallon trash can, then promptly walked it out to the dumpster for collection. I felt incredibly guilty about how much food I was tossing, but some of it looked more like a science experiment than something I would actually eat. I vowed to take better inventory of the stuff I store in my freezer, but I couldn't shake the guilty feeling of being so wasteful. Was it really necessary to throw all that food away? So I looked into the facts about freezing foods and found some surprising information that will help me be a little more thrifty in the future.
Myth # 1: You can freeze all foods.
While it's true most edibles freeze under the right conditions, there are some that should never see the inside of your freezer. Delicate vegetables like lettuce practically disintegrate when they're frozen then thawed. Creamy sauces that are frozen separate and "break" or curdle when thawed. Even coffee shouldn't be stored in the freezer-especially dark roasts. The oils that make them so special break down in freezing temperatures, allowing the coffee to readily absorb off- flavors. The USDA (= U.S. Department of Agriculture; web link at the end) also advises not to freze canned goods or eggs in their shell. (But you can freeze canned goods if they are removed from their original packaging, as well as eggs as long as they are removed from their shell.)
Don't Miss: 6 More Myths About Storing and Making Coffee
Myth # 2: You can freeze food indefinitely.
This is true at least from a food-safety standpoint, but quality suffers the longer food is frozen. Here are some guidelines from the USDA as to how long to keep food in your freezer (at 0 degrees F) for optimal freshness:
Myth # 3: Freezing kills bacteria.
Freezing foods renders bacteria inactive but doesn't actually kill anything. That means if your food went into the freezer contaminated, once thawed it will still harbor the same harmful bacteria. Cooking it to the recommended temperature is the only way to ensure that your food is safe.
Click: 10 Kitchen Rules You Should Follow
Myth # 4: Frozen food has fewer nutrients than fresh.
Actually, the opposite can be true. Frozen fruits and vegetables may be even more healthful than some of the fresh produce sold in supermarkets because they tend to be processed at their peak ripeness, a time when, as a general rule, they are most nutrient-packed. If you're worried about nutrient loss, eat your frozen fruits and veggies soon after purchase: over many months, nutrients infrozen vegetables do inevitably degrade. Finally, steam or microwave rather than boil your produce to minimize the loss of water-soluble vitamins.
Click: How to Freeze 16 Fruits and Vegetables
Myth # 5: Once thawed, food cannot be refrozen without cooking it first.
You can freeze and refreeze to your heart's content as long as the food has not been left outside the fridge for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour in 90-degree heat). One point to be aware of is that refreezing anything uncooked, especially meat, will degrade the quality due to the loss of moisture in the thawing process. So although it is technically safe to eat, from a culinary standpoint, it's best to avoid refreezing if at all possible.
Myth # 6: You can store frozen food long-term anywhere in your freezer or anywhere that's cold.
The door of the freezer is a handy place to store frozen items, but not necessarily the best place for long-term storage. The temperature near and on the door fluctuates every time the door is opened. Although the food may remain frozen, the freezing process could be slowed, opening up the possibility for larger ice crystals to form inside the food and destroy its integrity. To prevent this, store frozen foods toward the back of the freezer where a constant 0 degrees F is more likely to be achieved and use goods stored near the front or on the door sooner. And if the power goes out? Don't open the freezer door! According to the USDA, a full freezer should remain frozen for 2 days. And if you're tempted to store your freezer overflow in a snowbank-don't. Even if the temperature is very cold, the sun can still heat up your frozen foods to dangerously warm temperatures. This is still an excellent way to store beer, though. So keep doing that.
The USDA (= U.S. Department of Agriculture click the green link below - U.S. Departmentof Agriculture www.usda.gov/ Describes its main functions, and with a collection of links on current agricultural news and research. Food and Nutrition - Jobs and Careers - Grants and Loans - Agencies and Offices
Click green for further info
Source: USDA & Home Cooking
_______________________________________________________________
NRDC = Natural Resources Defense Council - Report of food waste in America
ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS: MEDIA CENTER Main page | Archive
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contact: Jackie Wei, [email protected], 212-727-4569 or cell: 347-874-8305
If you are not a member of the press, please write to us at [email protected] or see our contact page
Date: August 21, 2012
New Report: America Trashes
Forty Percent of Food Supply
As Food Prices Rise,
NRDC (= Natural Resources Defense Council)
offers Tips to Cut Food Waste from Farm to Table
Click green for further info
NEW YORK (August 21, 2012) – Americans are throwing away 40 percent of food in the U.S., the equivalent of $165 billion in uneaten food each year, according to a new analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council. In a time of drought and skyrocketing food prices, NRDC outlines opportunities to reduce wasted food and money on the farm, in the grocery store and at home.
“As a country, we’re essentially tossing every other piece of food that crosses our path – that’s money and precious resources down the drain,” said Dana Gunders, NRDC project scientist with the food and agriculture program. “With the price of food continuing to grow, and drought jeopardizing farmers nationwide, now is the time to embrace all the tremendous untapped opportunities to get more out of our food system. We can do better.”
NRDC’s issue brief – Wasted: How America is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm To Fork to Landfill – analyzes the latest case studies and government data on the causes and extent of food losses at every level of the U.S. food supply chain. It also provides examples and recommendations for reducing this waste. Key findings include:
- Americans trash 40 percent of our food supply every year, valued at about $165 billion;
- The average American family of four ends up throwing away an equivalent of up to $2,275 annually in food;
- Food waste is the single largest component of solid waste in U.S. landfills;
- Just a 15 percent reduction in losses in the U.S. food supply would save enough food to feed 25 million Americans annually;
- There has been a 50 percent jump in U.S. food waste since the 1970s.
But consumers are also a major contributor to the problem, with the majority of food losses occurring in restaurants and household kitchens. A significant reason for this is large portions, as well as uneaten leftovers. Today, portion sizes are two to eight times larger than the government’s standard serving sizes.
Wasted food also translates into wasted natural resources, because of the energy, water and farmland necessary to grow, transport, and store food. About half of all land in the U.S. goes to agriculture; some 25 percent of all the freshwater consumed in this country, along with 4 percent of the oil, goes into producing food that is never eaten. Moreover, uneaten food accounts for 23 percent of all methane emissions in the U.S. - a potent climate change pollutant.
Increasing the efficiency of our food system is a triple-bottom-line solution that requires collaborative efforts by businesses, governments and consumers. Specifically:
- The U.S. government should conduct a comprehensive study of losses in our food system and set national goals for waste reduction. This may require steps such as clarifying date labels on food, encouraging food recovery, and improving public awareness about ways to waste less.State and local governments can also lead by setting similar targets.
- Businesses should seize opportunities to streamline their own operations, reduce food losses and save money. The Stop and Shop grocery chain is already doing this successfully, saving an estimated $100 million annually after an analysis of freshness, loss, and customer satisfaction in their perishables department. Others should follow suit.
- Consumers can waste less food by shopping wisely, knowing when food goes bad, buying produce that is perfectly edible even if it’s less cosmetically attractive, cooking only the amount of food they need, and eating their leftovers.
“No matter how sustainably our food is farmed, if it’s not being eaten, it is not a good use of resources,” said Gunders. “Fortunately, there are ways to tackle the food waste problem, and everyone can play a role.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
- Read the full issue brief here: http://www.nrdc.org/food/wasted-food.asp
- NRDC’s weekly blog series on food waste: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/dgunders/
- NRDC food waste fact sheet: http://www.nrdc.org/living/eatingwell/saving-leftovers-saves-money-resources.asp
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.4 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.
Click green for further info
Source: The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Articles 2 & 3/3 next below
_______________________________________
Article 2 of 3 Article 1 of 3 next above
Freezer Fundamentals
Click green for further info
According to a recent study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (article 1 of 3 above) , food waste costs the average American family $2,275 per year. Where's that money--and food--going?
In the trash. One simple way to help save money and food is to utilize your freezer.
This article explains the fundamentals of how to best preserve your food in the freezer.
Stock up on freezer bags, freezer-safe containers, aluminum foil or parchment paper,masking tape, and a sharpie pen. Choose freezer bags that have a label on them so you can easily mark your food. You'll use the foil or parchment paper to protect your solid foods. As for masking tape, you'll use it to label your containers. Masking tape can withstand cold temperatures and won't peel off with moisture.
Use freezer bags for anything liquid, such as stock and soups. Make sure the liquid is cold before you put it in the freezer bag, and the freeze the liquid flat so that it can be easily stacked. When you want to defrost it, just throw a bag into the refrigerator, come back to it, heat it up and you've got dinner."
Freeze fruit individually. If you buy a lot of berries in the middle of the season, get a good rimmed baking sheet, line it with that aluminum foil or parchment paper, and spread out the fruit. Once it's frozen through, toss the fruit into a freezable container and it's ready for use whenever you need it. For items like leftover tomato paste or chipotle paste, put tablespoon portions out on the rimmed baking sheet, and freeze them through.
Make use of ice cube trays! If you're not using your ice cube trays for water, use them to freeze things like pestos or pureed herbs. You can just drop them in the bottom of the tray, fill them with water and you have herb ice cubes that you can use in things like stocks and stews.
Avoid freezer burn. One of the easiest ways to do that is to make sure you're always freezing foods that are cooled down and not hot. Whenever you're freezing something in a plastic container or freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as possible so that there's no air, which encourages freezer burn. If you have something that's going to be marinated, such as chicken teriyaki, put it in the bag and freeze it right in the marinade. That way it freezes and marinates, and it's ready to go as soon as you defrost it.
Date your freezer packages. Identify what you're freezing and include its expiration date, not the date you put it in the freezer.
Organize your food in the freezer. Once you've prepared your food for the freezer, you'll need to make sure you arrange your food in the proper order. First, remember to pack your freezer as full as possible because this helps the freezer operate at its top efficiency and stay its coldest. Also? Make sure your freezer is set to the proper temperature. Food safety experts recommend that you set your freezer at zero degrees to maintain the quality of the food you are storing.
Fastest Way to Chill a Drink
Fridge
Depending on the starting temperature, cooling drinks in the fridge takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. Not nearly fast enough when you're parched.
Freezer
To speed the process, you can wrap a wet paper towel around them and stick them in the freezer. That's faster — like 20 minutes. And the physics of the wet paper towel is pretty interesting. It works the same way that perspiration cools you down: evaporation draws the heat away from your skin — or away from your drinks. Just don't let your drinks freeze all the way.
But IF 20 minutes is still too long- then:
Ice water
Putting your drinks in a bath of ice water chills them even faster than a freezer. Why? Because water conducts heat more easily than air. Compare sitting around in a 68-degree room to sitting around in a 68-degree tub and you'll quickly see what I mean.
To make sure, I started with cans of soda that had been sitting outside — about 78 degrees. After eight minutes in an ice bath, they got down to 50°F. That's way better than the fridge or freezer, but 50 degrees is still a bit too warm to be refreshing.
The Solution
Putting salt in the ice water can chill your drinks even faster. Why would this work? Salt water has a lower freezing point than fresh water (which is why salt is often put on roads to prevent icy conditions), and adding salt to a bowl of ice water actually decreases the temperature of the water.
Still, I had to put this to the test. Sure enough, after 8 minutes in salted ice water, the drinks dropped to 44°F. Ah, nice!
Comment from the public:
Liquid nitrogen does a nifty job of chilling drinks too. 5 seconds to 32 degrees.
nifty = good, skillful, or effective
Source: Home cooking & USDA
__________________________________________
Article 3 of 3 Articles 1 - 2/3 next above
6 myths about freezing food
Last week I went to town (slang: = to engage in an activity with excessive energy or excitement) on my freezer, throwing out all kinds of frozen packages from vegetables to meat to leftovers. I filled my 13-gallon trash can, then promptly walked it out to the dumpster for collection. I felt incredibly guilty about how much food I was tossing, but some of it looked more like a science experiment than something I would actually eat. I vowed to take better inventory of the stuff I store in my freezer, but I couldn't shake the guilty feeling of being so wasteful. Was it really necessary to throw all that food away? So I looked into the facts about freezing foods and found some surprising information that will help me be a little more thrifty in the future.
Myth # 1: You can freeze all foods.
While it's true most edibles freeze under the right conditions, there are some that should never see the inside of your freezer. Delicate vegetables like lettuce practically disintegrate when they're frozen then thawed. Creamy sauces that are frozen separate and "break" or curdle when thawed. Even coffee shouldn't be stored in the freezer-especially dark roasts. The oils that make them so special break down in freezing temperatures, allowing the coffee to readily absorb off- flavors. The USDA (= U.S. Department of Agriculture; web link at the end) also advises not to freze canned goods or eggs in their shell. (But you can freeze canned goods if they are removed from their original packaging, as well as eggs as long as they are removed from their shell.)
Don't Miss: 6 More Myths About Storing and Making Coffee
Myth # 2: You can freeze food indefinitely.
This is true at least from a food-safety standpoint, but quality suffers the longer food is frozen. Here are some guidelines from the USDA as to how long to keep food in your freezer (at 0 degrees F) for optimal freshness:
- Soups, stews and casseroles: 2-3 months
- Cooked meat 2-3 months
- Uncooked steaks, roasts or chops: 4-12 months
- Cooked poultry: 4 months
- Uncooked poultry: 9-12 months
Myth # 3: Freezing kills bacteria.
Freezing foods renders bacteria inactive but doesn't actually kill anything. That means if your food went into the freezer contaminated, once thawed it will still harbor the same harmful bacteria. Cooking it to the recommended temperature is the only way to ensure that your food is safe.
Click: 10 Kitchen Rules You Should Follow
Myth # 4: Frozen food has fewer nutrients than fresh.
Actually, the opposite can be true. Frozen fruits and vegetables may be even more healthful than some of the fresh produce sold in supermarkets because they tend to be processed at their peak ripeness, a time when, as a general rule, they are most nutrient-packed. If you're worried about nutrient loss, eat your frozen fruits and veggies soon after purchase: over many months, nutrients infrozen vegetables do inevitably degrade. Finally, steam or microwave rather than boil your produce to minimize the loss of water-soluble vitamins.
Click: How to Freeze 16 Fruits and Vegetables
Myth # 5: Once thawed, food cannot be refrozen without cooking it first.
You can freeze and refreeze to your heart's content as long as the food has not been left outside the fridge for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour in 90-degree heat). One point to be aware of is that refreezing anything uncooked, especially meat, will degrade the quality due to the loss of moisture in the thawing process. So although it is technically safe to eat, from a culinary standpoint, it's best to avoid refreezing if at all possible.
Myth # 6: You can store frozen food long-term anywhere in your freezer or anywhere that's cold.
The door of the freezer is a handy place to store frozen items, but not necessarily the best place for long-term storage. The temperature near and on the door fluctuates every time the door is opened. Although the food may remain frozen, the freezing process could be slowed, opening up the possibility for larger ice crystals to form inside the food and destroy its integrity. To prevent this, store frozen foods toward the back of the freezer where a constant 0 degrees F is more likely to be achieved and use goods stored near the front or on the door sooner. And if the power goes out? Don't open the freezer door! According to the USDA, a full freezer should remain frozen for 2 days. And if you're tempted to store your freezer overflow in a snowbank-don't. Even if the temperature is very cold, the sun can still heat up your frozen foods to dangerously warm temperatures. This is still an excellent way to store beer, though. So keep doing that.
The USDA (= U.S. Department of Agriculture click the green link below - U.S. Departmentof Agriculture www.usda.gov/ Describes its main functions, and with a collection of links on current agricultural news and research. Food and Nutrition - Jobs and Careers - Grants and Loans - Agencies and Offices
Click green for further info
Source: USDA & Home Cooking
_______________________________________________________________
_____
See below:
A Complete Plan
to solve the enormous overweight, obesity & other health challenges
in the USA
and
worldwide
To develop this result-bringing plan took the past seven (7) years
and before that 15 years of worldwide research and testing
The plan details in an easy-to-read letter form start below in this tab
and continue in tab: University & College.
The plan topic states
"A letter to President Obama, the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate"
The information, starts below
under the picture with "We'll Give You The World" text
A must to study information
Letter to
President Obama,
The U.S. Congress & The U.S. Senate
Lifestyle & Nutritional Solutions to save human suffering and hundreds of billions dollars of
health care costs every year - Detailed advice for a real solution for the U.S. health care system
February 2012
Part 1 and Part 2
A "must" to study letter
_____________________________________________________
The information in this tab for the New Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrional Progam in this tab:
University & College is tens and tens of pages of long.
However, it is still (purposely) only about 65 % of the whole new program material.
It must still be protected for its copyrights and other related legal rights.
Also, the exclusive, new, delicious recipes are not published in STAF, Inc.'s site, yet (for the above reasons, even though they are all ready to use).
The full material (including the footnotes) will be published after this new Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition program has been introduced in Washington D.C. to the U.S. Congress. U.S. Senate, The White House, The President, and to all related federal agencies.
The introduction will happen in Washington D.C. after the 2012 election.
This new program has a unique name. For all related legal & copyright reasons the name will be announced publicly at the time of the introduction.
______________________________________________________________________
University & College is tens and tens of pages of long.
However, it is still (purposely) only about 65 % of the whole new program material.
It must still be protected for its copyrights and other related legal rights.
Also, the exclusive, new, delicious recipes are not published in STAF, Inc.'s site, yet (for the above reasons, even though they are all ready to use).
The full material (including the footnotes) will be published after this new Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition program has been introduced in Washington D.C. to the U.S. Congress. U.S. Senate, The White House, The President, and to all related federal agencies.
The introduction will happen in Washington D.C. after the 2012 election.
This new program has a unique name. For all related legal & copyright reasons the name will be announced publicly at the time of the introduction.
______________________________________________________________________
Next below “History of Medicine” is put in a humorous manner. There might be much truth in that anyway.
A Humorous Short History of Medicine
"Doctor, I have an ear ache”
2000 B.C. - "Here, eat this root."
1000 B.C. - "That root is heathen, say this prayer."
1850 A.D. - "That prayer is superstition, drink this potion."
1940 A.D. - "That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill."
1985 A.D. - "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic."
2004 A.D. - "That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root!"
B.C. = before Christ (birth) A.D. after Christ (birth)
A.D. - The term Anno Domini is Medieval Latin, translated as In the year of (the/Our) Lord. It is sometimes specified more fully as Anno Domini Nostri Iesu (Jesu) Christi ("In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ").
_____________________________________
A Humorous Short History of Medicine
"Doctor, I have an ear ache”
2000 B.C. - "Here, eat this root."
1000 B.C. - "That root is heathen, say this prayer."
1850 A.D. - "That prayer is superstition, drink this potion."
1940 A.D. - "That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill."
1985 A.D. - "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic."
2004 A.D. - "That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root!"
B.C. = before Christ (birth) A.D. after Christ (birth)
A.D. - The term Anno Domini is Medieval Latin, translated as In the year of (the/Our) Lord. It is sometimes specified more fully as Anno Domini Nostri Iesu (Jesu) Christi ("In the Year of Our Lord Jesus Christ").
_____________________________________
”Automatic Millionaire” program
will bring the results it claims
A unique financial program created by STAF, Inc. together with a leading nationwide/worldwide financial institution
The professional degree programs in this University/College will also educate you how to guide your future clients to become millionaires – not a joke – when they take your services. A brilliant system that works.
HOW would that be possible?
STAF. Inc. has developed with a leading nationwide/worldwide financial organization (honest & reliable) a special program that allows your client to invest the same money he/she will be saving as the results of your life improving services.
It is a real and realistic “Automatic Millionaire” program. It will effectively attract new clients to your office. In your degree program (no matter what your major) you will be introduced to the secrets of this great "millionaire-maker" system. Of course, you will then yourself also apply the same system in your own life.
STAF, Inc. and the University/College are not involved in the investments except in teaching the techniques to you in your degree program. Only your client and the leading financial company are – YOU will teach the techniques to your client and the financial institution handles the rest. This amazing program is a strong point for you to succeed in marketing your high-level professional services and is not available anywhere else. As said above, you yourself are allowed to apply the same “Automatic Millionaire” principles in your own life and in your family. The purpose of this program is to create a “second” retirement account. A person in his/her, 20’s – to 50’s can easily reach a millionaire status, even a multi-millionaire status. If your client’s (or you) are over 50 the same “Automatic Millionaire” program principles will still bring the results but involves added actions.
__________________________________
We’ll Give
You
the World
You
the World
Notice:
The new
Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutritional Program
presented below still has about 35 % of the final information to be placed in this website.
Also all footnotes and source information will be placed after the full material is in this website.
The new
Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutritional Program
presented below still has about 35 % of the final information to be placed in this website.
Also all footnotes and source information will be placed after the full material is in this website.
________________
Letter to
President Obama,
The U.S.Congress & The U.S. Senate
Lifestyle & Nutritional Solutions to save human suffering
and hundreds of billions dollars of health care costs every year -
Detailed advice for a real solution for the U.S. health care system
January 2012
Part 1 and Part 2
- a "must" to study document -
The rest of this tab is fully reserved for this plan - to the very end of this tab
_
A Complete Plan
to solve the enormous overweight, obesity & other health challenges
in the USA
To develop this result-bringing plan took the past 6 years
and before that 19 years of worldwide research and testing
The plan details in an easy-to-read letter form start here
- a must to study information -
_____________________________________________________
Part 1
Prepared & compiled by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.,
the President of Save The American Family - STAF, Inc - not-for-profit-
President Barack Obama
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama,
New, effective & result-producing Lifestyle & Nutritional Solutions
(1) to ease human suffering and (2) to save hundreds of billions dollars
every year of health care costs
Detailed advice for a real solution for the U.S. health/sickness care system
This plan is fit for the whole American population as the road to a perfect health.
It is also suitable for every nation worldwide.
The two key elements are:
(1) it brings the desired results, and;
(2) every individual in the developed world can afford it.
For the developing world most likely international economic support is needed. However, it pays back as the best of investments, because this plan will effectively eliminate the sicknesses their constant malnutrition is producing.
The plan took the past six (6) years to prepare and is based on the previous fifteen (15) years of worldwide research and testing.
The plan applies the latest science knowledge. The organization Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.,
-not-for-profit, headquartered in New York City with nationwide operations, is the producer of the plan.
This presentation is compiled by the STAF, Inc. President, Dr. Christian von Christophers.
Because the supporting articles and information have been taken from multitudes of various sources, some details may appear briefly somewhat repeatedly in different parts of this presentation. Thus, for that reason, your patience is requested for the importance of this plan.
This new plan will make a total positive difference in the U.S. health/sickness situation - not only in the information what is needed to bring the desired results, but: the STAF, Inc. scientists can and will provide also the solution HOW to have the population applying this plan.
Quote "Knowledge is NO power - only APPLIED knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian von Christophers, STAF, Inc. President)
"Rewarding Lifestyle & Healthier Way of Eating"
as an important part of disease fighting system
is necessary in the new U.S. universal health/sickness care plan. Promoting a mentally, emotionally, and physically correct lifestyle and healthier way of eating will provide Americans with the most powerful means to prevent disease and will save not only millions of lives, but billions of dollars in healthcare costs - every year.
As stated, this complete plan is not only about nutrition. It covers all areas of life, it has a solution to all challenges originating from a wrong & harmful lifestyle in our society. It includes the information and solutions to our huge marriage & family relationship challenges and child rearing issues. It covers exercise, rest (most Americans are sleep deprived - that alone is a big sickness creator), financial matters, and other areas of a happy, long & satisfying life. This is a total plan for every area of life.
When applied, this new program will save
millions of lives
&
billions of dollars
in federal expenses every year
It is your/our money as the U.S. tax-payers
- it leaves much more money in everyone's wallet and purse to stimulate the US economy
This totally new, multi-level system was created as a custom made program for all Americans and American Families.
__________________________
This new, unprecedented
Nutritional, Rewarding Lifestyle & Success Program
will restore & maintain your health, raise your quality of life, increase your level of happiness, and will guide you to build a 7-figure portfolio. The system handles all areas of life. It is custom-made for the American people. It covers all needs the modern internet generation dreams of. It will help busy people like you to live happier, healthier, wealthier lives. The total system will be introduced to the U.S. President, The White House, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate & to all necessary federal officials to be included in the new health care legislation as the most prominent part to get the searched-after results in the American life.
The fully scientifically correct daily nutrition in this new system guides every individual automatically (with no extra effort or cost) to maintain a safe weight level with the goal to get rid of all sicknesses, to avoid any and all senior age mental diseases, and to stay active in every aspect well beyond 100 + (today 1oo + is the fastest growing age group in the developed countries). The lifestyle part of the program guides competently in all other matters needed for a healthy, happy, meaningful, successful life with a 7-figure portfolio for your later years. This new program will save your life and your children’s lives, will save your marriage and your family, and will give you financially prosperous future.
This totally new multi-level system was created as a custom made program
for all Americans and American Families.
All needs for the new internet generation are met in this program. It took over 6 (six) years to develop and create this unprecedented program. The last six years work is based on the previous 15 years of worldwide research. Never before has a similar system existed. This total health, rewarding lifestyle & success program is built to be suitable and easily applicable for every American and for any other nation worldwide.
Save The American Family - STAF Inc. and its internationally known, experienced specialists have made this miracle available for you and your family.
The STAF, Inc. founding President, Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.,
has functioned as the lead scientist for the project.
STAF, Inc., not-for-profit, headquartered in New York City
with nationwide operations and with the goal of growing wider and more important than the Red Cross,
is for every American - it is for YOU.
STAF, Inc. will be your staff to make these miracles happen.
As the STAF, Inc. slogan goes: “We’ll give you a NEW life.”
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Good health and health maintaining weight management
starts for the new baby already in the mother's womb
Most American mothers do not know what nutrition to have while pregnant. Most families do not know what to feed the baby and the toddler and finally the child and the teenager. The obesity and related sickness problems are coming from those early years. (A related, detailed article at the very end of this presentation - at the end of this tab)
Concerned about increasing childhood obesity & growing
rates of diabetes, we MUST change how babies eat
It is time to put the human needs first, not the profits of the processed "food" industry.
All processed "food" is health-destroying at any age. Most Americans eat processed food.
It is the biggest reason for over 75 % of all Americans having overweight problems.
Most pediatricians do not have any (or have very little) competent training in nutrition and other necessary lifestyle topics. Most of them provide their opinions as guidance, not the real nutritional science facts. Most pediatricians guide with what they experienced when growing up. Thus the negative cycle repeats itself decade after decade.
Quote "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion but NOT his own facts"
(Daniel Patick "Pat" Moynihan (1927-2003) - a 4-time elected U.S. Senator: 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994 - declined to run for re-election in 2000)
The correct solutions are now available. They are developed by the organization delivering this detailed plan to solve all lifestyle related health challenges in the United States.
That organization is Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., not-for-profit, headquartered in New York City, with nationwide operations - headed by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., President of STAF, Inc.
This detailed presentation in front of you will potentially become the most important system to solve our health challenges.
In the U.S. we have, time being, a highly inefficient health system that's taking away financial resources from other lifesaving programs. By any measure, the United States spends now more on health care than any other nation. Yet according to the World Fact Book (published by the Central Intelligence Agency), it ranks 49th in life expectancy.
That is a shame, a real shame. In 1975 the United States was close to the average in health care costs, and last in 15-year survival for 45-year-old men. By 2005 its costs had more than tripled, far surpassing increases elsewhere but the survival number was still last.
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In our organization, STAF, Inc., we have a solution for you, Mr. President,
and we have solution for our nation.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. (not-for-profit), founded 2005, headquartered in New York, has during the past 6 years developed a new, unique system for the U.S. Health Legislation as a real game changer in the costs of our health care and in the human suffering. Prior to this final 6-year period, research and related work had been done in 3 continents starting already in 1991. Thus this project has taken about 20 years to develop. No other organization can provide similar scientifically proven, tested techniques and result-bringing solutions for our health and sickness challenges. Staf. Inc. website: staf1org.weebly.com
Interesting details about the new STAF, Inc. developed nutritional program and its ingredient list is available on on its Home page. Additional details in the tab University & College.
The STAF, Inc. founding documents will give the details for the purpose of the organization.
To inspect (on its website) STAF, Inc.'s original founding acceptance documents provided by the STATE of New York
click here: click
STAF, Inc. is ready to introduce the solutions to you, Mr. President & the White House, to the U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate, and to all Federal Agencies related to these matters.
You, Mr. President and The White House, need the most talented and leading professionals to be your advisers. This letter will show that the leading and the most knowledgeable specialists in health, family, lifestyle, and all life success related matters are in our organization, Save The American Family- STAF, Inc. (not-for-profit). We are available to serve our country and help you, Mr. President, and the U.S. Congress & Senate to find the correct solutions for these most important matters in our country and in our lives.
Our country needs the best solutions based on the most advanced science facts. You, Mr. President and the White House desperately need the STAF, Inc. organization as your adviser for consulting and guiding to have the effective solutions applied in our serious health crisis including lowering dramatically the related expenses. STAF, Inc. is probably the only organization capable of providing all these solutions.
See also: On this same website:
(1) HOME page info: "President Obama still smokes"
and
(2) Services tab, sub tab: Easy Stop Smoking & Natural Weight Loss
Good health is made of several components. To provide a valid Health/Sickness/Medical Insurance for everyone is NO solution to our serious health problems. Yes, every individual should have a Health/Sickness/Medical Insurance. However, that does not prevent nor eliminate most sicknesses. First of all it is important to realize that the noun "health insurance" is a totally wrong and actually harmful word to use. Let me explain. To start with, it is not a "health" but a "sickness" insurance. Secondly, if the insurance is marketed as a "health" insurance, it is giving a misleading statement and will only lull people to think and believe: now when I have finally (as in many cases is: finally) a "health" insurance I, my family, and my children will stay healthy. That is not the case at all. It is a bad mistake to call it "health insurance" - it is a seriously misleading term.
A cow is a cow, not a horse, and a cat is a cat, not a dog. This is a "sickness insurance". It is an insurance for sickness, The insurance is not used for getting rid of health but for getting rid of sickness. In Europe it is called SICKNESS INSURANCE. In Canada it is called MEDICAL INSURANCE. When the Colleges in the USA sell a related insurance to the students, the U.S. Colleges call it a "SICKNESS INSURANCE". Thus this question is logical: is it so that the people in Washington do not know the English language but the American Colleges do know. In addition, the sickness insurance provides mostly allopathic medical science services which is a short-term solution and mostly covers the symptoms of the sickness - sometimes eliminating the reasons when the body is given a chance to repair itself and heal itself. Only one's own body can heal itself. The body is the real "Doctor". The sickness insurance provides short-term solutions as "emergency medicine". The long-term solutions are in natural principles, and manifest through a fit & proper lifestyle. It is important to call a cow as it is: a cow. By calling this important insurance "health insurance" can be damaging. This is not semantic in itself. The wrong word can prevent sick or potentially sick people from learning a healthier way of eating and from accepting a health providing lifestyle. A wrong term can easily kill a person's motivation for a necessary change. STAF, Inc.'s founding President, Dr. Christian, is a highly experienced professional not only in health and lifestyle related sciences but also in subconscious motivational sciences as he also is
the founder of the new science Successology (Reg. US Pat.Off. 1991). It takes a correct LIFESTYLE with correct NUTRITION to stay healthy - yet those two elements are NOT enough for anyone's GOOD health. Several other elements are necessary to maintain health and to restore one's lost health. When it comes to correct NUTRITION the ingredients, no matter how good and perfect and healthy for a human being, that is not enough. There are three other elements: (1) how to handle the food before cooking or otherwise preparing - this includes the food transportation from the producer to the consumer - how safely that happens, (2) how to cook = prepare the meals from perfect ingredients - most people cook out the health from their food ingredients, then (3) food combination - almost 100 % of the population have no clue what this means - we cannot (as most people do) stuff our stomachs with all kinds of food combinations. Different food categories use differently digestive chemicals. Wrong food combining creates toxins in the human body. These toxins then create inflammation in the body opening the door to a sickness to enter the human body. In addition, correct lifestyle for staying healthy involves many more details than most people have ever heard. Human relationships are one key in good health. Unhappiness causes mental and emotional sicknesses manifesting in serious physical health challenges. The most important relationship is our precious family and the fruit of a marriage: our precious children. As sick as the American family union is today, as sick will be our nation tomorrow. The children are the future society. Yet over 50 % of our children grow in a one-parent family. The separation and divorce rate is an outrageous shame in our country - the worse in the developed world. Most people, and sorry to say, most doctors, most lawyers, most court judges, most nurses, and other professionals and caregivers have no knowledge about any of these matters and of the serious problems how badly this all affects our children's development. In the USA over 50 % of first marriages fail, over 70 % of second marriages fail, and over 80 % of the 3rd marriages fail. Does this mean that people get dumber when they get married again and again? No. It simply means that most people, close to 100 % have NO clue, NO knowledge HOW to be happily married, HOW to handle a baby, HOW to raise a child, etc. - yet the family is the most important element in our an in any other society. The fact is that all aspects in any society, including in ours, depend on the happiness level of the marriages or generally of the human relationships. We humans are social creatures and need happy & rewarding human relationships to stay healthy (so do other creatures). The licensed marriage counselors fail over 70 % in the USA - that is another big shame. Couples report after one year of marriage counseling (given by a licensed, "competent" College trained "counselor") that they are either worse off or divorced - and: one year counseling costs thousands of dollars plus takes much time and emotional investment. On the contrary, the STAF, Inc. - Save The American Family, with its worldwide experience and exceptionally high-level expertise and dedication to create new solutions, new techniques, new methods, new ideas and RESULTS exceeds all traditional expectations. As a result we are the ONLY ones in the USA who dare giving a result guarantee in our private services and in an exceptional manner. In our private services our STAF, INC. professionals give a LIFETIME guarantee with ONLY ONE TIME FEE - no one else anywhere dares. The 3 most important services STAF, Inc. provides with this unique guarantee are: (1) Easy Stop Smoking, (2) Natural Weight Loss, and (3) Restoring any Marriage - RAM™. When smoking and overweight are eliminated, it eliminates the REASONS for about 90 % of all sicknesses. Notice: I did not write: "eliminates sicknesses", I WROTE: eliminates the REASONS for... To eliminate a sickness we must first eliminate the reason(s) for the sickness - then the body heals itself. This reminds me of a quote by Mr. Voltaire (French philosopher) "The Doctor's duty is to entertain the patient while the patient's body heals itself". STAF, Inc. gets 100 % results in these services, when other specialists have only 30 - 60 % success rate. STAF, Inc. applies only NEW, MODERN, UNIQUE METHODS developed in its broad global research.
There is still a need in this letter little further to discuss the family matters in our country. SAVE THE AMERICAN FAMILY - STAF, Inc. -not-for-profit- will potentially grow wider than the Red Cross. STAF, Inc. covers all areas of life, all topics in life. The American Family, the most important element for our better future, is in really, really bad, bad shape. A dysfunctional family, separation, and divorce are more common than is a healthy, happy family. The bad condition of the American family affects everything in our society, including the Wall Street. The family law is in bad shape, most judges do not know what they are doing and how their hastened, routine orders do to our innocent children - they are destroying our families thus destroying our children and the children's healthy development. That in its turn will hurt our nation. The family issue is far more important than most people realize. It affects everything, even our total economy. STAF, Inc. is the leading organization in getting results in these enormous problems.
Most people have no knowledge about the terrible disasters facing both spouses when they get separated and/or divorced. Most people have no knowledge that separation and divorce affects very negatively the mental, emotional, and physical health of BOTH spouses. In addition, the innocent children face terrible disasters. If the judges would know the facts, they would have a different approach to their decision making. STAF, Inc. was also founded to inform and educate the nation's courts and judges about family science related facts.
The STAF, Inc. founding documents will give the details for the purpose of the organization. To inspect STAF, Inc.'s original founding acceptance documents provided by the STATE of New York click here: click
Every marriage runs sooner or later into difficulties - that's life. The common (wrong) belief is "the love is dead" and most spouses just give up without any knowledge of the devastating life-destroying science facts the spouses themselves will face and what their children will face. These matters OUGHT TO BE TAUGHT IN EVERY SCHOOL AND EVEN IN EVERY COLLEGE TO EVERYONE - but it is not (in Europe it is). In addition, the basic baby care and child rearing principles ought to be taught in our schools and Colleges. STAF, Inc. has created (based on long experience and on global research) all necessary educational and training programs and system and is ready to introduce them all to you, Mr. President, to the whole White House, to the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate. The modern internet generation life style with many of its toxic habits has almost no clue of how important all these topics are for our whole nation, and of course, for every individuals as for every American Family.
All information provided in this letter is based on long-term worldwide research.
Next 12 fact examples of life-destroying disasters every child faces when our precious American family fails - yet every failure can be avoided - especially NOW by applying the new STAF, Inc. developed techniques and programs:
EVERY child in a family separation or divorce situation FACES :
(1) overall increased risks to health and welfare;
(2) 5 times more likely to commit suicide;
(3) 32 times more likely to run away;
(4) 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders;
(5) 14 times more likely to commit rape;
(6) 9 times more likely to drop out of school;
(7) 10 times more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs;
(8) 20 times more likely to end up in prison;
(9) increased learning difficulties;
(10) increased risk of divorce when grown;
(11) increased out of wedlock pregnancies;
(12) seriously increased risk of having a stroke during his/her life time.
STAF, Inc.'s President, Dr. Christian, is hosting two Radio Shows (for over 3 year now) and guiding the US public to become aware of these facts. One show is titled DrDrCanYouHelpMe and one The Miracle Show
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"Pet Power" - A Natural Health & Success Enhancer at a Low Cost - An Effective 4-legged "Family Doctor"
Rebecca Johnson, director of the University of Missouri's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction, says:
“Research shows that being able to care for a pet improves our morale, helps validate us and encourages us to take care of ourselves,” The body of research is leading more retirement communities and universities to roll out the welcome mat for pets.
In the modern society one challenging matter is the fact when a child comes home from school, there is no one waiting for the child, no one greeting, no one to communicate with - all this together with several other negative factors can cause serious failures, emotional & mental sicknesses, emotionally pacifying over-eating leading to obesity, diabetes, elevated blood pressure, cancer, asthma, allergies, etc. These sicknesses always weaken the immune system and its disease fighting power. It leads to multitudes of additional physical sicknesses. The child carries these sicknesses to the adulthood and possibly for the rest of his or her life resulting in even more additional sicknesses and constant human suffering and human unhappiness leading to different emotional and mental challenges and sicknesses. High health/sickness care is then attached to this common cycle all the way from the individual's childhood. This common cycle can be eliminated. The STAF, Inc. developed plan has effective solutions to cut off this cycle and lower dramatically the nation's health/sickness care expenses.
One effective solution, relating to this section of the new plan, is to substantially add "pet memberships" in the American families. The majority of the population (and of the nations doctors) is not aware of the pet-benefits - the STAF, Inc. plan will provide the necessary information to widely raise the awareness of the benefits related to a family pet and how to draw the maximum benefits. Selling the "pet family-memberships" can be an easy task because the result benefits are undeniable and substantial. The cost is low. It is like the humorous quote stating "It costs $100 K to send a child to school - to school a pet costs a $100" . This plan has a brief but impressive section showing tens of health benefits the 4-legged pet-doctor will produce. A pet helps not only the children but also the parents and their marriage.
Many parents have discovered the family cat can help teach children the values of compassion and gentleness. Most dogs will allow family members to wrestle with them, chase after them, and roughhouse. In fact, many dogs live for that type of interaction. However, this is HOW the dog pet can and will help the child to exercise and to go out. The same with the parents. THUS, both are beneficial. Taking care of the dog teaches valuable lessons for responsibility.
Cats on the other hand, do not. If a child (or anyone) treats a cat roughly or aggressively, kitty will bolt from the room, putting an end to the interaction between human and pet. So children can learn the difference between sturdier, more tolerant pets and those that require careful, gentle handling. Research shows the sound of a cat’s purr can lower your blood pressure and reduce stress.
It is a good idea to have a dog and a cat IF the family members so agree together. These 2 pets teach the child(ren) different things.
The Positive Power of Pet Ownership
Pet & pet care information because: pets are helpful in many ways:
(1) PETS improve our marriage happiness - research proves this as a fact
(2) PETS improve our children's development & success
(3) Pets improve our and our family members' physical, emotional & mental health -
"a 4-legged hard-working "Family Doctor" working with natural principles without any negative side effects - at a low cost without any formal service fee and no bill",
(4) Pets protect & save lives
(5) Pets give much happiness to us humans
The plan's pet section introduces and provides detailed info about the multitudes of benefits the pets give us and also how to correctly feed and otherwise take care of your pet in a manner that maintains your pet's health and gives a long, happy life.
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The next section in this plan will demonstrate how our nation can cut as much as 50% of current healthcare costs over the next 4 years, without cutting healthcare services,
by implementing a campaign to put a Rewarding Lifestyle and a Healthier Way of Eating at the forefront of healthcare. It is STAF, Inc.'s conviction that the health of Americans and the national economy will be unable to overcome our current healthcare crisis. Without a campaign promoting a healthier way of eating, your universal healthcare plan will not be addressing one of the most significant underlying causes of disease and therefore its likelihood of either improving healthcare or cutting costs will be greatly reduced.
Scientific studies continue to demonstrate that among all lifestyle factors, no single factor is more important to our health than the food we eat. A campaign educating Americans about the benefits of eating healthier-and how to make healthy eating choices-would be a highly effective and relatively inexpensive means of improving our health.
Because the concept of practicing a healthier way of eating is so amazingly simple, a campaign focusing on healthy eating can easily be overlooked as a means to resolve our healthcare problems. Yet, promoting the intake of nutrient-rich, health-promoting, and satisfying foods-such as delicious fresh fruits, vegetables, salads, whole grains, protein-rich beans, and omega-3 rich seafood-would prove to be one of the most powerful ways to affect positive change in our national health.
A healthier way of eating is beneficial because it will deliver the daily requirements for the essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients that are needed to work together synergistically to promote health. A healthier way of eating centered around whole, nutrient-rich, and unprocessed foods does not just provide our bodies with calories, but also the nutrients we must have to grow, create energy, and maintain optimal physiological function.
Implementing a campaign for eating healthier will automatically result in decreasing consumption of unhealthy foods-nutrient-poor refined foods that are high in trans-fats, sugar, and salt (such as cookies, sodas, snack bars, candies, and fast foods), and which do not satisfy your appetite for any length of time. These foods spike blood sugar levels, providing a short burst of energy, but do little to curb satiety. This means hunger quickly returns, and, for many people, the result is a vicious cycle of consuming more calorie-laden nutrient-poor foods, a formula that perpetuates our national obesity epidemic and the chronic preventable diseases associated with obesity: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
When it comes to health, we are particularly interested in the health of our children. Studies have correlated school success with eating health-promoting foods. The impact of nutrition on the ability of our youth to succeed in school is a core reason for a campaign for a healthier way of eating. This is of utmost importance because, currently, half of all high school students drop out before graduation. And, with respect to the rest of the world, we come in 24th in science and 25th in mathematical competency.
The Federal Government has long assumed the responsibility for protecting the health of Americans, by providing education about food safety and the dangers of cigarette smoking. Today, Americans' greatest need is an understanding of the effects of the foods we eat upon our health. In its role as the protector of our society, it falls to the Federal Government to educate Americans that healthy eating can promote health and help reduce the risk of chronic preventable diseases.
A public-health educational campaign about the benefits of a healthier way of eating could be just as aggressive and effective as public-health campaigns have been about the dangers of smoking. Judging by the success of recent antismoking campaigns, such an effort would result in the promotion of health and substantial savings to the healthcare system.
The Key Reasons for our Healthcare Crisis
Healthcare costs have risen from $3,468 per person in 1993 to $8,160 in 2008, and costs continue to rise. It is estimated that in the next 5 years, healthcare costs will increase almost another 50% to $13,100. These high costs might be justifiable if Americans benefitted by being among the healthiest people in the world, but sadly, we are far less healthy than people living in countries where healthcare costs are much lower. Our current system attempts to manage end-stage disease; it does not promote health. We need to change not just the way in which disease-care costs are paid, but the care that is provided. To lower healthcare costs and make true health care available to all, we need to focus on health promotion and disease prevention, not on how to shift the costs of disease care.
One of the most important contributors to health promotion is a healthy diet. Our current public-health crisis calls for a strong public-health message about the importance of diet, even at the expense of offending the food industry and pharmaceutical companies, whom I believe to be largely accountable for the current state of our national health.
Food manufacturers and restaurant chains have created a toxic food environment that is detrimental to the health of our nation. Huge servings of soft drinks, snacks, and "value" meals, which are literally penny-wise and pound foolish, have become the mainstay of the standard American diet (not ironically, abbreviated as "SAD"). We have become a nation addicted to foods high in sugar, salt, and fat, to foods of convenience rather than health. We have succumbed to advertisers and promoters of empty-calorie foods. They have become the primary influence on what foods we eat and are now so powerful that they have changed our traditional eating habits.
This type of advertising is obviously effective. Each year, the average American consumes 600 cans (or 56 gallons) of soda, 150 hamburgers, 200 orders of french-fries, 175 pounds of sugar, and 180 pounds of meat. And we purchase, on average, 125 take-out meals each year. What is more disturbing is that 90% of foods Americans purchase every year are processed foods lacking in essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants; in 1940, this statistic was only 10%. The number of people eating five servings of fruits and vegetables declined in the last 18 years from 42% to 26%. Twenty-eight hundred new types of snacks, candies, desserts, and ice cream are introduced to the marketplace every year. And these numbers continue to rise.
Food manufacturers keep us ignorant about the dangers of unhealthy foods. We must prevent them from glorifying disease-promoting foods. Advertisers effectively spend $40 billion every year convincing us of the benefits of choosing these products and brainwashing us by making them appear fashionable, fun, and glamorous while rarely mentioning nourishment. And anyone who has watched Saturday morning TV programming for children knows how the power of this type of advertising can impact us starting at a very young age.
The nutrient-poor foods the food industry produces are overly refined, overly stimulating foods, which are not satisfying because they are lacking in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and the plethora of phytonutrients found in unprocessed foods. In addition, these "foods" are rich in sugar, salt, fat, and often cause us to unknowingly consume more calories than our bodies require. Because these products contain so little of the nutrients our bodies' need, these unhealthy foods are not just addictive but harmful, causing undernourishment and nutrient deficiencies that, over time, damage our bodies and impair our health. They are the primary cause of low energy, insomnia, fatigue, and poor memory, shortly followed by insulin resistance and unwanted weight gain, leading to obesity and all the chronic preventable diseases that plague us, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
(continues after
THE FAST-FOOD & SCHOOL-FOOD HAMBURGER
Do you know what your fast-food & the nation's school-food hamburger is made of?
Are you sure you want to know? Warning:
THE TRUTH IS SHOCKING
The great American staple. Don’t worry, burgers really do come from cows—but have you ever wondered how those giant chains process and distribute so much meat so cheaply? And . . . are you sure you want to know?
The Truth: Most fast-food hamburger patties begin their voyage to your buns in the hands of a company called
Beef Products.
The company specializes intaking slaughterhouse trimmings — heads and hooves and the like
— that are traditionally used only in pet food (the processed pet food makes our pets sick) and cooking oil, and turning them into patties.
The challenge is getting this byproduct meat clean enough for human consumption, as both E. coli and salmonella like to concentrate themselves in the fatty deposits.
The company has developed a process for killing beef-based pathogens by forcing
the ground “meat” ( = slaughterhouse trimmings – heads, hooves, etc.) through pipes and exposing it to ammonia gas—the same chemical you might use to clean your bathroom. Not only has the USDA approved the process, but it's also allowed those who sell the beef to keep it hidden from their customers.
At Beef Products’ behest, ammonia gas has been deemed a “processing agent” that need not be identified on nutrition labels. Never mind that if ammonia gets on your skin, it can cause severe burning, and if it gets in your eyes, it can blind you. Add to the gross-out factor the fact that after moving through this lengthy industrial process, a single beef patty can consist of cobbled-together pieces from different cows from all over the world—a practice that only increases the odds of contamination.
Eat This Instead: Losing weight starts in your own kitchen, by using the same ingredients real chefs have relied on since the dawn of the spatula. If you’re set on the challenge of eating fresh, single-source hamburger pick out a nice hunk of sirloin from the meat case and have your butcher grind it up fresh.
Hold the ammonia.
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Mr. President, Members of Congress and Senate:
what are you going to eat after you see the facts -
what kind of an example are you giving to our nation? ___________________________________
Another serious health problem to our nation
are artificial sweeteners
- plain killers-
("not pain killers but pain-causing")
The next brief article is a good example of the facts
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is bad for you –
bad, bad, bad
There’s growing evidence that avoiding this (and any other) sugar replacement could help you avoid heart disease, stroke and diabetes, not to mention wrinkles and impotence.
In a groundbreaking 2010 study, a third of people consuming 200 grams of HFCS a day -- what you’d get in seven 20-ounce bottles of soda -- developed metabolic syndrome in two weeks. Yes, two weeks. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of disorders that sets you up for heart, brain, gonad (gouna/ed)(called also sex gland), skin and kidney trouble. Since the artificial sweeteners appeared, worldwide, the male sperm production has fallen about 75 %. What used to be defined as infertile is now a top of the line level. In vitro industry is expanding – otherwise many men could not conceive and our babies would disappear and mankind would also. However, in vitro has risks. Yet, it is advisable to use if nothing else works – that is STAF, Inc. health opinion related to this topic.
You’d probably never swallow that much soda every day, but teens average 73 grams of HFCS a day, and most people take in about 55 grams, mainly from the HFCS in sweet drinks, desserts and candy, which your body absorbs in a flash. The fructose in fruit, by contrast, gets absorbed slowly and safely. (Side note: HFCS also might contribute to obesity by interfering with “I’m full” brain signals.)
Avoiding HFCS and other artificial sweeteners is about as easy as avoiding daily news. That poisonous, killing stuff is everywhere, from salad dressings and honey mustard sauce to yogurt and muffins. So keep it simple: Check the label: If HFCS is in the first five ingredients, drop it like it would be a rattlesnake in your hand.
Since the artificial sweeteners came on the market we did not know enough about their dangers. The same was the case with margarines – they are made of vegetable oil and marketed as the healthiest choice. The butter use dropped. Later on was found that the hydrogenation process changes the molecules in the vegetable and it becomes toxic and creates every kind of a sickness in us humans.
Artificial sweeteners are believed nowadays to be the biggest reason for emotional and mental challenges in children and adults.
Do not drink any soda – IF you desire to keep your health. Stop eating any processed and fast food – IF you desire to keep your health.
Stick these 3 quotes on your fridge door – stick them on your forehead:
(1) "If man made it, don't eat it"
(2) "If it came from a plant, eat it – if it was made in a plant (factory)
don’t"
(3) "To keep your health is to eat what your body wants -
not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, President, STAF, Inc.)
For additional information about Artificial Sweeteners, Soda, and Other Killers:
(click) Sugar substitute - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetener - Cached
Take the Quiz: Sugar and Sweeteners (click)
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Next another eye-opening article
15 Shocking Food Industry Secrets
Food manufacturers think you're stupid. In fact, they’re banking on it. Why else would Hershey’s put a ribbon on the Good & Plenty box that says “A fat-free candy.” Sure, it's true—no fat in the box—but it's also very misleading. The candy is essentially 100 percent sugar and processed carbs. And Hershey knows the average American equates fat-free with being good for you.
Another example: Between 2005 and 2008, as the organic movement gathered steam, the prevalence of “simple” or “simply” on food labels increased by 65 percent. Food marketers pinpointed how our expectations were changing, and began using that knowledge to keep us buying unhealthy processed foods.
While researching our latest book, Eat This, Not That! 2011, we spotted more minefields than ever—in restaurants, at supermarkets, in your own pantry. That’s why we cornered food-industry insiders and asked them to come clean. What they told us may shock you. Go ahead, dig in.
1. The average American has easy access to 2,700 calories each day, according to the USDA, versus just 2,200 in 1970. That food is on their plates and in their refrigerators, or neatly lining the vending machines at work. In other words, potential calories are everywhere. And studies show a direct correlation between food exposure and consumption. If 500 calories a day doesn't sound like much, consider: that’s 52 pounds a year.
2. The average American drinks 450 liquid calories a day. That’s twice as much as we consumed 30 years ago, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina. What’s to blame? Take your pick: sodas, energy drinks, lattes, bottled teas, milk shakes. (Here are the most sinister culprits--the 20 worst drinks in America.)
3. Fresh fruits and vegetables cost 10 times more than junk food, according to researchers at the University of Washington. A thousand calories of nutritious food cost $18.16, while a thousand calories of junk food cost a mere $1.76. How do they keep junk-food costs so low? Pretty simple, actually: flavor enhancers and other chemical additives. Speaking of . . .
4. There are more than 3,000 items on the FDA’s list of approved food additives—everything from acesulfame potassium (an artificial sweetner that animal studies have linked to breast cancer) to Yellow #5 (a food coloring linked to learning and concentration disorders in children).
Bonus Tip: Click here for a list of food additives to avoid.
5. Your food can legally contain maggots, rat poop and pus. Sure, the FDA limits the amount of such appetite killers in your food, but that limit isn't zero. Trace amounts won’t make you sick, but the thought of them will. Pus in milk? – Yes. Delicious? A dairy cow filters ten-thousand quarts of blood through her udder each day and uses dead white blood cells (somatic cells) to manufacture her milk. These dead cells are pus cells. Dairy scientists are aware that when one quart of milk is tainted with 400 million or more pus cells, some 35% of the milking cows in the herd are infected with mastitis. Udders bleed, discharges, including bacteria and blood drip into the milk. This is mostly caused by over-stimulating (with chemicals, medication, antibiotics) the cow to produce a maximum amount of milk. That can cause mastisitis, infection of the udder. Enjoy your pus in your milk? All beneficial ingredients milk has are available in vegetables, fruit, nuts, etc. Milk allergy in humans is common. In addition, cow milk can cause allergies, congestion, headaches, asthma, bronchitis, etc.
(Click) YOUR STATE'S AVERAGE PUS COUNT Your state may be in violation of a federal ordinance by allowing too many pus cells in milk www.notmilk.com/lawbreakers.html - CachedBy Robert Cohen (the pus count info)
The pasteurization process destroys most vitamins and other nutrients in milk. Milk is heated 71.7 °C (161 °F) for 15–20 seconds and UHT or ultra-heat treated processing holds the milk at a temperature of 135 °C (275 °F) for a fraction of a second - destroys. The life-promoting enzymes die and disappear at about 130 F.
6. Smaller portions are equally as satisfying as larger portions. Participants in a Penn State study ate macaroni and cheese over four different days, and when presented with bigger portions, they consumed an extra 160 calories. Despite the extra food, they rated their fullness the same.
7. Between 1977 and 1996, the average cheeseburger grew in size by 25 percent. In that same time, a bag of pretzels grew by 93 calories, according to analysis by researchers in North Carolina. But you don't have to give up the burgers to stay thin, but it helps to avoid the 15 Worst Burgers in America.
8. What do hamburgers and fertilizer have in common? Turns out, hamburgers— especially the stuff served at schools (do our precious children, growing up, deserve this public, government promoted & protected poisoning of their bodies and minds?) and fast food restaurants—are routinely treated with ammonia to kill off E. coli bacteria. That’s the same substance used in fertilizers and household cleaners. (See additional information in the article just above this one.)
9. There's a good chance chicken will make you sick. In a 2006 Consumer Reports review, more than 80 percent of whole broiler chickens bought nationwide contained campylobacter or salmonella—the leading causes of foodborne illness in America.
10. Junk food is like a drug. A study in the journal of Nature Neuroscience found that eating junk food doesn’t just satisfy cravings—it creates them. That’s right; junk food is addictive. That's why manufacturers load their foods with sugar, salt, and artificial flavorings, and why you should never forget the golden rule: If your food can go bad, it's good for you. If it can't go bad, it's bad for you.
11. Only 19 percent of what you pay for a food product actually goes toward the food itself. The rest pays for packaging, labor, and marketing, according to USDA data. Yet another reason to buy fresh, local ingredients.
12. Food companies pay “slotting fees” to supermarkets to ensure the best possible placement— an average of $70 per item, according to a 2004 government report. These fees are passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Pay less by shopping the tops and bottoms of the shelves; that’s where you’ll find brands that aren’t paying slotting fees.
13. The leanest cuts of meat may have the highest sodium levels. Leaner cuts by definition are less juicy. To counteract this, some manufacturers "enhance" turkey, chicken, and beef products by pumping them full of a liquid solution that contains water and salt.
14. Long checkout lines may make you fat. If you’re waiting to pay, you're up to 25 percent more likely to buy the candy and sodas around you, according to a recent study at the University of Arizona.
15. Calorie counts may be wrong. To ensure you're getting at least as much as you pay for, the FDA is more likely to penalize a food manufacturer for overstating the net weight of a product than understating it. As a result, manufacturers of
Source: By David Zinczenko
___________________________________
Mr. President and
the members of the U.S. Congress & Senate:
what are YOU going now to drink and eat when you saw the above information and when you see this plan with all its vast and detailed information?
What kind of a model, with your own behavior, will you now give to our nation to follow?
Could your own overall lifestyle and health be better?
A public figure is an important role model.
This STAF, Inc. plan has the answers for our nation's success
When drafting your proposal to improve the health of Americans,
we call on you to stop the epidemic of food-related chronic preventable diseases by educating individuals about a healthier way of eating and by yourself, as a public figure, applying the health-promoting principles.
This STAF, Inc. plan has the answers.
This plan developed by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. has all solutions to our nation's lifestyle and nutrition related challenges.
STAF, Inc. specialists do also know HOW to have the nation starting to follow these principles. We are fully available to guide and help in all these matters.
Eating health-promoting foods and avoiding nutrient-poor foods are key preventative measures to avoid disease in the first place. With every individual in whom the onset of disease is prevented, hundreds, thousands, and perhaps even millions, of dollars can be saved.
A recent American Heart Association survey disclosed that 29% of the participants were purchasing fewer perishable items-including fruits and vegetables (March 2009, American Heart Association). During difficult economic times, people turn to supposedly cheap, highly processed, refined unhealthy foods. Advertisers convince them that these foods are less expensive when, in actuality, highly refined and processed foods are some of the most expensive foods one can buy. They are more costly because we pay extra for the fancy packaging, refining, processing, handling, and advertising-and also for their transport since virtually none of these foods are locally produced.
Instead of promoting health, these highly processed foods ultimately deprive us of physical and mental fitness. You get the least benefit for your money. I wouldn't even consider these items "food," but rather "food-like products."
Americans need to learn that healthy foods do not necessarily have to cost more than their unhealthy counterparts; in fact, a review of data by the USDA published in 2008 found that refined grains, added sugars, added fats, and processed foods were not the way to go in developing a low-cost, yet still nourishing food plan. The only way for the meal to remain both nourishing and low-cost was to emphasize nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
The USDA found that the strategy used to keep food costs down at the level of 10% of earnings was none other than nutrient-richness (used as equivalent to the term "nutrient-density" which is often cited in the scientific literature); it is determined by comparing the number and amount of nutrients a food contains in relationship to its caloric content. The USDA researchers concluded that "For many American households, achieving an affordable healthy diet will require moving nutrient-dense foods, such as fruit and vegetables, to the center of their plates and budgets."
In addition to food manufacturers, I believe Big Pharma also holds responsibility for the sorry state of our national health. We need to shift our focus from the use of drugs to suppress disease symptoms to programs that help us prevent disease and promote health. Pharmaceutical companies profit from managing the health of individuals after-the-fact through the use of expensive drugs and harsh therapies, and they tell us that more money is needed for research as they are on the cusp of a long-awaited breakthrough for the cure of diseases.
Selling prescription drugs is a profit-making business, which spends $4 billion each year on direct-to-consumer advertising and $16 billion influencing physicians to prescribe their drugs. Through the use of the media, they have manipulated us to believe that drugs can provide us with the answer to all our health problems.
Consequently, we have spent enormous amounts of both time and money on symptom palliation rather than on preventing disease or treating its true underlying causes. We need to remember that while infectious diseases caused by viruses (such as typhoid, malaria, AIDs, etc) may not be preventable by lifestyle changes of diet and exercise, obesity and chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer resulting from excessive consumption of refined foods and insufficient amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients are largely preventable.
History has taught us that looking for cures for disease is not always medically nor economically effective. President Nixon's "War on Cancer" is a great example of the unproductive nature of this approach. In 1971, he signed the National Cancer Act legislating $1.6 billion expenditure to find a cure for cancer. That year, 335,000 Americans died of cancer. In 2008, 37 years later, this number has increased to 565,650 people-up by 69%!
Since 1971, the Federal Government, private foundations and companies have spent around $200 billion in a quest to cure cancer. This $200 billion generated 1.5 million scientific papers about the basic biology of cancer. For 37 years, the War on Cancer (the majority of the funding for cancer) has gone into research to eradicate malignant cells rather than to keep normal cells from becoming malignant in the first place. The American Cancer Society and other health organizations now state that the best way to reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases is through prevention. The best way for prevention is to adopt a healthier way of eating and enjoying nutrient-rich foods, which have been found to contain many potent disease-fighting compounds that help prevent disease. Americans need to learn that the drugs used to treat today's chronic preventable diseases not only do not cure them, but would be rendered largely unnecessary.
The World Health Organization recently noted that by 2020-and for the first time in history-non-communicable chronic preventable diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer will constitute more than half of all diseases on a worldwide basis. This means that over half of the diseases that drain our healthcare budget are preventable through lifestyle changes such as the food we eat.
Experts in all areas of health policy agree that the United States is facing an unprecedented healthcare crisis. About one-fourth of the entire federal budget is currently spent on healthcare; yet, in spite of this very large expenditure of our resources (over $2.5 trillion), only half of U.S. adults say they have confidence in the healthcare system. Since the 1980s, average spending on healthcare per person in the U.S. has increased at twice the rate of healthcare spending in many other industrialized countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Germany, and Australia. And unlike most of those countries, where approximately 8% of the country's productivity (measured as gross domestic product) is spent on healthcare, in the U.S., that percentage is twice as high at 16%.
The World Health Organization rated the United States 37th in health outcome. We spend nearly twice as much per capita than other industrialized countries, yet have a lower life expectancy, higher disease mortality among children, and we are rated 45th when it comes to longevity. We also have a shortage of nurses and primary care doctors, and our emergency rooms are overcrowded. And, perhaps the most frightening statistic, for the first time in history, our children are projected to have a shorter lifespan than we do.
How We Can Cut Healthcare Cost and Save Billions of Dollars
I would like to outline how measures to enhance the eating habits of Americans can result in reductions in healthcare expenses.
Obesity: If obesity continues to increase at its current rate, analysts predict that by the year 2020, we will be spending 20% of all our healthcare dollars on obesity-related problems. We now know that excess fat, especially visceral fat, is not merely a storage depot for extra calories, but functions as an endocrine organ significantly increasing inflammation and the risk for chronic degenerative disease. The enormous impact of obesity is due to its promotion of other chronic preventable diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancers. For example, experts estimate that one-half of all type 2 diabetes cases could be prevented simply by controlling obesity! If we could lower the rate of obesity (even by a modest amount) through a healthier way of eating campaign, researchers project that we could also lower cases of chronic preventable disease by about 15 million cases. That reduction in chronic preventable disease translates into $60 billion dollars less in treatment costs, and $254 billion dollars more in workplace productivity.
Heart disease: According to research experts, it would not take complicated dietary changes to trigger major reductions in heart disease rates and their associated healthcare costs. For example, if we could simply take the 2% of the calories the typical American is consuming in the form of trans-fat and replace this 2% with polyunsaturated fat, we could reduce our rate of coronary artery disease (CAD) by at least 8%, and probably by much more in the 25-30% range! Since healthcare costs related to CAD total nearly $200 billion per year, we're talking about a potential savings of $50 billion dollars from a single dietary change that swaps a small amount of polyunsaturated fat for trans-fat.
Diabetes: In 2002, an estimated $132 billion was spent on diabetes-related health problems, including about $40 billion on sick day costs and disability related to this chronic preventable disease, including blindness, amputation, heart disease, and early death. Since healthcare analysts predict that half of all diabetes cases could be prevented if obesity were prevented, approximately $40 billion in diabetes-related costs could be cut simply by the implementation of a healthier way of eating that corrected or prevented obesity. I don't have good estimates for the cost savings related to other dietary steps that can be taken to lower risk of type 2 diabetes, but I definitely know what these steps are.
Even without reversing the problem of obesity, I am confident that dietary changes to a healthier way of eating could save many lives and billions of dollars in healthcare costs related to diabetes, its treatment, and its impact on everyday productivity.
Cancer: The American Cancer Society estimates that we are spending over $100 billion each year on cancer-related costs, and there is some research to suggest that about one-third of all cancer deaths could be prevented by simply choosing to eat healthier food. Since $57 billion dollars are estimated to be lost each year following premature death from cancer, prevention of 33% of these deaths by a healthier way of eating alone would mean about $20 billion dollars in healthcare savings each year. In the case of colorectal cancer, it has been estimated that a healthier way of eating combined with exercise could prevent more cases than implementation of early screening.
While it is somewhat mind-boggling to consider, all of the evidence described above points to a very clear-cut conclusion. According to healthcare experts, our best bet for reversing chronic preventable disease rates does not lie in more expensive medical procedures, or in more sophisticated technology or in further specialization with respect to testing and medication. Our best bet experts agree, lies in the simple, everyday practice of a lifestyle change in the foods that we eat. We could be saving millions of lives and several hundred billion dollars in healthcare costs related to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer if we would consistently eat health-promoting foods-foods that the peer-reviewed medical research has already demonstrated can prevent or help prevent these diseases. Instead of spending more money and having more disease (our current situation), we would be spending less money and having less disease!
What's also remarkable about the chronic preventable disease patterns described above is the degree to which they overlap when it comes to dietary prevention. Based on current research, we do not seem to need one diet for preventing heart disease, a second diet for preventing diabetes, a third diet for preventing obesity, and a fourth diet for preventing cancer.
What seems to be needed in the case of all four chronic preventable diseases is that the changes in the foods we eat move in the same general direction: decreased intake of sugar, salt, animal fat, and processed foods, and increased intake of lower-calorie, lower-fat plant foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Dietary prevention in the case of all four chronic preventable diseases calls for a greater focus on health-promoting foods, and a food plan that can be followed and enjoyed day after day, year after year.
Countless experts, health professionals, scientists, and not-for-profit health organizations offer strategies for avoiding heart disease, cancer, and other chronic preventable diseases through a healthier way of eating:
American Heart Association
1600 calorie diet
Fruits and vegetables - 8 servings/day
Whole grains - 6 serving/day
Low-fat dairy - 2-3 serving/day
Fish or lean meat - 3-6 oz (cooked) /day
Nuts, seeds, legumes - 3-4 servings/week
Fats and oils - 2 servings/day
They also advise people to eat less saturated fat and "nutrient-poor foods"
Eat 5 or more servings of vegetables and fruits each day
Choose whole grains over processed (refined) grains and sugars
Limit intake of processed meats and red meats
If you drink alcoholic beverages, limit your intake
Maintain a healthy weight throughout life
Choose foods and beverages in amounts that help achieve and maintain a healthy weight
Fats and oils - 2 servings/day
How a Healthier Way of Eating Affects Success in School
Studies have found that almost twice as many high school graduates report that they are healthy and in good health compared to non-graduates. As a parent and great supporter of our educational system, you may find the correlation between healthy eating and students' success in school of particular interest.
While many people might question the importance of diet as a key factor in school success, the research here is clear. Academic success and high-level performance require the support of a healthy diet, and without such a diet, it is unreasonable to expect high-level school outcomes.
Our children's doing well in school is a top priority not only for the students themselves, but their parents and the teachers who teach them. It has also become a top priority for many communities and countries as a whole since excellence in education is so important for solving global problems that face today's generation, as well as generations to come. The list of key factors that influence school success is a long one that includes not only a child's economic status, school and home environment, self-esteem, and access to good teachers and role models who can inspire a love of learning, but also their nutritional status, which is dependent upon what foods the child is given!
No area of diet and school performance is better studied than breakfast. Studies have repeatedly shown that a good breakfast improves academic performance. For example, in a study of students in the Boston Public School System, participants who rarely ate breakfast (and that was over 60% of all participants!) had a 40% greater risk of doing poorly in math and reading. Their math and reading scores were about 25% lower than the scores of students who regularly ate breakfast, and their Grade Point Averages were also about 25% lower. Students who skip breakfast have also been shown to have more days absent from school and more days being tardy.
Research in the area of breakfast goes a step further. It shows that it's not just breakfast that counts, but the nutritional adequacy of breakfast. Calories are important, but so are slowly digesting foods rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The worst cost of sugary, refined cereals or breakfast bars is that these products will spike the child's blood sugar leaving him or her restless and hungry within little more than an hour.
Students are required to perform a wide variety of mental tasks in school, and there's good evidence to show that high-level performance of these tasks takes a nourishing diet. For example, school performance has been found to suffer if a student's intake of RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) nutrients falls below a minimum level. Researchers have found that it's important to get at least 50% of the RDA level for all RDA nutrients if school performance is to be maintained at the normal level. If students meet less than 50% of the RDA intake goals for as few as two nutrients, their school performance has been found to suffer.
Similarly, in a study exploring literacy test performance in 5th graders in Nova Scotia, Canada, students whose overall diet quality ranked in the top third of the class were about 40% less likely to fail on at least one component of the test. In fact, in terms of overall diet quality, even students in the middle third were 25% less likely to fail than students in the bottom third. Also striking was the connection between fruit and vegetable intake and literacy. Even though many individual aspects of the diet were studied, including intake of other foods like grains, as well as intake of foods rich in nutrients like vitamin C or calcium, only fruit and vegetable intake showed up as being a significant factor for lowering risk of failure on components of the literacy test.
Fat quality is another aspect of diet that seems critical. Students ages 6 to 16 turn out to have significantly poorer reading performance and poorer short-term and working memory when their diet contains too much saturated and too little polyunsaturated fat. The types of testing studied have included digit span testing, where students have been asked to repeat-both backwards and forwards-a series of numbers that increase in length as the test goes on. (This approach is part of a very widely used test called the WISC-R, or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Revised.)
Doing well in school also means having good vision, good hearing, and an ability to concentrate and think clearly. Without adequate nutritional support of the nervous system and brain, and without a good balance in overall metabolism, school success becomes less likely.
One balance that seems especially important for cognitive performance is blood sugar balance. Several studies have shown poorer performance on cognitive tests (like recalling a long list of words) in individuals with poor blood sugar control (called glycemic control). And there is some evidence that intake of sugar-laden foods or high glycemic index (high-GI) foods is associated with impairment of short-term memory.
Whether it's vegetable and fruit consumption, adequate polyunsaturated fat intake, provision of vitamins and minerals at the RDA level or emphasis on low-GI foods and healthy blood sugar control, nutrient-rich foods are perfectly matched with the science of school success. Focusing on nutrient-rich health-promoting foods that support body systems and metabolic balance, as well as focusing on helping students eat less nutrient-poor refined foods, is 100% in accord with the research that consistently reports that a diet, which provides proper nourishment, can be a key factor in school success. An organized eating plan that includes a nourishing breakfast will also pay dividends with school performance, let alone overall health and wellness.
Many people believe that some students are going to do well, others are not, and there's really nothing anyone can do about it. The research shows otherwise, and it shows that diet can make a real difference for students and their school success!
What We Can Learn From Other Countries
The blueprint for initiatives to improve health by focusing on the food we eat has already been laid out by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2004 Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. The WHO identified policy initiatives that should be undertaken by national authorities to help reduce the incidence of obesity and diet-related disease; they include efforts to reduce the salt, trans-fat, and sugar content of processed foods, improve food labeling, and set guidelines for foods that should or should not be advertised to children. Other countries have taken the lead in protecting the health of their citizens and provide examples of how we can follow suit:
I have drafted the following proposals to implement the solutions to the problem of our present healthcare crisis through the legislative process, public education, and the all-important examples provided by you and your family in the White House. Through legislation:
Create food labeling laws: We can begin by following the lead of New York and California in product reformations, such as their current war on saturated fat, and combine it with efforts to eliminate artificial trans-fats from foods. Legislation providing for mandatory food labeling would help inform and educate consumers about the nutritional value of the foods they are purchasing.
Create a legal definition of "food": Defining "food" as something that is not only edible, but required to contain a certain minimal ratio of nutrients per calorie without the addition of synthetic supplements could raise the quality of school lunches. Providing guidelines as to what constitutes wholesome food would also discourage the sale of unhealthy food products, whose purchase could be further lessened by prohibiting their purchase with food stamps or through the implementation of taxes on certain products.
Prohibit broadcast advertising: The UK has passed laws prohibiting the broadcast advertising of low-nutrition foods on TV programs appealing to children. These laws have reduced the broadcast advertising of foods of low nutritional value to British children by about one-third, thus helping remedy the vast imbalance that exists between the information provided in food advertisements and the information provided in government-sponsored nutrition education programs. Both the WHO and the U.S. Institute of Medicine have recognized that food marketing can adversely affect children's health. It would behoove us to follow in their footsteps.
Through education:
Create a government-sponsored nutrition-education campaign: The effectiveness of legislation will be minimal without a strong educational campaign advocating the benefits of a healthier way of eating to motivate Americans to make better food choices. At the forefront of this campaign should be a program designed to help individuals make better decisions about healthy eating. The effect of education on healthy eating has already been made clear. Learning more about a healthier way of eating and cooking can lay the foundation for healthier citizens and less disease care.
Educating parents about healthy eating: Learning about healthy eating should begin with our children, and those lessons should begin in the home. With many parents having been raised in a generation of fast and processed foods that are convenient and are thought to be less expensive than healthful food, we need to educate parents as to the benefits of healthy eating. They need to learn which foods are health-promoting and why, and that healthy eating choices can be easy, inexpensive, and practical. This sets the stage for healthy eating to become the norm for their children.
Increasing parents' awareness of how differentiating between nutrient-rich, health-promoting foods and nutrient-poor foods that are high in calories (and can translate into weight gain) can impact children's health and ability to succeed in school will help motivate them to put healthier eating into practice in the home. So will providing comparisons of the cost of processed, refined foods versus whole foods. For example, an "economy-size" box of twenty-four 1.9 ounce single serving bowls of national brand of instant oatmeal with brown sugar flavor costs around $31.00. In contrast, organic thick, cut rolled oats can be purchased in bulk at a whole foods grocery store for about $1.37 a pound, which contains 4 cups worth of rolled oats. So, for $1.37, you can have 48 servings of organic oatmeal. Or you can pay $31.00 for 12 servings of processed oatmeal with added chemicals. Cost comparisons between numerous other processed foods, such as instant rice or canned beans and their organic, unprocessed counterparts, will reveal similar cost disparities.
Teaching children to eat healthier lays the foundation for optimal health and prevents the nutritional deficiencies related to many health conditions and chronic preventable diseases. For example, foods rich in dietary fiber, like our very affordable organic oatmeal above, help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, while a deficiency of fiber can contribute to high cholesterol levels as well as high blood sugar levels. Inexpensive omega 3-rich foods like canned salmon reduce inflammation and support brain function, while a deficiency of omega-3s in the diet can cause fatigue, depression, and joint pain. Calcium and magnesium, found not only in dairy products but in tofu and leafy greens like spinach, help maintain strong healthy bones and proper functioning of nerves and muscles, while a lack of either can result in muscular pain and spasms.
Initiate pilot programs in schools to create vegetable gardens and provide cooking classes: Children can learn more about how food is grown and how much fun it is to prepare food by government-sponsored pilot programs designed to help create vegetable gardens and provide cooking classes for kids. These programs would help children's awareness of where food comes and would be not only practical, but would lay the foundation for their future health, and would also be great fun, helping children to look forward to school! A small part of your White House vegetable garden cared for by your daughters would inspire children across America, and imagine the delight of eating the just picked vegetables they have personally grown for your family!
Improve school lunch programs: Education about healthier eating can help increase the awareness of the importance of healthier food services for children in schools. According to food experts, an increase of $1 a day on school lunches could shift cafeteria food from fast foods to freshly prepared nutrient-rich foods, an amount that could be saved many times over in terms of health-care savings. These early childhood education programs and improved school lunch programs should become a mandatory part of the school system. All our children deserve decent nourishment and need it to do their best in school. And educating children to eat well will gift them with a skill they will carry with them for a lifetime.
Promoting better healthcare through self-care: Educating individual citizens about practicing a healthy lifestyle and promoting healthy eating habits should be wrapped within a campaign to promote better healthcare through self-care. Since we are making healthy eating choices every day, this must be seen as renewed responsibility for our own health. Just as we take care of our own cars, clothing, and personal hygiene, our health has to become an arena of personal responsibility. Self-care means practicing a lifestyle of healthy eating and regular exercise, and avoiding the intake of excess amounts of fast foods, sugary, salty, and fatty foods, has been proven over and over again around the world to be the best way to a long and healthy life - a life in which we can contribute to society instead of wasting and destroying our lives.
___________________________________
The New
Nutritional & Lifestyle Program
to Save the Precious American Family
During the past 6 years STAF, Inc. has developed the most comprehensive
Nutritional & Lifestyle Program
with the 5 basic facts:
(1) it has to be affordable for anyone either working (even with the minimum salary) or
living on his/her social security;
(2) it has to include ALL nutritionally relevant ingredients the human body needs daily;
see below the numbers of daily food items this scientifically leading program
contains. No other program provides
the same numbers, yet this new program is the most affordable in the US;
(3) it has to have the correct info to promote our health and it has to automatically keep
the body weight in a
health maintaining level;
(4) all nutritional items must be available year-round nationwide, and;
(5) it has to include the correct food preparing instructions including how to apply the
scientific principles of
food combining.
The new program is ready and finished and will now be introduced to
(1) the new U.S. Congress;
(2) the new U.S. Senate;
(3) The White House & the U.S. President- and
(4) to all federal officials necessary
to have this system included in the new health care legislation as the tool to correct the country's enormously lacking information in any of these matters.
Its PRICE = daily, weekly, monthly, yearly costs
to any American family is the LOWEST
- much lower than with any other result-bringing program existing -
- yet it covers all the above mentioned 5 set demands 100 %.
The same new Nutritional & Lifestyle Program will be introduced to the governments worldwide to be adopted in their countries.
THE PRICE FOR THIS NEW NUTRITIONAL & LIFESTYLE PROGRAM
per month
(1) for 1-person household is under $100;
(all costs per month)
(2) for 2-person family about $80 monthly/each;
(3) the relative price goes down per person the bigger the family.
It is imperative to notice:
(a) the food items are ALL of correct quality for the human consumption – no compromising items;
(b) the system is an automatic, natural weight loss program
(without anything else to pay – no need for any other weight maintenance program, ever).
This new program will keep your weight on a health-promoting level to avoid serious sicknesses;
(c) this program has also a real potential to return a person’s lost health caused by a wrong lifestyle (except if it is too late already for your body to recover)
(d) as well as this system is well fit for prevention.
As amazing as the following item amount information sounds,
it is all based on the most modern research as necessary to bring the above listed results in every human being.
FOOD ITEMS - DAILY:
(the following variable numbers depend on the season)
(a) 19 -21 vegetables (up to), (availability & reasonable price),
(all item numbers are daily numbers - 7 d/w)
(b) 5 – 7 fresh fruits (or more) plus
(c) 5 dried fruits,
(d) 5 - 7 nuts/seeds,
(e) 1 – 3 healthy oils,
(f) 4+ whole grains,
(g) 5 – 7 spices,
(h) 1 - 2 eggs every second day
(i) fish & meat variably every second day
(fish & meat items in this new program are the health promoting ones – not just anything moving, crawling, or swimming around).
(j) coffee/tea (correct amount & type),
(k) proper amount & type of wine (if desired, not a must),
(l) dark chocolate (weekly, not daily, correct % of cocoa),
(m) daily (plain) water (correct amount)
(within proper time frame) depending on weight & height & other factors)
Yes – the items listed are daily items (if not otherwise marked) and they all are natural, scientifically correct food items. Yet, as said, everyone can afford this as long the person works at leas on the minimum wage or lives on social security.
It is all natural nutrition that not only maintains and potentially corrects the health problems but is also a natural, automatic weight loss program (= free - no needs to invest hundreds or thousand of dollars to any fad weight management because this new nutritional program does the work, automatically, without any additional effort or action – and: keeps the extra weight off forever).
This new program will be introduced at a proper time to the whole nation – to the American People to save our precious American Families, to save our Precious Children, to promote information how to maintain the happiest marriage
(see an article on this site, tab:services, sub-tab: Restoring any marriage – RAM™, “The Health Benefits of Marriage”)
There is no any other Nutritional & Lifestyle Program that comes even close to these correct solutions including the most affordable & nutritionally perfect solutions.
At the present time any additional, detailed information is available in our Radio/TV Show the President of STAF, Inc. hosts weekly (show info in this site: tab: Radio/TV Shows). Further information is available on this not-for-profit organization’s website:staf1org.weebly.com
Become familiar with this new, life & money saving program.
Get involved; your health is on your plate.
New public seminars will be soon available, videos will be released, CDs, DVD's will be produced, new, delicious health-promoting recipes will be available, books will be written & published – and everything else, based on the modern technology, will be initiated and applied for every family to get this most important info and how to adapt it to improve and save their health & lives.
The radio show recordings (from the past several years) are 24/7 on the internet – listen to any time.
You will get CE & College/University credit by listening to the shows – info on the Radio/TV show tab “how to get the free credit that never expire”.
You save time & money – because you still might go back (or start) to College – we all have 2 – 5 different professions during our lifetime (recent research).
The show title is DrDrCanYouHelpMe and the Host Dr. Christian (site tab: Radio/TV Shows).
Another show title is The Miracle Show.
As needed for any info call (212) 946-1234 or send an email to: [email protected]
When applied, this new program
will save
millions of lives
&
billions
of dollars in federal expenses
every year
(it is your money as a tax-payer - it leaves much more money in your wallet and purse)
_______________________
The New Healthier Way of Daily Eating
This plan is also
an automatic, natural weight loss
program - nothing extra to buy, no added expenses
Nothing similar ever existed before
-
it is totally a newly developed system
based on the most recent science knowledge
__________________________
This new, unprecedented
Nutritional, Rewarding Lifestyle & Success Program
will restore & maintain your health, raise your quality of life, increase your level of happiness, and will guide you to build a 7-figure portfolio. The system handles all areas of life. It is custom-made for the American people. It covers all needs the modern internet generation dreams of. It will help busy people like you to live happier, healthier, wealthier lives. The total system will be introduced to the U.S. President, The White House, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate & to all necessary federal officials to be included in the new health care legislation as the most prominent part to get the searched-after results in the American life.
The fully scientifically correct daily nutrition in this new system guides you automatically (with no extra effort or cost) to maintain a safe weight level with the goal to get rid of all sicknesses, to avoid any and all senior age mental diseases, and to stay active in every aspect well beyond 100 + (today 1oo + is the fastest growing age group in the developed countries). The lifestyle part of the program guides competently in all other matters needed for a healthy, happy, meaningful, successful life with a 7-figure portfolio for your later years. This new program will save your life and your children’s lives, will save your marriage and your family, and will give you financially prosperous future.
This totally new multi-level system was created as a custom made program for all Americans and American Families.
All needs for the new internet generation are met in this program. It took over 6 (six) years to develop and create this unprecedented program. Never before has a similar system existed. This total health, rewarding lifestyle & success program is built to be suitable and easily applicable for every American.
Save The American Family - STAF Inc. and its internationally known, experienced specialists have made this miracle available for you and your family.
The STAF, Inc. founding President, Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.,
has functioned as the lead scientist for the project.
STAF, Inc., not-for-profit, headquartered in New York City
with nationwide operations and with the goal of growing wider and more important than the Red Cross,
is for every American - it is for YOU.
STAF, Inc. will be your staff to make these miracles happen.
As the STAF, Inc. slogan goes:
“We’ll give you a NEW life.”
_____________________________
Education about healthier ways of cooking
Is Your Cooking Sucking the Health Out of Your Food?
* Below two detailed articles about healthy cooking
A campaign for educating citizens about healthy eating should also promote healthier ways of cooking that retain the greatest number of nutrients and also produce meals that taste great. Encouraging more at-home cooking will greatly help individuals to take control of their sugar, salt, and fat intake. People should be aware that some foods are more delicate than others, and if cooked too long and on high heat, can lose not only 50-80% of their nutritional value, but their taste as well. For example, meats can cook for hours without much nutrient loss, but a delicate vegetable like spinach should be cooked for only 1 minute to retain the maximum number of nutrients and best flavor. A major reason some people do not enjoy vegetables is that they have never eaten any that were properly prepared, but instead have had only overcooked, flavorless, soggy vegetables.
Many of the cooking programs that are now available on TV focus on entertainment rather than on preparing nourishing foods. Americans need to learn that they can cook for health, quickly and easily, without spending lots of money or forgoing the aesthetics or flavor of exceptionally delicious food. Placing greater emphasis not only on what foods are healthy but how to prepare them is an essential part of a healthier way of eating.
Through examples set by the First Family
The First Family as a Role Model: Through the power of example set by the First Family in the White House, you can influence change in America's thinking about food, and you are the ideal choice to lead us by becoming the role model for a healthy eating lifestyle. You, Michelle, and your wonderful children can set the national tone about how healthy eating can impact health. You can reverse the negative image of broccoli put in place by the first President Bush and the honor given to jelly beans by President Reagan.
The power of your example has already been witnessed by Michelle's continued expression of the importance of basic nutritious foods and family meals, and in the groundbreaking of her vegetable garden, which has already been an inspiration to thousands of Americans. In fact, her praise of community vegetable gardens has increased the sale of vegetable seeds by 50%! These examples set by you and your family can be as effective as any legislation in changing the consciousness of the American public towards their focus on the relationship between food and health.
You can continue as a role model for Americans by focusing on the healthful meals provided by White House chefs committed to cooking simply from fresh local ingredients. In addition to feeding you and your family exceptionally well, your chefs can demonstrate how it is possible, even in Washington, D.C., to eat locally for much of the year, and that good food needn't be fussy nor complicated. Michelle's order to serve spinach not with cream sauce but in a more healthy style at the first State dinner was already a boost to this image.
Another idea would be to have the White House chef post daily menus on the Web, listing the farmers who supplied the food, as well as recipes. Realizing that the First Family places so much stock in healthy eating on a day-to-day basis sets a great example for the American people and provides them with ideas of what they can include in their personal menus for healthy eating.
How to Raise Money to Fund This Campaign
One idea of how to raise the money to fund this campaign would be by taxing the purchase of what will be defined as nutrient-poor, unhealthy foods and drinks. Like alcohol and tobacco, such foods are detrimental to health and contribute to the health crisis we are currently experiencing. Taxing the purchase of these foods can offset the costs in healthcare that result from their consumption as well as educating the public towards a healthier way of eating as they take on the responsibility of their own health and the health of our nation.
I urge you to make a commitment to include a campaign for a "Healthier Way of Eating" as an essential part of your universal healthcare reform package. I urge you to take strong and aggressive action to pass legislation and take measures to educate Americans on a healthier way of eating. I sincerely believe it is the only way to save millions of lives and billions of American dollars and extricate us from our current healthcare crisis. We, and countless others in and out of government, would welcome the opportunity to help you tackle this challenging problem.
About Healthier ways of cooking
Is Your Cooking Sucking the Health Out of Your Food?
Richard E. Collins, MD
South Denver Cardiology Associates - Richard E. Collins, MD, director of wellness at South Denver Cardiology Associates in Littleton, Colorado. He is board-certified in cardiology and internal medicine, has performed more than 500 cooking demonstrations nationwide and is author of The Cooking Cardiologist (Advanced Research) and Cooking with Heart (South Denver Cardiology Associates). www.TheCookingCardiologist.com
How can home cooking be bad for you? Well, Richard E. Collins, MD, author of The Cooking Cardiologist, has news on the connection between cancer and roasted, grilled and broiled meats and sautéed vegetables. But wait -- Dr. Collins has a solution to make these foods tasty and healthful.
Inflammation is the body’s natural, temporary, healing response to infection or injury. But if the process fails to shut down when it should, inflammation becomes chronic -- and tissues are injured by excess white blood cells and DNA-damaging free radicals.
Result: Elevated risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis and other diseases.
STAF, Inc. asked Richard E. Collins, MD, "the cooking cardiologist," how to prevent chronic inflammation.
His advice: Follow a diet that is rich in immune-strengthening nutrients... and use cooking techniques that neither destroy food’s disease-fighting nutrients nor add inflammatory properties to it.
HEALTHY WAYS WITH VEGETABLES
Deeply colored plant foods generally are rich in antioxidants that help combat inflammation by neutralizing free radicals.
Examples: Healthful flavonoids are prevalent in deep yellow to purple produce... carotenoids are found in yellow, orange, red and green vegetables.
Exceptions: Despite their light hue, garlic and onions are powerful antioxidants.
Unfortunately, these nutrients are easily lost.
For instance: Boiling or poaching vegetables causes nutrients to leach into the cooking water -- and get tossed out when that potful of water is discarded. The high heat of frying causes a reaction between carbohydrates and amino acids, creating carcinogenic chemicals called acrylamides. And even when healthful food-preparation techniques are used, overcooking destroys nutrients. Better...
Microwave. This uses minimal water and preserves flavor (so you won’t be tempted to add butter or salt). Slightly moisten vegetables with water, cover and microwave just until crisp-tender.
Stir-fry. In a preheated wok or sauté pan, cook vegetables over medium-high heat for a minute or two in a bit of low-sodium soy sauce.
Steam. This beats boiling, but because steam envelops the food, some nutrients leach out. To "recycle" them, pour that bit of water from the steamer into any soup or sauce.
Stew. Nutrients that leach from the vegetables aren’t lost because they stay in the stew sauce.
Roast. Set your oven to 350°F or lower to protect vegetables’ nutrients and minimize acrylamides.
HEALTHY METHODS FOR MEAT JUST AFTER THIS ARTICLE YOU SEE IMPORTANT INFO
When beef, pork, poultry or fish is roasted at 400°F or higher, grilled, broiled or fried, it triggers a chemical reaction that creates inflammatory heterocyclic amines (HCAs) -- especially when food is exposed to direct flame and/or smoke. At least 17 HCAs are known carcinogens, linked to cancer of the breast, stomach, colon and/or pancreas.
Safest: Roast meat, poultry and fish at 350°F. Avoid overcooking -- well-done meats may promote cancer. Also, be sure to avoid undercooking to prevent food poisoning.
If you love to grill: Buy a soapstone grilling stone, one-and-a-quarter inches thick and cut to half the size of your grill. (Stones are sold at kitchen-counter retail stores and at Dorado Soapstone, 888-500-1905, www.DoradoSoapstone.com). Place it on your grilling rack, then put your food on top of it. Soapstone heats well, doesn’t dry out food and gives the flavor of grilling without exposing food to direct flames or smoke.
If you eat bacon: To minimize HCAs (heterocyclic amines), cook bacon in the microwave and take care not to burn it.
STAF, Inc. advice: Do not eat pork or bacon – too unhealthy – if you do at least prepare it in a healthier way.
THE RIGHT COOKING OILS
Do you cringe when the Food Network chefs sauté in unrefined extra-virgin olive oil? You should. This oil has a very low smoke point (the temperature at which a particular oil turns to smoke) of about 325°F -- and when oil smokes, nutrients degrade and free radicals form.
Best: Sauté or stir-fry with refined canola oil, which has a high smoke point. Or use tea seed cooking oil (not tea tree oil) -- its smoke point is about 485°F.
Try: Emerald Harvest (www.Emerald-Harvest.com) or Republic of Tea (800-298-4832, www.RepublicofTea.com).
Rule of thumb: If cooking oil starts to smoke, throw it out. Use a laser thermometer (sold at kitchenware stores) to instantly see oil temperature -- so you’ll know when to turn down the heat.
Richard E. Collins, MD, director of wellness at South Denver Cardiology Associates in Littleton, Colorado. He is board-certified in cardiology and internal medicine, has performed more than 500 cooking demonstrations nationwide and is author of The Cooking Cardiologist (Advanced Research) and Cooking with Heart (South Denver Cardiology Associates). www.TheCookingCardiologist.com
About Meat - Can Prime Rib Be Healthy?
Sure, some people love their vegetarian diet... but others just can’t imagine living life without steak, burgers and beef bourguignon. Maybe there’s no reason they should have to!
It’s definitely unhealthy to eat a lot of red meat... but just how unhealthy? It depends in part on how the beef is prepared and in part on something you may not have thought much about -- what the cow ate on its way to becoming your dinner.
If you want to eat steak (or prime rib, beef stew or any other beef dish), it pays to be particular about what kind of beef you eat. Even your run-of-the-mill supermarket has lots of different alternatives you can choose from... not only a variety of cuts of beef with varying fat content, but also beef that is "antibiotic-free," "organic," "grass-fed" and even "free range." Are any of these truly healthier or just marketing gimmicks? It’s a fair question. I took the query to nutritionist Jonny Bowden, CNS, author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.
GRAIN IS JUNK FOOD FOR COWS
I’m sure you are familiar with the old saying, "you are what you eat." It should come as no surprise to learn that it applies not only to people but also to cows -- and to a cow, eating grass is the equivalent of eating natural, whole foods. Unfortunately, only a very few cows have that luxury. At this point, 100% grass-fed cows (also called "pasture-fed") constitute only about 1% of the nation’s beef, though the number is growing.
Instead, most cows eat grain, which is like junk food to them -- and (just like with people) eating unhealthy food extracts a toll. "Cows are meant to eat grass, not grain," Bowden told me. Since grain is high in omega-6 fatty acids, cows raised on grain produce meat that is high in inflammatory omega-6 fats. Grass in pastures contains healthier omega-3 fatty acids in abundant amounts and that, too, is reflected in cows’ meat.
Related problem: While all cows start out eating grass, 75% are moved to commercial feedlots where they eat grain and live very short, brutish lives in confined quarters. Cows from factory farms (called "CAFOs," for "confined animal feeding operations") also are fed antibiotics (to prevent disease) and growth hormones and steroids (to make them very fat very quickly). The beef produced this way is laced with unhealthy drug residue that you don’t want to ingest, Bowden points out.
Grass-fed beef, however, is a whole different animal. Not only is it richer in omega-3s, but it also contains measurable amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a healthful type of fat that is thought to help fight cancer. Several studies have demonstrated that grass-fed beef has more vitamin A and E than its grain-fed counterpart, not to mention antioxidants such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase (SOD) that help fight cancer.
Grass-fed beef is also better for you because of what it does not have. Most grass-fed beef is antibiotic- and steroid-free. It’s also lower in fat. For instance, a USDA study of one brand (Mesquite Organic Foods) found that their grass-fed ground beef was 65% lower in saturated fat than grain-fed beef, while their New York strip cut was 35% lower in fat
WHAT THE LABEL SAYS... AND DOESN’T SAY
Now that I’ve explained why grass-fed beef is healthier, my job is only half done -- you need to know exactly what you are looking for when you head out to buy your meat, since it’s not quite as clear-cut as you might guess. You’ll need to read the labels closely. Bowden offered some tips...
IS IT WORTH THE PRICE?
Obviously, raising a 100% grass-fed animal is far more time-consuming and expensive than raising one on a feedlot farm... and, as you’d expect, the price reflects that. This kind of beef can be 20% to 100% more expensive. I’m convinced that the health benefits alone are worth the extra cost -- but is it as good to eat?
Well, grass-fed beef can be tough. "Dry-aging," a process by which the meat is refrigerated for up to several weeks before being sent to market, is done by some meat purveyors -- it makes the meat more tender and flavorful, but is another factor that can drive up the cost even more. For tips on how to cook grass-fed beef, check the American Grassfed Association site at www.americangrassfedbeef.com/tips-for-cooking-grass-fed.asp .)
As far as taste, I did an "informal" test and cooked up some regular rib-eye steaks and burgers along with others that were grass-fed for a gathering that included two families, adults and teens, and a seven-year-old child. The verdict was nearly unanimous: Every person except the seven-year-old said that the grass-fed beef was loads better -- more succulent, juicy, tender and delicious.
The seven-year-old simply asked if we could pass the ketchup.
Jonny Bowden, CNS, board-certified nutritionist based in Woodland Hills, California, and author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What You Should Eat and Why (FairWinds).
____________________________________________
"We’ll Give you a NEW life"
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Part 2 of the letter to President Obama below after the references
References
Bazzano LA, Serdula M, and Liu S. Prevention of type 2 diabetes by diet and lifestyle modification. J Am Coll Nutr. 2005 Oct;24(5):310-9.
Bellisle F. Effects of diet on behaviour and cognition in children. Br J Nutr. 2004 Oct;92 Suppl 2:S227-32.
Bray GA and Popkin BM. Dietary fat intake does affect obesity! Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, Dec 1998; 68: 1157 - 1173.
Cruz NV and Bahna SL. Do foods or additive cause behavior disorders? Pediatric Annals 2006, 35(10): 744-755.
Davis K, Schoen C, Guterman S, et al. Slowing the growth of U.S. healthcare expenditures: what are the options? The Commonwealth Fund Publication No. 989, January 2007. (Available online at www.cmwf.org.)
DeVol R and Bedroussian A. An unhealthy America: the economic burden of chronic disease. Executive summary and research findings. 2007, The Milken Institute, Santa Monica, California.
Fierro MP. Costs of chronic diseases: what are states facing? The Council of State Governments, Lexington, KY, 2006. (Available online at www.healthystates.csg.org.)
Florence MD, Asbridge M, and Veugelers PJ. Diet quality and academic performance. J Sch Health. 2008 Apr;78(4):209-15.
Fu ML, Cheng L, Tu SH, et al. Association between unhealthful eating patterns and unfavorable overall school performance in children. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007 Nov;107(11):1935-43.
Golan E, Steward H, Kuchler F et al. Can Low-Income Americans Afford a Healthy Diet? Amber Waves. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 2008, 6(5): 26-34.
Greenwood CE, Kaplan RJ, Hebblewaite S et al. Carbohydrate-Induced Memory Impairment in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, Jul 2003; 26: 1961 - 1966.
King, DE, Mainous, AG, Carnemolla, M, et al. Adherence to Healthy Lifestyle Habits in USA Habits,Am. J. Medicine (2009) June 122(6),528-534.
Kleinman RE, Hall S, Green H, et al. Diet, breakfast, and academic performance in children. Ann Nutr Metab. 2002;46 Suppl 1:24-30.
Rampersaud GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL, et al. Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 May;105(5):743-60.
Thompson WG, Cook DA, Clark MM, et al. Treatment of Obesity. Mayo Clin. Proc., Jan 2007; 82: 93 - 102.
Wang Y, Beydoun MA, Liang L, et al. Will All Americans Become Overweight or Obese? Estimating the Progression and Cost of the US Obesity Epidemic. Obesity (2008) 16 10, 2323-2330.
Willett WC, Koplan JP, Nugent R, et al. Prevention of Chronic Disease by Means of Diet and Lifestyle Changes. Chapter 44 in: Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries (2nd Edition). Jamison DT, Breman LG, Measham AR et al, Eds. Disease Control Priorities Project, Washington, D.C., April 2006.
World Health Organization. Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. Report of a Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation, 2003 WHO Technical Report Series 916, WHO Geneva.
Zhang J, Herbert JR, and Muldoon MF. Dietary Fat Intake Is Associated with Psychosocial and Cognitive Functioning of School-Aged Children in the United St
Some of the above facts are quoted from Mr. George Mateljan - a nutritional writer
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Part 2
Prepared & compiled by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., the President of Save The American Family - STAF, Inc - not-for-profit-
Consists of several life-saving articles
Dear President Obama,
Correct nutrition, safe food preparation & proper food chewing are not enough to maintain good health and avoid sicknesses
There is more to
a correct L-I-F-E-S-T-Y-L-E * * *
(1) Smoking:eliminate (STAF, Inc. tab: services);
(2) Overweight: eliminate (STAF, Inc. tab: services);
(3) Alcohol not needed but if: a glass of wine/day, heavy liquor: eliminate (STAF, Inc. tab: services) - below a recent study about the dangers of alcohol;
(4) Substance use: eliminate (STAF, Inc. tab: services);
(5) Proper amount of SLEEP & learning Stress conquering techniques: (learn from STAF. Inc.);
(6) Family Life & Children (learn from STAF, Inc.) the secrets of how to have the heavenly happiness in your marriage and how to raise mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy, successful children(– STAF, Inc. tab: services:“RAM™ - Restoring Any Marriage”);
(7) Religion & Spirituality (see website: gcg1org.weebly.com for worldwide Radio/TV Ministry & Local Ministry - we humans are a body that has a spirit – that spirit must be healed, nurtured & maintained);
(8) Exercise, physical & mental (learn from STAF. Inc.);
(9) Become a Millionaire (yes, you can) &Stay Debt Free (learn from STAF. Inc. - see tab: University & College - earn free CE, College & University credits (never expire) by listening/watching the STAF, Inc. Radio/TV Shows - register as an achiever of free credits; call or email for easy instructions, take STAF, Inc. seminars, training, volunteer your time = you'll learn more techniques while performing volunteer work, study STAF, Inc. books, publications, CD's, DVD's, etc.);
(10) Achieve all your worthy goals and live a long life filled with happiness (learn from STAF. Inc. – see and apply all info “how”- study fully STAF, Inc. website, all tabs, follow regularly STAF, Inc. Radio/TV shows, other instructions, take STAF, Inc. seminars, training, volunteer your time = you'll learn more techniques while performing volunteer work, study STAF, Inc. books, publications, CD's, DVD's, etc. and recognize the message of the
Quote: “Knowledge is no power – only applied knowledge is power”
(Dr. Christian, President of STAF, Inc.)
_______________________________________________________________________________
STAF, Inc. has new programs for all mental & physical activities mentioned on its website – all developed to fit for the internet generation
As also, among many other programs:
Yoga (= Yabbanetics™ Yoga - developed by Dr. Christian, President of STAF, Inc.),
Meditation (= M+ = Meditation+ - developed by Dr. Christian, President of STAF, Inc.),
and traditional Tai Chi – Asian physical & mental exercise program
with roots that extend back thousands of years, offers many benefits:
_________________
Study: Alcohol More Dangerous Than Heroin
“Alcohol More Dangerous Than Heroin", a recently published health research finds.
Based on a British abstract study of various drugs (such as cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, marijuana, and alcohol), the research assessed the effects that these substances have on individuals and on our society.
The researchers looked at the addictive potential of each substance, harmful physical effects to users, emotional/functional costs of substance use to family systems, and financial costs to society for such things as health care, social services, and prison.
Their conclusions? The most severe effects on individual users came from heroin, crack cocaine, and crystal meth (methamphetamine). Social costs were greatest from the use of alcohol, heroin, and crack cocaine. But, when all parameters were considered as a total package, alcohol was at the top of the list, causing the greatest combination of overall individual physical disability, as well as widespread social dysfunction. The next substances on the ranking were heroin and crack cocaine, with marijuana, ecstasy and LSD lower in rank.
It’s possible that alcohol’s rank comes in part due to our society’s acceptance of both alcohol use and abuse, the ready availability of alcohol, and the devastating effects of excess alcohol on nearly every organ system.
I worry most about the effect of alcohol on teenagers. Some of the costs of alcohol use among younger users include an increased risk of:
Our schools try to educate our teens about alcohol use and abuse, but we all need to join their efforts. We adults need to lead by modeling responsible alcohol use, by refusing to be amused by drunkenness, and by making it clear that underage drinking is wrong not just because it is illegal, but because it is potentially seriously harmful to the underage drinker.
_____ STAF, Inc. 's internationally known professionals will guide you to stop drinking - contact STAF, Inc. _____
CALL - 212-946-1234 - and: your new life begins
___________________________
Save Your Brain By Not Lighting Up
Smoking is so over. But if you're still promising yourself and your kids, spouse, doc that you'll quit next week, month, year, maybe this new finding will help motivate you to join today's Great American Smokeout: Heavy smoking from middle age on more than doubles your risk of dementia down the road.
Yup, more than doubles it. And all smoking in middle age -- including secondhand -- increases your risk of brain dysfunction as you age. That's because smoking affects the blood vessels in your brain as well as your body. If you're a smoker who's lucky enough to reach your 60s or up minus lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema or chronic bronchitis, you still won't get much further with your mental faculties intact. Even if you're a "lite" smoker (the half- to pack-a-day kind), you still have a 37 percent increased risk of dementia. The thirdhand smoking is the fact that harmful chemicals from smoking attach the walls, the clothes, the furniture - and continue harming everyone around. The pets lick the surfaces, so do the babies - and get health hazards from the smoker's life-threatening habits.
You wouldn't think there's really good news here, but there is. The 50- to 60-year-olds who quit smoking when this recent study began had NO increased risk of dementia in the following decades. So save your brain and don't light up today. Just don't go it alone, either. The minute you finish this article, contact STAF, Inc. - STAF, Inc. has the most effective program - and the only private program anywhere guaranteed with a life- time result guarantee with only ONE-TIME fee.
Save your life, save your family's life, save your cildren's lives, save your pet's life - call STAF, Inc. now.
____ STAF, Inc. 's internationally known professionals will guide you to stop smoking - contact STAF, Inc. ______
CALL - 212-946-1234 - and: your new life begins
Save your life - Save your children's health - Save your family
Save your money
Have freedom of nicotine and any other addiction and live free
_____
- then you'll know what "happiness" is -
STAF, Inc. internationally leading specialists
will help you and your family to get rid of your addiction(s).
Listen to our Radio Shows and watch our TV Shows - see the related tab in this site for further show info - you'll get free CEU, College & University credits (they never expire) just by listening and watching the shows. Registration as the achiever of these credits necessary - instructions in the TV/Radio Shows tab.
______________________________________________
ABOUT SLEEP NEXT
HOW TO RESTORE YOUR BRAIN POWER
Source: August 2010 issue of the journal Sleep
Evidence demonstrates that sleeping in on the weekend is a smart idea after a tough week at work (or anywhere else). I’ve been known to sleep late myself on occasion, but always with a twinge of guilt, since we’re told that it’s better to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day. But juggling my job, kids, household tasks and other requirements all week sometimes leaves me weary and sleep-deprived by Friday afternoon -- and I bet you know exactly how I feel.
Americans have a sleep debt that makes the national budget deficit look minor, warns Matthew Edlund, MD, MOH, an expert on rest, biological clocks, performance and sleep based in Sarasota, Florida, and author of the new book, The Power of Rest. Sleep is as important to health as food and water, and we should stop feeling guilty for allotting time for our bodies to rest, recharge and regenerate, he said.
HERE’S PROOF...
At the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, researchers conducted a study of the effect of sleep deprivation on the brain power of 159 healthy adults aged 22 to 45. A control group of 17 spent 12 consecutive days in the sleep lab -- 10 hours in bed each night for seven nights -- while the others spent 10 hours in bed for the first two nights, then were in bed only from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. for five consecutive nights. Next, this group was assigned randomized amounts of recovery sleep, up to 10 hours per night.
All participants completed 30-minute computerized tests to assess their levels of alertness and neurobehavior performance every two hours while awake -- and no one will be surprised to learn that in comparison with those who had adequate sleep, people with restricted sleep experienced:
· Impaired alertness
· Shortened attention span
· Reduced reaction time.
WHY YOU NEED A VACATION
But here’s the happy finding: Normal function (alertness and performance, as above) was restored in sleep-deprived participants after just one solid night of recovery sleep -- 10 hours, or the equivalent of squeezing in extra shut-eye on Saturday morning after a long week. (The more recovery sleep, the higher the scores.) In contrast, participants whose sleep continued to be restricted to an average of four to six hours per night performed poorly on tests and continued to get worse as their restricted sleep continued. Researchers also warned that even 10 hours of sleep in one night is not enough to bounce back if you continually push yourself too hard and burn the candle at both ends. Dr. Edlund said that, in fact, many studies have shown that even a few weeks of normal sleep won’t make up for a longtime habit of sleep deprivation -- and he added that nowadays people rarely know what it’s like to feel fully rested. In that case, it is likely to take more than a day -- think many weeks, and that’s only if you don’t go back to your old ways -- to get back to par... which is why we need to take vacations!
These results were published in the August 2010 issue of the journal Sleep.
Just as we don’t expect our bodies to function without adequate nutrition, we can’t expect to feel fully fueled and alert without sufficient sleep, Dr. Edlund told. The best scenario, of course, is to not allow yourself to become sleep-deprived in the first place -- but this is not always possible. Most people require seven or eight hours a night to be at their best the next day. But when that doesn’t happen, we now know that you can get tremendous benefit from snoozing a little longer even for just one morning. It gives your brain time to recover and reboot -- you’ll be more focused, productive and energetic as a result.
Source:
Matthew Edlund, MD, MOH (masters in occupational health), Center for Circadian Medicine, Sarasota, Florida. Dr. Edlund is author of The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone is Not Enough: A 30-Day Plan to Reset Your Body (HarperOne). Visit his Web site atwww.TheRestDoctor.com.
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Sitting at a Desk All Day Can Cause Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is dangerous -- it’s even linked to premature death, so it is disconcerting to learn that it can be caused by something we all do nearly every day: Sit. T. Douglas Bradley, PhD, director of the Centre for Sleep Medicine and Circadian Biology at the University of Toronto, explains why and tells how to prevent it.
When you sit for long periods, blood and water pool in your legs. If you sit long enough and collect a great deal of fluid in your legs, when you lie down to go to sleep, gravity causes this fluid to flow to your neck. In some people, so much fluid moves to their necks that it puts pressure on the throat, causing it to collapse from the pressure, leading to obstructive sleep apnea and making it difficult to breathe and get a good night’s sleep.
Self-defense: Take a walk every hour while you’re at work to prevent fluid retention in your legs. (see the following article)
Source: T. Douglas Bradley, PhD, professor of medicine and director, Centre for Sleep Medicine and Circadian Biology, University of Toronto, Canada, and leader of a study published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Modern Technology :
A bad match with your and your children's sleep
Cell phones and computers ... we love 'em (most of the time). We can keep in touch with our wives and kids no matter what. If we're not 100 percent sure what clouds are made of, we can find out instantly (tiny ice crystals and air). What would we do without them? Simple: We'd sleep better! And so would our kids.
Turns out that 8-to-22-year-olds who send texts and e-mails, surf the Web or play computer games around bedtime have sleep troubles ranging from restlessness and insomnia to leg pain, reports a new study. The daytime effects: anxiety, depression and learning difficulties. Not what anybody (your child or you) needs.
Healthy sleep at night does for kids what it does for you: boosts alertness, productivity, creativity and general well-being. Improves sex quality, too (that one's just for you). So make it happen.
Put kids' cell phones to bed -- say, in your closet. Remember sneaking a flashlight under the covers after lights-out? Some things don't change. Half the parents in the study said they didn't know their kids were surfing and texting hours after bedtime. Clear TVs and computers out of bedrooms, too (including yours).
Limit total screen time to two hours a day. The typical kid watches three hours of TV alone. That's time not spent playing outside and reading, activities that are more likely to induce sweet dreams.
Keep it down. Kids can't sleep if your TV is blaring and your cell phone is beeping. Besides, all that screen time isn't good for your zzz's either.
Unplug. Sleep tight.
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A Wake-Up Call on Teen Obesity
______ STAF, Inc. 's internationally known professionals will guide you to slim down - contact STAF, Inc. ______
Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD
Obese teens are at high risk of severe obesity in adulthood. This recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association is not surprising, but it should serve as a call to action.
Statistical analysis of data from the U.S. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health demonstrated that adolescents whose BMI (body mass index) is in the obese range (that is, a BMI of 30 or more) are at extremely high risk of being severely obese in adulthood – that is, a BMI of 40 or more. By “extremely high risk,” I mean that these adolescents have a 16 times increased risk.
While this study underscores adolescent obesity as a strong risk factor for severe adult obesity, I think it stands to reason that we don’t actually know at what age obesity or overweight begins to become a risk for obesity in adulthood. Is it by mid-childhood? Is it by school age? Is it in the preschool years?
We’ve got to take control of our children’s diets to protect them from this risk. We have to take seriously all the advice to learn how to cook healthily, eat moderately, and exercise regularly; we have to model these behaviors for our kids; and we have to work to ingrain these behaviors as habits in our children.
Food activists know that one of the shocking problems in poor neighborhoods is the dearth of full-service supermarkets, where fruits and vegetables are available. Families who live in these inner-city “food deserts” are forced to buy all their food at convenience stores, where the only choices are high-fat, high-sodium, high-sugar, processed foods. If we want to have an impact on our nation’s health, we are going to have to band together to insist that access to good, healthy, fresh food is a right. It should not be a privilege or a luxury to have the opportunity to act on the old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
A project in Michigan called Project Fit Community Assessment examined the inventory of 23 inner-city stores in Grand Rapids, demonstrating that none of the 23 stocked all four of the food categories that would qualify them as a “healthy food store,” such as “quality produce, lean meat, and whole-wheat bread.”
So step one: Let’s get healthy food stores in the inner cities. And step two: Let’s teach people how to prepare and enjoy healthy foods. A palate that has grown up on high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar processed foods is not going to immediately accept fresh steamed vegetables or other unfamiliar (but healthier) foods.
Fully 10 percent of the cost of health care in our country goes to pay for the medical consequences of obesity — such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and the medications required to control these conditions. So we’re all bearing the burden of obesity in this country, whether we are obese ourselves or not.
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"We’ll Give you a NEW life"
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ABOUT EXERCISE NEXT
It’s Time for Recess: Just Keep on Moving
Exercise in Small Increments for Personal Health
One doctor’s prescription for exercise: Do it where you gather, even 10 minutes at a time.
We all know by now that we should be getting 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days. Yet for all the proselytizing, wheedling and cajoling, only about 5 percent of the population has bought into the program.
“Being sedentary is the norm in America,” writes Dr. Toni Yancey, a professor of health services at the University of California, Los Angeles. Thanks to the plethora of labor-saving devices and motorized vehicles, we now “spend most of our waking time sitting, reclining or lying down.”
“Even activities that we still do regularly demand less exertion,” Dr. Yancey continued. “And the less people have to do, the more quickly they get tired when they exert themselves just a little bit, which of course discourages them from exercising.”
Clearly, a new approach is needed. And Dr. Yancey is offering one that has already shown great promise to counteract what she calls “sedentary behavior disorder.”
She calls it “Instant Recess” — the title of her new book (University of California Press), in which she demonstrates the value of two 10-minute breaks of enjoyable communal activity as part of people’s everyday lives. The sessions can be instituted wherever people gather: day care centers, schools, workplaces, conferences, places of worship, senior centers and the like.
At 6-foot-2, Dr. Yancey was a college basketball star, and she remains a staunch believer in the value of lifelong physical activity. She says the secret to motivating more Americans to make regular physical exercise a part of their lives is to incorporate enjoyable bouts of activity into their everyday behavior.
Office or Other Workplace
Take a Break and Exercise
As an alternative to a structured exercise break, she suggests “gathering groups of people to take a brisk walk around the grounds for 10 minutes twice a day.” Getting people to exercise in groups is easier because “everyone’s doing it,” and these brief exercise sessions deliver the most benefit to those who need it most.
Dr. Yancey has a wealth of experience at motivating highly sedentary people to move more. She describes instant recess as “a point of entry, a calling card for national physical activity” — a way to stimulate health-promoting activity, especially among those whose lives and value systems have not caught up with the top-down prescriptions for regular physical exercise.
“These short bouts of activity can spill over to the rest of a person’s life,” she said in an interview. “Once people feel more fit and better about themselves, they are more likely to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity during their leisure time.”
She calls the recess model “the aerobics of the 21st century — an updated exercise prescription for an increasingly over scheduled, ethnically diverse, multicultural, media-and-information-technology-driven global modern society.”
“People want to be healthier, fitter and thinner,” she writes. “But the cost is just more than most are willing to pay, and the rewards are too far in the future.”
By making instant recess the default option, she said, no one has to decide to exercise or carve out a special time to do it, and some of the rewards are immediate — among them camaraderie, social interaction with friends and co-workers, stress relief, muscle relaxation, increased energy, improved mood and better concentration.
So at sites around the country, students, employees and older people, among others, are taking dancelike exercise breaks to music that have been shown to enhance achievement, productivity, self-esteem and well-being.
As Dr. Yancey puts it, “What’s good for the waistline is good for the bottom line.” Companies including L. L. Bean and Replacements Ltd. have found that the kinds of breaks Dr. Yancey is promoting can increase output and decrease injuries and workers’ compensation claims. L. L. Bean employees who take part in three five-minute stretch breaks each workday have given back to the company “a 100 percent return on its investment — 30 minutes of productivity in terms of what comes off the assembly line,” Dr. Yancey reported. And within three years, she said, “work-related injuries dropped from 14 a year to essentially none.”
After the introduction of 10-minute exercise breaks at Replacements Ltd., which sells replacement pieces for sets of china and silverware, fewer employees lost time from work because of problems like carpal tunnel syndrome and low back pain. Dr. Yancey is now involved in a study of recess breaks at 70 work sites in Los Angeles County.
Schools – Kinder Gardens
Motivating the Young Take a Break and Exercise
Likewise, she said, 10-minute exercise breaks during the school day could do more to forward the goals of No Child Left Behind than double that amount of time spent trying to stuff math and English into students’ heads. She cited a federally financed study by the University of Kansas conducted at 24 low-income public schools.
The study, which included a matched control group, found that 10-minute activity breaks, usually done to music, led to improved scores in math, spelling and composition among the participants. The students also increased their activity levels outside school, on weekdays and weekends, and gained less weight than those in the schools who did not institute fitness breaks.
This study is especially telling because in schools around the country, physical education classes and outdoor recess have fallen prey to the demands to improve test scores.
“Getting kids to sit shoulder to shoulder for six hours a day is not going to do it,” Dr. Yancey said. “Even in schools that still have 30-minute periods of physical education or recess, many children get only about five minutes of moderate to vigorous activity. Most just stand around texting or talking with their friends.”
But studies by Dr. Yancey and colleagues at U.C.L.A. showed, for example, that athlete-led exercise breaks in school, even via DVDs or CDs, could motivate otherwise sedentary youngsters to get moving and improve their fitness levels.
In a charter school in Phoenix, instant recess was tested among low-income minority students from kindergarten through sixth grade. They loved the 10-minute sessions, according to researchers, saying things like “It gave me energy throughout the day,” “It was way better than sitting down in class all the time” and “I think other schools should do it so they can become more active.”
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Be Sure Exercise Is All You Get at the Gym
When you go to the gym, do you wash your hands before and after using the equipment? Bring your own regularly cleaned mat for floor exercises? Shower with antibacterial soap and put on clean clothes immediately after your workout? Use only your own towels, razors, bar soap, water bottles?
About washing your hands: rub your hands with the soap long enough, about 20 seconds = the same amount it takes you to hum in your mind 2 times "Happy Birthday to you". Teach this to your older children also. The younger children could hum in their minds once "Now I know my ABCs" or 2 times "Happy Birthday to you" (which ever they like best). After 20 seconds rubbing your hands with the soap rinse well (the water temperature for rinsing in itself does not matter - the temperature is up to you).
If you answered ''no'' to any of the above, you could wind up with one of the many skin infections that can spread like wildfire in athletic settings. In June, the National Athletic Trainers' Association, known as N.A.T.A., issued a position paper on the causes, prevention and treatment of skin diseases in athletes that could just as well apply to anyone who works out in a communal setting, be it a school, commercial gym or Y.
The authors pointed out that ''skin infections in athletes are extremely common'' and account for more than half the outbreaks of infectious diseases that occur among participants in competitive sports. And if you think skin problems are minor, consider what happened to Kyle Frey, a 21-year-old junior and competitive wrestler at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Mr. Frey noticed a pimple on his arm last winter but thought little of it. He competed in a match on a Saturday, but by the next morning the pimple had grown to the size of his biceps and had become very painful.
His athletic trainer sent him straight to the emergency room, where the lesion was lanced and cultured. Two days later, he learned he had MRSA*) , the potentially deadly staphylococcus infection that is resistant to most antibiotics. _________________________
*) Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It may also be called multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA). MRSA is, by definition, any strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that has developed resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics which include the penicillins (methicillin, dicloxacillin, nafcillin, oxacillin, etc.) and the cephalosporins. MRSA is especially troublesome in hospitals where patients with open wounds, invasive devices and weakened immune systems are at greater risk of infection than the general public._______________________
Mr. Frey spent five days in the hospital, where the lesion was surgically cleaned and stitched and treated with antibiotics that cleared the infection. He said in an interview that he does not know how he acquired MRSA: ''The wrestling mat might have been contaminated, or I wrestled with someone who had the infection.''
If it could happen to Mr. Frey, who said he has always been health-conscious in the gym and careful about not sharing his belongings, it could happen to you.
The Risks
Recreational athletes as well as participants in organized sports are prone to fungal, viral and bacterial skin infections. Sweat, abrasion and direct or indirect contact with the lesions and secretions of others combine to make every athlete's skin vulnerable to a host of problems. While MRSA may be the most serious skin infection, athlete's foot, jock itch, boils, impetigo, herpes simplex and ringworm, among others, are not exactly fun or attractive.
Athletes who are infected should be kept from competing in matches for a week or more until treatment renders them noninfectious. The authors of the trainers' study warned against simply covering infections like herpes and active bacterial lesions in order to return to competition.
Likewise, people like you and me who work out at a facility or swim in a public pool should stay away until cleared by a doctor who is well versed in skin diseases.
Steven M. Zinder, a trainer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and chief author of the new paper, said in an interview that these recommendations are not esoteric.
''It's what we all learned -- or should have learned -- in sixth-grade health class,'' he said. ''It's all common sense. You need to keep yourself and your equipment clean. You never know who last used the equipment in a gym. It can be a great breeding ground for these bugs, some of which are pretty nasty.''
The report, published in the August issue of The Journal of Athletic Training, stated, ''Athletes must shower after every practice and game with an antibacterial soap and water over the entire body.''
Dr. Zinder noted that after a workout, women tend not to shower at the facility, while men, who are more likely to shower, often fail to cleanse their entire bodies, including their feet. Well-equipped facilities should provide antibacterial liquid soap.
''You should be showering at the gym and putting on clean clothes that are kept separate from the dirty ones,'' he said. In fact, he added, it's best to have two bags, one only for clean clothes, and to wash the dirty-clothes bag now and then.
Assume Exposure
Jack Foley, athletic trainer and director of sports medicine at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., and co-author of the report, said athletes should always assume they are exposed to skin infections.
At any given time, he said in an interview, one person in three in the United States suffers from a skin disease that can be spread to others, even while in the incubation stage.
The report noted that there had been ''an alarming increase in the prevalence of MRSA'' in the noses of both healthy children and adults. Thus, sneezing into one's hand or blowing one's nose without washing with an antibacterial cleanser afterward may spread these dangerous bacteria to others.
While hand hygiene is most important over all , avoiding fungal infections requires a daily change of athletic socks and underwear; carefully drying the armpits and groin and between toes (perhaps blow-drying the feet on low heat); and using foot powder. Shower shoes can help prevent infection as long as they don't keep you from soaping your feet.
A viral infection called molluscum contagiosum may not be on the popular tongue, but it is commonly seen in young children and , spread through skin-to-skin contact, is not uncommon among athletes, including swimmers, cross-country runners and wrestlers, the report stated.
Prevention of this highly contagious infection requires ''meticulous hygiene'' after contact with secretions from other athletes through benches, towels and mats.
If you plan to work out in a gym or use a locker room, Mr. Foley suggested that before choosing a facility, you quiz the management about the cleaning agents used (they should be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency) and daily cleaning schedule for all surfaces and equipment. If exercise mats are not cleaned between classes, he suggested bringing your own. Antibacterial wipes or spray bottles should be provided and used by everyone to clean equipment after a workout.
(Exercise) Text, partially, by JANE E. BRODY - The New York Times
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Exercise: For Type 2 Diabetes, 2 Types of Training
Type 2 diabetics can significantly lower their blood sugar — and lose body fat in the bargain — with an exercise program that combines aerobics and weight lifting, a new study reports.
While that regimen is already recommended in Type 2 diabetes, researchers say the study offers some of the best evidence to date that a combined program offers greater benefits than aerobics or weight lifting by itself, even if it does not increase total exercise time.
“We can now look at individuals with diabetes right in the face and tell them, ‘This is the best exercise prescription for you,’” said the paper’s lead author, Dr. Timothy S. Church, director of preventive medicine research at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
Such a program consists of “about 100 minutes of higher-intensity aerobics a week, and then give yourself one to two days of resistance training for 15 to 20 minutes a day,” he said.
The study randomly divided 262 inactive Type 2 diabetics, average age 55.8, into four groups — 73 assigned to resistance training three days a week, 72 to aerobic exercise, 76 to the combination and 41 to a non-exercise comparison group. The study was notable in that almost half the participants were not white, and 63 percent were women.
After nine months of observed exercise, participants who did the combination training lowered their blood level of the glucose marker HbA1c to 7.3 percent from 7.7 percent, on average, a drop that corresponds to a significantly reduced risk of heart disease, Dr. Church said. The improvements in the other exercise groups were not significantly different from those in the non-exercise group.
Dr. Church said he was surprised but added that the findings made sense. “Diabetes is the failure to control the amount of sugar in your blood, and the biggest user of blood sugar is skeletal muscle,” he said. “The healthier your skeletal muscle, the more blood sugar it’s chewing up and taking out of the blood.”
Text by RONI CARYN RABIN - The New York Times
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The Positive of Pet Ownership
"Pet er" - A Natural Health & Success Enhancer at a Low Cost
An Effective 4-legged "Family Doctor"
Rebecca Johnson, director of the University of Missouri's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction, says:
“Research shows that being able to care for a pet improves our morale, helps validate us and encourages us to take care of ourselves,” The body of research is leading more retirement communities and universities to roll out the welcome mat for pets.
In our modern society one challenging matter is the fact when a child comes home from school, there is no one waiting for the child, no one greeting, no one to communicate with - all this together with several other negative factors can cause serious failures, emotional & mental sicknesses, emotionally pacifying over-eating leading to obesity, diabetes, elevated blood pressure, cancer, asthma, allergies, etc. These sicknesses always weaken the immune system and its disease fighting power. It leads to multitudes of additional physical sicknesses. The child carries these sicknesses to the adulthood and possibly for the rest of his or her life resulting in even more additional sicknesses and constant human suffering and human unhappiness leading to different emotional and mental challenges and sicknesses. High health/sickness care is then attached to this common cycle all the way from the individual's childhood. This common cycle can be eliminated. The STAF, Inc. developed plan has effective solutions to cut off this cycle and lower dramatically the nation's health/sickness care expenses.
One effective solution, relating to this section of the new plan, is to substantially add "pet memberships" in the American families. The majority of the population (and of the nations doctors) is not aware of the pet-benefits - the STAF, Inc. plan will provide the necessary information to widely raise the awareness of the benefits related to a family pet and how to draw the maximum benefits. Selling the "pet family-memberships" can be an easy task because the result benefits are undeniable and substantial. The cost is low. It is like the humorous quote stating "It costs $100 K to send a child to school - to school a pet costs a $100" . This plan has a brief but impressive section showing tens of health benefits the 4-legged pet-doctor will produce. A pet helps not only the children but also the parents and their marriage.
Pet & pet care information
The Positive Power of Pet Ownership
because: pets are helpful in many ways:
(1) PETS improve our marriage happiness - research proves this as a fact
(2) PETS improve our children's development & success
(3) Pets improve our and our family members' physical, emotional & mental health - "a 4-legged hard-working "Family Doctor" applying natural principles without any negative side effects - at a low cost without any formal service fee and no bill"
(4) Pets protect & save lives
(5) Pets give much happiness to us humans
The plan pet section provides detailed info about the multitudes of benefits the pets give us and also how to correctly feed and otherwise take care of your pet in a manner that maintains your pet's health and gives a long, happy life to your pet.
Letter to
President Obama,
The U.S.Congress & The U.S. Senate
Lifestyle & Nutritional Solutions to save human suffering
and hundreds of billions dollars of health care costs every year -
Detailed advice for a real solution for the U.S. health care system
January 2012
Part 1 and Part 2
- a "must" to study document -
The rest of this tab is fully reserved for this plan - to the very end of this tab
_
A Complete Plan
to solve the enormous overweight, obesity & other health challenges
in the USA
To develop this result-bringing plan took the past 6 years
and before that 19 years of worldwide research and testing
The plan details in an easy-to-read letter form start here
- a must to study information -
_____________________________________________________
Part 1
Prepared & compiled by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.,
the President of Save The American Family - STAF, Inc - not-for-profit-
President Barack Obama
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama,
New, effective & result-producing Lifestyle & Nutritional Solutions
(1) to ease human suffering and (2) to save hundreds of billions dollars
every year of health care costs
Detailed advice for a real solution for the U.S. health/sickness care system
This plan is fit for the whole American population as the road to a perfect health.
It is also suitable for every nation worldwide.
The two key elements are:
(1) it brings the desired results, and;
(2) every individual in the developed world can afford it.
For the developing world most likely international economic support is needed. However, it pays back as the best of investments, because this plan will effectively eliminate the sicknesses their constant malnutrition is producing.
The plan took the past six (6) years to prepare and is based on the previous fifteen (15) years of worldwide research and testing.
The plan applies the latest science knowledge. The organization Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.,
-not-for-profit, headquartered in New York City with nationwide operations, is the producer of the plan.
This presentation is compiled by the STAF, Inc. President, Dr. Christian von Christophers.
Because the supporting articles and information have been taken from multitudes of various sources, some details may appear briefly somewhat repeatedly in different parts of this presentation. Thus, for that reason, your patience is requested for the importance of this plan.
This new plan will make a total positive difference in the U.S. health/sickness situation - not only in the information what is needed to bring the desired results, but: the STAF, Inc. scientists can and will provide also the solution HOW to have the population applying this plan.
Quote "Knowledge is NO power - only APPLIED knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian von Christophers, STAF, Inc. President)
"Rewarding Lifestyle & Healthier Way of Eating"
as an important part of disease fighting system
is necessary in the new U.S. universal health/sickness care plan. Promoting a mentally, emotionally, and physically correct lifestyle and healthier way of eating will provide Americans with the most powerful means to prevent disease and will save not only millions of lives, but billions of dollars in healthcare costs - every year.
As stated, this complete plan is not only about nutrition. It covers all areas of life, it has a solution to all challenges originating from a wrong & harmful lifestyle in our society. It includes the information and solutions to our huge marriage & family relationship challenges and child rearing issues. It covers exercise, rest (most Americans are sleep deprived - that alone is a big sickness creator), financial matters, and other areas of a happy, long & satisfying life. This is a total plan for every area of life.
When applied, this new program will save
millions of lives
&
billions of dollars
in federal expenses every year
It is your/our money as the U.S. tax-payers
- it leaves much more money in everyone's wallet and purse to stimulate the US economy
This totally new, multi-level system was created as a custom made program for all Americans and American Families.
__________________________
This new, unprecedented
Nutritional, Rewarding Lifestyle & Success Program
will restore & maintain your health, raise your quality of life, increase your level of happiness, and will guide you to build a 7-figure portfolio. The system handles all areas of life. It is custom-made for the American people. It covers all needs the modern internet generation dreams of. It will help busy people like you to live happier, healthier, wealthier lives. The total system will be introduced to the U.S. President, The White House, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate & to all necessary federal officials to be included in the new health care legislation as the most prominent part to get the searched-after results in the American life.
The fully scientifically correct daily nutrition in this new system guides every individual automatically (with no extra effort or cost) to maintain a safe weight level with the goal to get rid of all sicknesses, to avoid any and all senior age mental diseases, and to stay active in every aspect well beyond 100 + (today 1oo + is the fastest growing age group in the developed countries). The lifestyle part of the program guides competently in all other matters needed for a healthy, happy, meaningful, successful life with a 7-figure portfolio for your later years. This new program will save your life and your children’s lives, will save your marriage and your family, and will give you financially prosperous future.
This totally new multi-level system was created as a custom made program
for all Americans and American Families.
All needs for the new internet generation are met in this program. It took over 6 (six) years to develop and create this unprecedented program. The last six years work is based on the previous 15 years of worldwide research. Never before has a similar system existed. This total health, rewarding lifestyle & success program is built to be suitable and easily applicable for every American and for any other nation worldwide.
Save The American Family - STAF Inc. and its internationally known, experienced specialists have made this miracle available for you and your family.
The STAF, Inc. founding President, Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.,
has functioned as the lead scientist for the project.
STAF, Inc., not-for-profit, headquartered in New York City
with nationwide operations and with the goal of growing wider and more important than the Red Cross,
is for every American - it is for YOU.
STAF, Inc. will be your staff to make these miracles happen.
As the STAF, Inc. slogan goes: “We’ll give you a NEW life.”
_____________________________
Good health and health maintaining weight management
starts for the new baby already in the mother's womb
Most American mothers do not know what nutrition to have while pregnant. Most families do not know what to feed the baby and the toddler and finally the child and the teenager. The obesity and related sickness problems are coming from those early years. (A related, detailed article at the very end of this presentation - at the end of this tab)
Concerned about increasing childhood obesity & growing
rates of diabetes, we MUST change how babies eat
It is time to put the human needs first, not the profits of the processed "food" industry.
All processed "food" is health-destroying at any age. Most Americans eat processed food.
It is the biggest reason for over 75 % of all Americans having overweight problems.
Most pediatricians do not have any (or have very little) competent training in nutrition and other necessary lifestyle topics. Most of them provide their opinions as guidance, not the real nutritional science facts. Most pediatricians guide with what they experienced when growing up. Thus the negative cycle repeats itself decade after decade.
Quote "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion but NOT his own facts"
(Daniel Patick "Pat" Moynihan (1927-2003) - a 4-time elected U.S. Senator: 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994 - declined to run for re-election in 2000)
The correct solutions are now available. They are developed by the organization delivering this detailed plan to solve all lifestyle related health challenges in the United States.
That organization is Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., not-for-profit, headquartered in New York City, with nationwide operations - headed by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., President of STAF, Inc.
This detailed presentation in front of you will potentially become the most important system to solve our health challenges.
In the U.S. we have, time being, a highly inefficient health system that's taking away financial resources from other lifesaving programs. By any measure, the United States spends now more on health care than any other nation. Yet according to the World Fact Book (published by the Central Intelligence Agency), it ranks 49th in life expectancy.
That is a shame, a real shame. In 1975 the United States was close to the average in health care costs, and last in 15-year survival for 45-year-old men. By 2005 its costs had more than tripled, far surpassing increases elsewhere but the survival number was still last.
-
In our organization, STAF, Inc., we have a solution for you, Mr. President,
and we have solution for our nation.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. (not-for-profit), founded 2005, headquartered in New York, has during the past 6 years developed a new, unique system for the U.S. Health Legislation as a real game changer in the costs of our health care and in the human suffering. Prior to this final 6-year period, research and related work had been done in 3 continents starting already in 1991. Thus this project has taken about 20 years to develop. No other organization can provide similar scientifically proven, tested techniques and result-bringing solutions for our health and sickness challenges. Staf. Inc. website: staf1org.weebly.com
Interesting details about the new STAF, Inc. developed nutritional program and its ingredient list is available on on its Home page. Additional details in the tab University & College.
The STAF, Inc. founding documents will give the details for the purpose of the organization.
To inspect (on its website) STAF, Inc.'s original founding acceptance documents provided by the STATE of New York
click here: click
STAF, Inc. is ready to introduce the solutions to you, Mr. President & the White House, to the U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate, and to all Federal Agencies related to these matters.
You, Mr. President and The White House, need the most talented and leading professionals to be your advisers. This letter will show that the leading and the most knowledgeable specialists in health, family, lifestyle, and all life success related matters are in our organization, Save The American Family- STAF, Inc. (not-for-profit). We are available to serve our country and help you, Mr. President, and the U.S. Congress & Senate to find the correct solutions for these most important matters in our country and in our lives.
Our country needs the best solutions based on the most advanced science facts. You, Mr. President and the White House desperately need the STAF, Inc. organization as your adviser for consulting and guiding to have the effective solutions applied in our serious health crisis including lowering dramatically the related expenses. STAF, Inc. is probably the only organization capable of providing all these solutions.
See also: On this same website:
(1) HOME page info: "President Obama still smokes"
and
(2) Services tab, sub tab: Easy Stop Smoking & Natural Weight Loss
Good health is made of several components. To provide a valid Health/Sickness/Medical Insurance for everyone is NO solution to our serious health problems. Yes, every individual should have a Health/Sickness/Medical Insurance. However, that does not prevent nor eliminate most sicknesses. First of all it is important to realize that the noun "health insurance" is a totally wrong and actually harmful word to use. Let me explain. To start with, it is not a "health" but a "sickness" insurance. Secondly, if the insurance is marketed as a "health" insurance, it is giving a misleading statement and will only lull people to think and believe: now when I have finally (as in many cases is: finally) a "health" insurance I, my family, and my children will stay healthy. That is not the case at all. It is a bad mistake to call it "health insurance" - it is a seriously misleading term.
A cow is a cow, not a horse, and a cat is a cat, not a dog. This is a "sickness insurance". It is an insurance for sickness, The insurance is not used for getting rid of health but for getting rid of sickness. In Europe it is called SICKNESS INSURANCE. In Canada it is called MEDICAL INSURANCE. When the Colleges in the USA sell a related insurance to the students, the U.S. Colleges call it a "SICKNESS INSURANCE". Thus this question is logical: is it so that the people in Washington do not know the English language but the American Colleges do know. In addition, the sickness insurance provides mostly allopathic medical science services which is a short-term solution and mostly covers the symptoms of the sickness - sometimes eliminating the reasons when the body is given a chance to repair itself and heal itself. Only one's own body can heal itself. The body is the real "Doctor". The sickness insurance provides short-term solutions as "emergency medicine". The long-term solutions are in natural principles, and manifest through a fit & proper lifestyle. It is important to call a cow as it is: a cow. By calling this important insurance "health insurance" can be damaging. This is not semantic in itself. The wrong word can prevent sick or potentially sick people from learning a healthier way of eating and from accepting a health providing lifestyle. A wrong term can easily kill a person's motivation for a necessary change. STAF, Inc.'s founding President, Dr. Christian, is a highly experienced professional not only in health and lifestyle related sciences but also in subconscious motivational sciences as he also is
the founder of the new science Successology (Reg. US Pat.Off. 1991). It takes a correct LIFESTYLE with correct NUTRITION to stay healthy - yet those two elements are NOT enough for anyone's GOOD health. Several other elements are necessary to maintain health and to restore one's lost health. When it comes to correct NUTRITION the ingredients, no matter how good and perfect and healthy for a human being, that is not enough. There are three other elements: (1) how to handle the food before cooking or otherwise preparing - this includes the food transportation from the producer to the consumer - how safely that happens, (2) how to cook = prepare the meals from perfect ingredients - most people cook out the health from their food ingredients, then (3) food combination - almost 100 % of the population have no clue what this means - we cannot (as most people do) stuff our stomachs with all kinds of food combinations. Different food categories use differently digestive chemicals. Wrong food combining creates toxins in the human body. These toxins then create inflammation in the body opening the door to a sickness to enter the human body. In addition, correct lifestyle for staying healthy involves many more details than most people have ever heard. Human relationships are one key in good health. Unhappiness causes mental and emotional sicknesses manifesting in serious physical health challenges. The most important relationship is our precious family and the fruit of a marriage: our precious children. As sick as the American family union is today, as sick will be our nation tomorrow. The children are the future society. Yet over 50 % of our children grow in a one-parent family. The separation and divorce rate is an outrageous shame in our country - the worse in the developed world. Most people, and sorry to say, most doctors, most lawyers, most court judges, most nurses, and other professionals and caregivers have no knowledge about any of these matters and of the serious problems how badly this all affects our children's development. In the USA over 50 % of first marriages fail, over 70 % of second marriages fail, and over 80 % of the 3rd marriages fail. Does this mean that people get dumber when they get married again and again? No. It simply means that most people, close to 100 % have NO clue, NO knowledge HOW to be happily married, HOW to handle a baby, HOW to raise a child, etc. - yet the family is the most important element in our an in any other society. The fact is that all aspects in any society, including in ours, depend on the happiness level of the marriages or generally of the human relationships. We humans are social creatures and need happy & rewarding human relationships to stay healthy (so do other creatures). The licensed marriage counselors fail over 70 % in the USA - that is another big shame. Couples report after one year of marriage counseling (given by a licensed, "competent" College trained "counselor") that they are either worse off or divorced - and: one year counseling costs thousands of dollars plus takes much time and emotional investment. On the contrary, the STAF, Inc. - Save The American Family, with its worldwide experience and exceptionally high-level expertise and dedication to create new solutions, new techniques, new methods, new ideas and RESULTS exceeds all traditional expectations. As a result we are the ONLY ones in the USA who dare giving a result guarantee in our private services and in an exceptional manner. In our private services our STAF, INC. professionals give a LIFETIME guarantee with ONLY ONE TIME FEE - no one else anywhere dares. The 3 most important services STAF, Inc. provides with this unique guarantee are: (1) Easy Stop Smoking, (2) Natural Weight Loss, and (3) Restoring any Marriage - RAM™. When smoking and overweight are eliminated, it eliminates the REASONS for about 90 % of all sicknesses. Notice: I did not write: "eliminates sicknesses", I WROTE: eliminates the REASONS for... To eliminate a sickness we must first eliminate the reason(s) for the sickness - then the body heals itself. This reminds me of a quote by Mr. Voltaire (French philosopher) "The Doctor's duty is to entertain the patient while the patient's body heals itself". STAF, Inc. gets 100 % results in these services, when other specialists have only 30 - 60 % success rate. STAF, Inc. applies only NEW, MODERN, UNIQUE METHODS developed in its broad global research.
There is still a need in this letter little further to discuss the family matters in our country. SAVE THE AMERICAN FAMILY - STAF, Inc. -not-for-profit- will potentially grow wider than the Red Cross. STAF, Inc. covers all areas of life, all topics in life. The American Family, the most important element for our better future, is in really, really bad, bad shape. A dysfunctional family, separation, and divorce are more common than is a healthy, happy family. The bad condition of the American family affects everything in our society, including the Wall Street. The family law is in bad shape, most judges do not know what they are doing and how their hastened, routine orders do to our innocent children - they are destroying our families thus destroying our children and the children's healthy development. That in its turn will hurt our nation. The family issue is far more important than most people realize. It affects everything, even our total economy. STAF, Inc. is the leading organization in getting results in these enormous problems.
Most people have no knowledge about the terrible disasters facing both spouses when they get separated and/or divorced. Most people have no knowledge that separation and divorce affects very negatively the mental, emotional, and physical health of BOTH spouses. In addition, the innocent children face terrible disasters. If the judges would know the facts, they would have a different approach to their decision making. STAF, Inc. was also founded to inform and educate the nation's courts and judges about family science related facts.
The STAF, Inc. founding documents will give the details for the purpose of the organization. To inspect STAF, Inc.'s original founding acceptance documents provided by the STATE of New York click here: click
Every marriage runs sooner or later into difficulties - that's life. The common (wrong) belief is "the love is dead" and most spouses just give up without any knowledge of the devastating life-destroying science facts the spouses themselves will face and what their children will face. These matters OUGHT TO BE TAUGHT IN EVERY SCHOOL AND EVEN IN EVERY COLLEGE TO EVERYONE - but it is not (in Europe it is). In addition, the basic baby care and child rearing principles ought to be taught in our schools and Colleges. STAF, Inc. has created (based on long experience and on global research) all necessary educational and training programs and system and is ready to introduce them all to you, Mr. President, to the whole White House, to the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate. The modern internet generation life style with many of its toxic habits has almost no clue of how important all these topics are for our whole nation, and of course, for every individuals as for every American Family.
All information provided in this letter is based on long-term worldwide research.
Next 12 fact examples of life-destroying disasters every child faces when our precious American family fails - yet every failure can be avoided - especially NOW by applying the new STAF, Inc. developed techniques and programs:
EVERY child in a family separation or divorce situation FACES :
(1) overall increased risks to health and welfare;
(2) 5 times more likely to commit suicide;
(3) 32 times more likely to run away;
(4) 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders;
(5) 14 times more likely to commit rape;
(6) 9 times more likely to drop out of school;
(7) 10 times more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs;
(8) 20 times more likely to end up in prison;
(9) increased learning difficulties;
(10) increased risk of divorce when grown;
(11) increased out of wedlock pregnancies;
(12) seriously increased risk of having a stroke during his/her life time.
STAF, Inc.'s President, Dr. Christian, is hosting two Radio Shows (for over 3 year now) and guiding the US public to become aware of these facts. One show is titled DrDrCanYouHelpMe and one The Miracle Show
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"Pet Power" - A Natural Health & Success Enhancer at a Low Cost - An Effective 4-legged "Family Doctor"
Rebecca Johnson, director of the University of Missouri's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction, says:
“Research shows that being able to care for a pet improves our morale, helps validate us and encourages us to take care of ourselves,” The body of research is leading more retirement communities and universities to roll out the welcome mat for pets.
In the modern society one challenging matter is the fact when a child comes home from school, there is no one waiting for the child, no one greeting, no one to communicate with - all this together with several other negative factors can cause serious failures, emotional & mental sicknesses, emotionally pacifying over-eating leading to obesity, diabetes, elevated blood pressure, cancer, asthma, allergies, etc. These sicknesses always weaken the immune system and its disease fighting power. It leads to multitudes of additional physical sicknesses. The child carries these sicknesses to the adulthood and possibly for the rest of his or her life resulting in even more additional sicknesses and constant human suffering and human unhappiness leading to different emotional and mental challenges and sicknesses. High health/sickness care is then attached to this common cycle all the way from the individual's childhood. This common cycle can be eliminated. The STAF, Inc. developed plan has effective solutions to cut off this cycle and lower dramatically the nation's health/sickness care expenses.
One effective solution, relating to this section of the new plan, is to substantially add "pet memberships" in the American families. The majority of the population (and of the nations doctors) is not aware of the pet-benefits - the STAF, Inc. plan will provide the necessary information to widely raise the awareness of the benefits related to a family pet and how to draw the maximum benefits. Selling the "pet family-memberships" can be an easy task because the result benefits are undeniable and substantial. The cost is low. It is like the humorous quote stating "It costs $100 K to send a child to school - to school a pet costs a $100" . This plan has a brief but impressive section showing tens of health benefits the 4-legged pet-doctor will produce. A pet helps not only the children but also the parents and their marriage.
Many parents have discovered the family cat can help teach children the values of compassion and gentleness. Most dogs will allow family members to wrestle with them, chase after them, and roughhouse. In fact, many dogs live for that type of interaction. However, this is HOW the dog pet can and will help the child to exercise and to go out. The same with the parents. THUS, both are beneficial. Taking care of the dog teaches valuable lessons for responsibility.
Cats on the other hand, do not. If a child (or anyone) treats a cat roughly or aggressively, kitty will bolt from the room, putting an end to the interaction between human and pet. So children can learn the difference between sturdier, more tolerant pets and those that require careful, gentle handling. Research shows the sound of a cat’s purr can lower your blood pressure and reduce stress.
It is a good idea to have a dog and a cat IF the family members so agree together. These 2 pets teach the child(ren) different things.
The Positive Power of Pet Ownership
Pet & pet care information because: pets are helpful in many ways:
(1) PETS improve our marriage happiness - research proves this as a fact
(2) PETS improve our children's development & success
(3) Pets improve our and our family members' physical, emotional & mental health -
"a 4-legged hard-working "Family Doctor" working with natural principles without any negative side effects - at a low cost without any formal service fee and no bill",
(4) Pets protect & save lives
(5) Pets give much happiness to us humans
The plan's pet section introduces and provides detailed info about the multitudes of benefits the pets give us and also how to correctly feed and otherwise take care of your pet in a manner that maintains your pet's health and gives a long, happy life.
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The next section in this plan will demonstrate how our nation can cut as much as 50% of current healthcare costs over the next 4 years, without cutting healthcare services,
by implementing a campaign to put a Rewarding Lifestyle and a Healthier Way of Eating at the forefront of healthcare. It is STAF, Inc.'s conviction that the health of Americans and the national economy will be unable to overcome our current healthcare crisis. Without a campaign promoting a healthier way of eating, your universal healthcare plan will not be addressing one of the most significant underlying causes of disease and therefore its likelihood of either improving healthcare or cutting costs will be greatly reduced.
Scientific studies continue to demonstrate that among all lifestyle factors, no single factor is more important to our health than the food we eat. A campaign educating Americans about the benefits of eating healthier-and how to make healthy eating choices-would be a highly effective and relatively inexpensive means of improving our health.
Because the concept of practicing a healthier way of eating is so amazingly simple, a campaign focusing on healthy eating can easily be overlooked as a means to resolve our healthcare problems. Yet, promoting the intake of nutrient-rich, health-promoting, and satisfying foods-such as delicious fresh fruits, vegetables, salads, whole grains, protein-rich beans, and omega-3 rich seafood-would prove to be one of the most powerful ways to affect positive change in our national health.
A healthier way of eating is beneficial because it will deliver the daily requirements for the essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients that are needed to work together synergistically to promote health. A healthier way of eating centered around whole, nutrient-rich, and unprocessed foods does not just provide our bodies with calories, but also the nutrients we must have to grow, create energy, and maintain optimal physiological function.
Implementing a campaign for eating healthier will automatically result in decreasing consumption of unhealthy foods-nutrient-poor refined foods that are high in trans-fats, sugar, and salt (such as cookies, sodas, snack bars, candies, and fast foods), and which do not satisfy your appetite for any length of time. These foods spike blood sugar levels, providing a short burst of energy, but do little to curb satiety. This means hunger quickly returns, and, for many people, the result is a vicious cycle of consuming more calorie-laden nutrient-poor foods, a formula that perpetuates our national obesity epidemic and the chronic preventable diseases associated with obesity: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
When it comes to health, we are particularly interested in the health of our children. Studies have correlated school success with eating health-promoting foods. The impact of nutrition on the ability of our youth to succeed in school is a core reason for a campaign for a healthier way of eating. This is of utmost importance because, currently, half of all high school students drop out before graduation. And, with respect to the rest of the world, we come in 24th in science and 25th in mathematical competency.
The Federal Government has long assumed the responsibility for protecting the health of Americans, by providing education about food safety and the dangers of cigarette smoking. Today, Americans' greatest need is an understanding of the effects of the foods we eat upon our health. In its role as the protector of our society, it falls to the Federal Government to educate Americans that healthy eating can promote health and help reduce the risk of chronic preventable diseases.
A public-health educational campaign about the benefits of a healthier way of eating could be just as aggressive and effective as public-health campaigns have been about the dangers of smoking. Judging by the success of recent antismoking campaigns, such an effort would result in the promotion of health and substantial savings to the healthcare system.
The Key Reasons for our Healthcare Crisis
Healthcare costs have risen from $3,468 per person in 1993 to $8,160 in 2008, and costs continue to rise. It is estimated that in the next 5 years, healthcare costs will increase almost another 50% to $13,100. These high costs might be justifiable if Americans benefitted by being among the healthiest people in the world, but sadly, we are far less healthy than people living in countries where healthcare costs are much lower. Our current system attempts to manage end-stage disease; it does not promote health. We need to change not just the way in which disease-care costs are paid, but the care that is provided. To lower healthcare costs and make true health care available to all, we need to focus on health promotion and disease prevention, not on how to shift the costs of disease care.
One of the most important contributors to health promotion is a healthy diet. Our current public-health crisis calls for a strong public-health message about the importance of diet, even at the expense of offending the food industry and pharmaceutical companies, whom I believe to be largely accountable for the current state of our national health.
Food manufacturers and restaurant chains have created a toxic food environment that is detrimental to the health of our nation. Huge servings of soft drinks, snacks, and "value" meals, which are literally penny-wise and pound foolish, have become the mainstay of the standard American diet (not ironically, abbreviated as "SAD"). We have become a nation addicted to foods high in sugar, salt, and fat, to foods of convenience rather than health. We have succumbed to advertisers and promoters of empty-calorie foods. They have become the primary influence on what foods we eat and are now so powerful that they have changed our traditional eating habits.
This type of advertising is obviously effective. Each year, the average American consumes 600 cans (or 56 gallons) of soda, 150 hamburgers, 200 orders of french-fries, 175 pounds of sugar, and 180 pounds of meat. And we purchase, on average, 125 take-out meals each year. What is more disturbing is that 90% of foods Americans purchase every year are processed foods lacking in essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants; in 1940, this statistic was only 10%. The number of people eating five servings of fruits and vegetables declined in the last 18 years from 42% to 26%. Twenty-eight hundred new types of snacks, candies, desserts, and ice cream are introduced to the marketplace every year. And these numbers continue to rise.
Food manufacturers keep us ignorant about the dangers of unhealthy foods. We must prevent them from glorifying disease-promoting foods. Advertisers effectively spend $40 billion every year convincing us of the benefits of choosing these products and brainwashing us by making them appear fashionable, fun, and glamorous while rarely mentioning nourishment. And anyone who has watched Saturday morning TV programming for children knows how the power of this type of advertising can impact us starting at a very young age.
The nutrient-poor foods the food industry produces are overly refined, overly stimulating foods, which are not satisfying because they are lacking in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and the plethora of phytonutrients found in unprocessed foods. In addition, these "foods" are rich in sugar, salt, fat, and often cause us to unknowingly consume more calories than our bodies require. Because these products contain so little of the nutrients our bodies' need, these unhealthy foods are not just addictive but harmful, causing undernourishment and nutrient deficiencies that, over time, damage our bodies and impair our health. They are the primary cause of low energy, insomnia, fatigue, and poor memory, shortly followed by insulin resistance and unwanted weight gain, leading to obesity and all the chronic preventable diseases that plague us, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
(continues after
THE FAST-FOOD & SCHOOL-FOOD HAMBURGER
Do you know what your fast-food & the nation's school-food hamburger is made of?
Are you sure you want to know? Warning:
THE TRUTH IS SHOCKING
The great American staple. Don’t worry, burgers really do come from cows—but have you ever wondered how those giant chains process and distribute so much meat so cheaply? And . . . are you sure you want to know?
The Truth: Most fast-food hamburger patties begin their voyage to your buns in the hands of a company called
Beef Products.
The company specializes intaking slaughterhouse trimmings — heads and hooves and the like
— that are traditionally used only in pet food (the processed pet food makes our pets sick) and cooking oil, and turning them into patties.
The challenge is getting this byproduct meat clean enough for human consumption, as both E. coli and salmonella like to concentrate themselves in the fatty deposits.
The company has developed a process for killing beef-based pathogens by forcing
the ground “meat” ( = slaughterhouse trimmings – heads, hooves, etc.) through pipes and exposing it to ammonia gas—the same chemical you might use to clean your bathroom. Not only has the USDA approved the process, but it's also allowed those who sell the beef to keep it hidden from their customers.
At Beef Products’ behest, ammonia gas has been deemed a “processing agent” that need not be identified on nutrition labels. Never mind that if ammonia gets on your skin, it can cause severe burning, and if it gets in your eyes, it can blind you. Add to the gross-out factor the fact that after moving through this lengthy industrial process, a single beef patty can consist of cobbled-together pieces from different cows from all over the world—a practice that only increases the odds of contamination.
Eat This Instead: Losing weight starts in your own kitchen, by using the same ingredients real chefs have relied on since the dawn of the spatula. If you’re set on the challenge of eating fresh, single-source hamburger pick out a nice hunk of sirloin from the meat case and have your butcher grind it up fresh.
Hold the ammonia.
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Mr. President, Members of Congress and Senate:
what are you going to eat after you see the facts -
what kind of an example are you giving to our nation? ___________________________________
Another serious health problem to our nation
are artificial sweeteners
- plain killers-
("not pain killers but pain-causing")
The next brief article is a good example of the facts
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is bad for you –
bad, bad, bad
There’s growing evidence that avoiding this (and any other) sugar replacement could help you avoid heart disease, stroke and diabetes, not to mention wrinkles and impotence.
In a groundbreaking 2010 study, a third of people consuming 200 grams of HFCS a day -- what you’d get in seven 20-ounce bottles of soda -- developed metabolic syndrome in two weeks. Yes, two weeks. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of disorders that sets you up for heart, brain, gonad (gouna/ed)(called also sex gland), skin and kidney trouble. Since the artificial sweeteners appeared, worldwide, the male sperm production has fallen about 75 %. What used to be defined as infertile is now a top of the line level. In vitro industry is expanding – otherwise many men could not conceive and our babies would disappear and mankind would also. However, in vitro has risks. Yet, it is advisable to use if nothing else works – that is STAF, Inc. health opinion related to this topic.
You’d probably never swallow that much soda every day, but teens average 73 grams of HFCS a day, and most people take in about 55 grams, mainly from the HFCS in sweet drinks, desserts and candy, which your body absorbs in a flash. The fructose in fruit, by contrast, gets absorbed slowly and safely. (Side note: HFCS also might contribute to obesity by interfering with “I’m full” brain signals.)
Avoiding HFCS and other artificial sweeteners is about as easy as avoiding daily news. That poisonous, killing stuff is everywhere, from salad dressings and honey mustard sauce to yogurt and muffins. So keep it simple: Check the label: If HFCS is in the first five ingredients, drop it like it would be a rattlesnake in your hand.
Since the artificial sweeteners came on the market we did not know enough about their dangers. The same was the case with margarines – they are made of vegetable oil and marketed as the healthiest choice. The butter use dropped. Later on was found that the hydrogenation process changes the molecules in the vegetable and it becomes toxic and creates every kind of a sickness in us humans.
Artificial sweeteners are believed nowadays to be the biggest reason for emotional and mental challenges in children and adults.
Do not drink any soda – IF you desire to keep your health. Stop eating any processed and fast food – IF you desire to keep your health.
Stick these 3 quotes on your fridge door – stick them on your forehead:
(1) "If man made it, don't eat it"
(2) "If it came from a plant, eat it – if it was made in a plant (factory)
don’t"
(3) "To keep your health is to eat what your body wants -
not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, President, STAF, Inc.)
For additional information about Artificial Sweeteners, Soda, and Other Killers:
(click) Sugar substitute - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetener - Cached
Take the Quiz: Sugar and Sweeteners (click)
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Next another eye-opening article
15 Shocking Food Industry Secrets
Food manufacturers think you're stupid. In fact, they’re banking on it. Why else would Hershey’s put a ribbon on the Good & Plenty box that says “A fat-free candy.” Sure, it's true—no fat in the box—but it's also very misleading. The candy is essentially 100 percent sugar and processed carbs. And Hershey knows the average American equates fat-free with being good for you.
Another example: Between 2005 and 2008, as the organic movement gathered steam, the prevalence of “simple” or “simply” on food labels increased by 65 percent. Food marketers pinpointed how our expectations were changing, and began using that knowledge to keep us buying unhealthy processed foods.
While researching our latest book, Eat This, Not That! 2011, we spotted more minefields than ever—in restaurants, at supermarkets, in your own pantry. That’s why we cornered food-industry insiders and asked them to come clean. What they told us may shock you. Go ahead, dig in.
1. The average American has easy access to 2,700 calories each day, according to the USDA, versus just 2,200 in 1970. That food is on their plates and in their refrigerators, or neatly lining the vending machines at work. In other words, potential calories are everywhere. And studies show a direct correlation between food exposure and consumption. If 500 calories a day doesn't sound like much, consider: that’s 52 pounds a year.
2. The average American drinks 450 liquid calories a day. That’s twice as much as we consumed 30 years ago, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina. What’s to blame? Take your pick: sodas, energy drinks, lattes, bottled teas, milk shakes. (Here are the most sinister culprits--the 20 worst drinks in America.)
3. Fresh fruits and vegetables cost 10 times more than junk food, according to researchers at the University of Washington. A thousand calories of nutritious food cost $18.16, while a thousand calories of junk food cost a mere $1.76. How do they keep junk-food costs so low? Pretty simple, actually: flavor enhancers and other chemical additives. Speaking of . . .
4. There are more than 3,000 items on the FDA’s list of approved food additives—everything from acesulfame potassium (an artificial sweetner that animal studies have linked to breast cancer) to Yellow #5 (a food coloring linked to learning and concentration disorders in children).
Bonus Tip: Click here for a list of food additives to avoid.
5. Your food can legally contain maggots, rat poop and pus. Sure, the FDA limits the amount of such appetite killers in your food, but that limit isn't zero. Trace amounts won’t make you sick, but the thought of them will. Pus in milk? – Yes. Delicious? A dairy cow filters ten-thousand quarts of blood through her udder each day and uses dead white blood cells (somatic cells) to manufacture her milk. These dead cells are pus cells. Dairy scientists are aware that when one quart of milk is tainted with 400 million or more pus cells, some 35% of the milking cows in the herd are infected with mastitis. Udders bleed, discharges, including bacteria and blood drip into the milk. This is mostly caused by over-stimulating (with chemicals, medication, antibiotics) the cow to produce a maximum amount of milk. That can cause mastisitis, infection of the udder. Enjoy your pus in your milk? All beneficial ingredients milk has are available in vegetables, fruit, nuts, etc. Milk allergy in humans is common. In addition, cow milk can cause allergies, congestion, headaches, asthma, bronchitis, etc.
(Click) YOUR STATE'S AVERAGE PUS COUNT Your state may be in violation of a federal ordinance by allowing too many pus cells in milk www.notmilk.com/lawbreakers.html - CachedBy Robert Cohen (the pus count info)
The pasteurization process destroys most vitamins and other nutrients in milk. Milk is heated 71.7 °C (161 °F) for 15–20 seconds and UHT or ultra-heat treated processing holds the milk at a temperature of 135 °C (275 °F) for a fraction of a second - destroys. The life-promoting enzymes die and disappear at about 130 F.
6. Smaller portions are equally as satisfying as larger portions. Participants in a Penn State study ate macaroni and cheese over four different days, and when presented with bigger portions, they consumed an extra 160 calories. Despite the extra food, they rated their fullness the same.
7. Between 1977 and 1996, the average cheeseburger grew in size by 25 percent. In that same time, a bag of pretzels grew by 93 calories, according to analysis by researchers in North Carolina. But you don't have to give up the burgers to stay thin, but it helps to avoid the 15 Worst Burgers in America.
8. What do hamburgers and fertilizer have in common? Turns out, hamburgers— especially the stuff served at schools (do our precious children, growing up, deserve this public, government promoted & protected poisoning of their bodies and minds?) and fast food restaurants—are routinely treated with ammonia to kill off E. coli bacteria. That’s the same substance used in fertilizers and household cleaners. (See additional information in the article just above this one.)
9. There's a good chance chicken will make you sick. In a 2006 Consumer Reports review, more than 80 percent of whole broiler chickens bought nationwide contained campylobacter or salmonella—the leading causes of foodborne illness in America.
10. Junk food is like a drug. A study in the journal of Nature Neuroscience found that eating junk food doesn’t just satisfy cravings—it creates them. That’s right; junk food is addictive. That's why manufacturers load their foods with sugar, salt, and artificial flavorings, and why you should never forget the golden rule: If your food can go bad, it's good for you. If it can't go bad, it's bad for you.
11. Only 19 percent of what you pay for a food product actually goes toward the food itself. The rest pays for packaging, labor, and marketing, according to USDA data. Yet another reason to buy fresh, local ingredients.
12. Food companies pay “slotting fees” to supermarkets to ensure the best possible placement— an average of $70 per item, according to a 2004 government report. These fees are passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. Pay less by shopping the tops and bottoms of the shelves; that’s where you’ll find brands that aren’t paying slotting fees.
13. The leanest cuts of meat may have the highest sodium levels. Leaner cuts by definition are less juicy. To counteract this, some manufacturers "enhance" turkey, chicken, and beef products by pumping them full of a liquid solution that contains water and salt.
14. Long checkout lines may make you fat. If you’re waiting to pay, you're up to 25 percent more likely to buy the candy and sodas around you, according to a recent study at the University of Arizona.
15. Calorie counts may be wrong. To ensure you're getting at least as much as you pay for, the FDA is more likely to penalize a food manufacturer for overstating the net weight of a product than understating it. As a result, manufacturers of
Source: By David Zinczenko
___________________________________
Mr. President and
the members of the U.S. Congress & Senate:
what are YOU going now to drink and eat when you saw the above information and when you see this plan with all its vast and detailed information?
What kind of a model, with your own behavior, will you now give to our nation to follow?
Could your own overall lifestyle and health be better?
A public figure is an important role model.
This STAF, Inc. plan has the answers for our nation's success
When drafting your proposal to improve the health of Americans,
we call on you to stop the epidemic of food-related chronic preventable diseases by educating individuals about a healthier way of eating and by yourself, as a public figure, applying the health-promoting principles.
This STAF, Inc. plan has the answers.
This plan developed by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc. has all solutions to our nation's lifestyle and nutrition related challenges.
STAF, Inc. specialists do also know HOW to have the nation starting to follow these principles. We are fully available to guide and help in all these matters.
Eating health-promoting foods and avoiding nutrient-poor foods are key preventative measures to avoid disease in the first place. With every individual in whom the onset of disease is prevented, hundreds, thousands, and perhaps even millions, of dollars can be saved.
A recent American Heart Association survey disclosed that 29% of the participants were purchasing fewer perishable items-including fruits and vegetables (March 2009, American Heart Association). During difficult economic times, people turn to supposedly cheap, highly processed, refined unhealthy foods. Advertisers convince them that these foods are less expensive when, in actuality, highly refined and processed foods are some of the most expensive foods one can buy. They are more costly because we pay extra for the fancy packaging, refining, processing, handling, and advertising-and also for their transport since virtually none of these foods are locally produced.
Instead of promoting health, these highly processed foods ultimately deprive us of physical and mental fitness. You get the least benefit for your money. I wouldn't even consider these items "food," but rather "food-like products."
Americans need to learn that healthy foods do not necessarily have to cost more than their unhealthy counterparts; in fact, a review of data by the USDA published in 2008 found that refined grains, added sugars, added fats, and processed foods were not the way to go in developing a low-cost, yet still nourishing food plan. The only way for the meal to remain both nourishing and low-cost was to emphasize nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains.
The USDA found that the strategy used to keep food costs down at the level of 10% of earnings was none other than nutrient-richness (used as equivalent to the term "nutrient-density" which is often cited in the scientific literature); it is determined by comparing the number and amount of nutrients a food contains in relationship to its caloric content. The USDA researchers concluded that "For many American households, achieving an affordable healthy diet will require moving nutrient-dense foods, such as fruit and vegetables, to the center of their plates and budgets."
In addition to food manufacturers, I believe Big Pharma also holds responsibility for the sorry state of our national health. We need to shift our focus from the use of drugs to suppress disease symptoms to programs that help us prevent disease and promote health. Pharmaceutical companies profit from managing the health of individuals after-the-fact through the use of expensive drugs and harsh therapies, and they tell us that more money is needed for research as they are on the cusp of a long-awaited breakthrough for the cure of diseases.
Selling prescription drugs is a profit-making business, which spends $4 billion each year on direct-to-consumer advertising and $16 billion influencing physicians to prescribe their drugs. Through the use of the media, they have manipulated us to believe that drugs can provide us with the answer to all our health problems.
Consequently, we have spent enormous amounts of both time and money on symptom palliation rather than on preventing disease or treating its true underlying causes. We need to remember that while infectious diseases caused by viruses (such as typhoid, malaria, AIDs, etc) may not be preventable by lifestyle changes of diet and exercise, obesity and chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer resulting from excessive consumption of refined foods and insufficient amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and other nutrients are largely preventable.
History has taught us that looking for cures for disease is not always medically nor economically effective. President Nixon's "War on Cancer" is a great example of the unproductive nature of this approach. In 1971, he signed the National Cancer Act legislating $1.6 billion expenditure to find a cure for cancer. That year, 335,000 Americans died of cancer. In 2008, 37 years later, this number has increased to 565,650 people-up by 69%!
Since 1971, the Federal Government, private foundations and companies have spent around $200 billion in a quest to cure cancer. This $200 billion generated 1.5 million scientific papers about the basic biology of cancer. For 37 years, the War on Cancer (the majority of the funding for cancer) has gone into research to eradicate malignant cells rather than to keep normal cells from becoming malignant in the first place. The American Cancer Society and other health organizations now state that the best way to reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases is through prevention. The best way for prevention is to adopt a healthier way of eating and enjoying nutrient-rich foods, which have been found to contain many potent disease-fighting compounds that help prevent disease. Americans need to learn that the drugs used to treat today's chronic preventable diseases not only do not cure them, but would be rendered largely unnecessary.
The World Health Organization recently noted that by 2020-and for the first time in history-non-communicable chronic preventable diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer will constitute more than half of all diseases on a worldwide basis. This means that over half of the diseases that drain our healthcare budget are preventable through lifestyle changes such as the food we eat.
Experts in all areas of health policy agree that the United States is facing an unprecedented healthcare crisis. About one-fourth of the entire federal budget is currently spent on healthcare; yet, in spite of this very large expenditure of our resources (over $2.5 trillion), only half of U.S. adults say they have confidence in the healthcare system. Since the 1980s, average spending on healthcare per person in the U.S. has increased at twice the rate of healthcare spending in many other industrialized countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Germany, and Australia. And unlike most of those countries, where approximately 8% of the country's productivity (measured as gross domestic product) is spent on healthcare, in the U.S., that percentage is twice as high at 16%.
The World Health Organization rated the United States 37th in health outcome. We spend nearly twice as much per capita than other industrialized countries, yet have a lower life expectancy, higher disease mortality among children, and we are rated 45th when it comes to longevity. We also have a shortage of nurses and primary care doctors, and our emergency rooms are overcrowded. And, perhaps the most frightening statistic, for the first time in history, our children are projected to have a shorter lifespan than we do.
How We Can Cut Healthcare Cost and Save Billions of Dollars
I would like to outline how measures to enhance the eating habits of Americans can result in reductions in healthcare expenses.
Obesity: If obesity continues to increase at its current rate, analysts predict that by the year 2020, we will be spending 20% of all our healthcare dollars on obesity-related problems. We now know that excess fat, especially visceral fat, is not merely a storage depot for extra calories, but functions as an endocrine organ significantly increasing inflammation and the risk for chronic degenerative disease. The enormous impact of obesity is due to its promotion of other chronic preventable diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancers. For example, experts estimate that one-half of all type 2 diabetes cases could be prevented simply by controlling obesity! If we could lower the rate of obesity (even by a modest amount) through a healthier way of eating campaign, researchers project that we could also lower cases of chronic preventable disease by about 15 million cases. That reduction in chronic preventable disease translates into $60 billion dollars less in treatment costs, and $254 billion dollars more in workplace productivity.
Heart disease: According to research experts, it would not take complicated dietary changes to trigger major reductions in heart disease rates and their associated healthcare costs. For example, if we could simply take the 2% of the calories the typical American is consuming in the form of trans-fat and replace this 2% with polyunsaturated fat, we could reduce our rate of coronary artery disease (CAD) by at least 8%, and probably by much more in the 25-30% range! Since healthcare costs related to CAD total nearly $200 billion per year, we're talking about a potential savings of $50 billion dollars from a single dietary change that swaps a small amount of polyunsaturated fat for trans-fat.
Diabetes: In 2002, an estimated $132 billion was spent on diabetes-related health problems, including about $40 billion on sick day costs and disability related to this chronic preventable disease, including blindness, amputation, heart disease, and early death. Since healthcare analysts predict that half of all diabetes cases could be prevented if obesity were prevented, approximately $40 billion in diabetes-related costs could be cut simply by the implementation of a healthier way of eating that corrected or prevented obesity. I don't have good estimates for the cost savings related to other dietary steps that can be taken to lower risk of type 2 diabetes, but I definitely know what these steps are.
Even without reversing the problem of obesity, I am confident that dietary changes to a healthier way of eating could save many lives and billions of dollars in healthcare costs related to diabetes, its treatment, and its impact on everyday productivity.
Cancer: The American Cancer Society estimates that we are spending over $100 billion each year on cancer-related costs, and there is some research to suggest that about one-third of all cancer deaths could be prevented by simply choosing to eat healthier food. Since $57 billion dollars are estimated to be lost each year following premature death from cancer, prevention of 33% of these deaths by a healthier way of eating alone would mean about $20 billion dollars in healthcare savings each year. In the case of colorectal cancer, it has been estimated that a healthier way of eating combined with exercise could prevent more cases than implementation of early screening.
While it is somewhat mind-boggling to consider, all of the evidence described above points to a very clear-cut conclusion. According to healthcare experts, our best bet for reversing chronic preventable disease rates does not lie in more expensive medical procedures, or in more sophisticated technology or in further specialization with respect to testing and medication. Our best bet experts agree, lies in the simple, everyday practice of a lifestyle change in the foods that we eat. We could be saving millions of lives and several hundred billion dollars in healthcare costs related to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer if we would consistently eat health-promoting foods-foods that the peer-reviewed medical research has already demonstrated can prevent or help prevent these diseases. Instead of spending more money and having more disease (our current situation), we would be spending less money and having less disease!
What's also remarkable about the chronic preventable disease patterns described above is the degree to which they overlap when it comes to dietary prevention. Based on current research, we do not seem to need one diet for preventing heart disease, a second diet for preventing diabetes, a third diet for preventing obesity, and a fourth diet for preventing cancer.
What seems to be needed in the case of all four chronic preventable diseases is that the changes in the foods we eat move in the same general direction: decreased intake of sugar, salt, animal fat, and processed foods, and increased intake of lower-calorie, lower-fat plant foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Dietary prevention in the case of all four chronic preventable diseases calls for a greater focus on health-promoting foods, and a food plan that can be followed and enjoyed day after day, year after year.
Countless experts, health professionals, scientists, and not-for-profit health organizations offer strategies for avoiding heart disease, cancer, and other chronic preventable diseases through a healthier way of eating:
American Heart Association
1600 calorie diet
Fruits and vegetables - 8 servings/day
Whole grains - 6 serving/day
Low-fat dairy - 2-3 serving/day
Fish or lean meat - 3-6 oz (cooked) /day
Nuts, seeds, legumes - 3-4 servings/week
Fats and oils - 2 servings/day
They also advise people to eat less saturated fat and "nutrient-poor foods"
- Limit saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol
- Choose skinless lean meats and poultry and don't prepare them with saturated or trans fats
- Minimize intake of whole-fat dairy products
- Cut back on foods and beverages that have added sugars
- Enjoy foods that have little or no salt
Eat 5 or more servings of vegetables and fruits each day
Choose whole grains over processed (refined) grains and sugars
Limit intake of processed meats and red meats
If you drink alcoholic beverages, limit your intake
Maintain a healthy weight throughout life
Choose foods and beverages in amounts that help achieve and maintain a healthy weight
Fats and oils - 2 servings/day
How a Healthier Way of Eating Affects Success in School
Studies have found that almost twice as many high school graduates report that they are healthy and in good health compared to non-graduates. As a parent and great supporter of our educational system, you may find the correlation between healthy eating and students' success in school of particular interest.
While many people might question the importance of diet as a key factor in school success, the research here is clear. Academic success and high-level performance require the support of a healthy diet, and without such a diet, it is unreasonable to expect high-level school outcomes.
Our children's doing well in school is a top priority not only for the students themselves, but their parents and the teachers who teach them. It has also become a top priority for many communities and countries as a whole since excellence in education is so important for solving global problems that face today's generation, as well as generations to come. The list of key factors that influence school success is a long one that includes not only a child's economic status, school and home environment, self-esteem, and access to good teachers and role models who can inspire a love of learning, but also their nutritional status, which is dependent upon what foods the child is given!
No area of diet and school performance is better studied than breakfast. Studies have repeatedly shown that a good breakfast improves academic performance. For example, in a study of students in the Boston Public School System, participants who rarely ate breakfast (and that was over 60% of all participants!) had a 40% greater risk of doing poorly in math and reading. Their math and reading scores were about 25% lower than the scores of students who regularly ate breakfast, and their Grade Point Averages were also about 25% lower. Students who skip breakfast have also been shown to have more days absent from school and more days being tardy.
Research in the area of breakfast goes a step further. It shows that it's not just breakfast that counts, but the nutritional adequacy of breakfast. Calories are important, but so are slowly digesting foods rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The worst cost of sugary, refined cereals or breakfast bars is that these products will spike the child's blood sugar leaving him or her restless and hungry within little more than an hour.
Students are required to perform a wide variety of mental tasks in school, and there's good evidence to show that high-level performance of these tasks takes a nourishing diet. For example, school performance has been found to suffer if a student's intake of RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) nutrients falls below a minimum level. Researchers have found that it's important to get at least 50% of the RDA level for all RDA nutrients if school performance is to be maintained at the normal level. If students meet less than 50% of the RDA intake goals for as few as two nutrients, their school performance has been found to suffer.
Similarly, in a study exploring literacy test performance in 5th graders in Nova Scotia, Canada, students whose overall diet quality ranked in the top third of the class were about 40% less likely to fail on at least one component of the test. In fact, in terms of overall diet quality, even students in the middle third were 25% less likely to fail than students in the bottom third. Also striking was the connection between fruit and vegetable intake and literacy. Even though many individual aspects of the diet were studied, including intake of other foods like grains, as well as intake of foods rich in nutrients like vitamin C or calcium, only fruit and vegetable intake showed up as being a significant factor for lowering risk of failure on components of the literacy test.
Fat quality is another aspect of diet that seems critical. Students ages 6 to 16 turn out to have significantly poorer reading performance and poorer short-term and working memory when their diet contains too much saturated and too little polyunsaturated fat. The types of testing studied have included digit span testing, where students have been asked to repeat-both backwards and forwards-a series of numbers that increase in length as the test goes on. (This approach is part of a very widely used test called the WISC-R, or Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Revised.)
Doing well in school also means having good vision, good hearing, and an ability to concentrate and think clearly. Without adequate nutritional support of the nervous system and brain, and without a good balance in overall metabolism, school success becomes less likely.
One balance that seems especially important for cognitive performance is blood sugar balance. Several studies have shown poorer performance on cognitive tests (like recalling a long list of words) in individuals with poor blood sugar control (called glycemic control). And there is some evidence that intake of sugar-laden foods or high glycemic index (high-GI) foods is associated with impairment of short-term memory.
Whether it's vegetable and fruit consumption, adequate polyunsaturated fat intake, provision of vitamins and minerals at the RDA level or emphasis on low-GI foods and healthy blood sugar control, nutrient-rich foods are perfectly matched with the science of school success. Focusing on nutrient-rich health-promoting foods that support body systems and metabolic balance, as well as focusing on helping students eat less nutrient-poor refined foods, is 100% in accord with the research that consistently reports that a diet, which provides proper nourishment, can be a key factor in school success. An organized eating plan that includes a nourishing breakfast will also pay dividends with school performance, let alone overall health and wellness.
Many people believe that some students are going to do well, others are not, and there's really nothing anyone can do about it. The research shows otherwise, and it shows that diet can make a real difference for students and their school success!
What We Can Learn From Other Countries
The blueprint for initiatives to improve health by focusing on the food we eat has already been laid out by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2004 Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. The WHO identified policy initiatives that should be undertaken by national authorities to help reduce the incidence of obesity and diet-related disease; they include efforts to reduce the salt, trans-fat, and sugar content of processed foods, improve food labeling, and set guidelines for foods that should or should not be advertised to children. Other countries have taken the lead in protecting the health of their citizens and provide examples of how we can follow suit:
- In Japan, health officials check the waistlines of citizens over 40, and those considered too fat undergo diet counseling. Failure to slim down can lead to fines.
- New Zealand has rules barring people it deems too fat from immigrating to the country.
- Germany plans to spend $47 million on healthy eating and sports programs and to set tougher nutritional standards for school lunches.
- Denmark limits the amount of artery-clogging trans-fatty acids in restaurant foods.
- In an effort to prevent overweight in schoolchildren, a community approach that started in two towns in France has now expanded to 200 towns in Europe under the name "Together let's prevent obesity in children." The program encourages children to eat better and exercise more by taking such measures as building sporting facilities and playgrounds, and offering cooking workshops.
- And of course, there are the Mediterranean countries where they are practicing a healthier way of eating, by enjoying traditional diets that feature whole unprocessed foods from nature. The Mediterranean diet, lauded for its contribution to health, features fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, olive oil, and red wine.
- No other countries in the world allow the advertising of prescription drugs to the public except the United States and New Zealand.
- In Great Britain, residents in some cities are being recruited to wear electronic tracking tags to calculate how much they move each day and how many calories they burn off. Daily exercisers can be rewarded with coupons and even days off from work. Britain's National Health Service is paying for at least 30,000 people to take weight-loss classes.
- Efforts are being made by the UK's Food Standards Authority (FSA) to persuade companies to reformulate processed foods, use standardized front-of-pack symbols to communicate nutritional values, and set nutritional guidelines for limiting food advertising to children.
- The FSA has successfully conducted a sodium reduction program in the UK and is presently conducting a similar effort to reduce saturated fat in processed food products.
- FSA has developed a set of nutrition criteria and established a system of "traffic lights" that can be used on the fronts of food packages to communicate nutritional value. The red, amber, and green dots indicate whether a food contains high, moderate or low levels of fat, saturated fat, salt, and sugars.
- The UK traffic light system is voluntary, but may be made mandatory in the future - despite food manufacturers' objections.
- The UK has prohibited the broadcast advertising of low-nutrition foods on television and radio programs that appeal to children under the age of 16. American food companies like Kellogg, Coca-cola, and McDonalds must comply with this new UK law (yet they continue to expose American children to advertisements now banned in England).
I have drafted the following proposals to implement the solutions to the problem of our present healthcare crisis through the legislative process, public education, and the all-important examples provided by you and your family in the White House. Through legislation:
Create food labeling laws: We can begin by following the lead of New York and California in product reformations, such as their current war on saturated fat, and combine it with efforts to eliminate artificial trans-fats from foods. Legislation providing for mandatory food labeling would help inform and educate consumers about the nutritional value of the foods they are purchasing.
Create a legal definition of "food": Defining "food" as something that is not only edible, but required to contain a certain minimal ratio of nutrients per calorie without the addition of synthetic supplements could raise the quality of school lunches. Providing guidelines as to what constitutes wholesome food would also discourage the sale of unhealthy food products, whose purchase could be further lessened by prohibiting their purchase with food stamps or through the implementation of taxes on certain products.
Prohibit broadcast advertising: The UK has passed laws prohibiting the broadcast advertising of low-nutrition foods on TV programs appealing to children. These laws have reduced the broadcast advertising of foods of low nutritional value to British children by about one-third, thus helping remedy the vast imbalance that exists between the information provided in food advertisements and the information provided in government-sponsored nutrition education programs. Both the WHO and the U.S. Institute of Medicine have recognized that food marketing can adversely affect children's health. It would behoove us to follow in their footsteps.
Through education:
Create a government-sponsored nutrition-education campaign: The effectiveness of legislation will be minimal without a strong educational campaign advocating the benefits of a healthier way of eating to motivate Americans to make better food choices. At the forefront of this campaign should be a program designed to help individuals make better decisions about healthy eating. The effect of education on healthy eating has already been made clear. Learning more about a healthier way of eating and cooking can lay the foundation for healthier citizens and less disease care.
Educating parents about healthy eating: Learning about healthy eating should begin with our children, and those lessons should begin in the home. With many parents having been raised in a generation of fast and processed foods that are convenient and are thought to be less expensive than healthful food, we need to educate parents as to the benefits of healthy eating. They need to learn which foods are health-promoting and why, and that healthy eating choices can be easy, inexpensive, and practical. This sets the stage for healthy eating to become the norm for their children.
Increasing parents' awareness of how differentiating between nutrient-rich, health-promoting foods and nutrient-poor foods that are high in calories (and can translate into weight gain) can impact children's health and ability to succeed in school will help motivate them to put healthier eating into practice in the home. So will providing comparisons of the cost of processed, refined foods versus whole foods. For example, an "economy-size" box of twenty-four 1.9 ounce single serving bowls of national brand of instant oatmeal with brown sugar flavor costs around $31.00. In contrast, organic thick, cut rolled oats can be purchased in bulk at a whole foods grocery store for about $1.37 a pound, which contains 4 cups worth of rolled oats. So, for $1.37, you can have 48 servings of organic oatmeal. Or you can pay $31.00 for 12 servings of processed oatmeal with added chemicals. Cost comparisons between numerous other processed foods, such as instant rice or canned beans and their organic, unprocessed counterparts, will reveal similar cost disparities.
Teaching children to eat healthier lays the foundation for optimal health and prevents the nutritional deficiencies related to many health conditions and chronic preventable diseases. For example, foods rich in dietary fiber, like our very affordable organic oatmeal above, help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, while a deficiency of fiber can contribute to high cholesterol levels as well as high blood sugar levels. Inexpensive omega 3-rich foods like canned salmon reduce inflammation and support brain function, while a deficiency of omega-3s in the diet can cause fatigue, depression, and joint pain. Calcium and magnesium, found not only in dairy products but in tofu and leafy greens like spinach, help maintain strong healthy bones and proper functioning of nerves and muscles, while a lack of either can result in muscular pain and spasms.
Initiate pilot programs in schools to create vegetable gardens and provide cooking classes: Children can learn more about how food is grown and how much fun it is to prepare food by government-sponsored pilot programs designed to help create vegetable gardens and provide cooking classes for kids. These programs would help children's awareness of where food comes and would be not only practical, but would lay the foundation for their future health, and would also be great fun, helping children to look forward to school! A small part of your White House vegetable garden cared for by your daughters would inspire children across America, and imagine the delight of eating the just picked vegetables they have personally grown for your family!
Improve school lunch programs: Education about healthier eating can help increase the awareness of the importance of healthier food services for children in schools. According to food experts, an increase of $1 a day on school lunches could shift cafeteria food from fast foods to freshly prepared nutrient-rich foods, an amount that could be saved many times over in terms of health-care savings. These early childhood education programs and improved school lunch programs should become a mandatory part of the school system. All our children deserve decent nourishment and need it to do their best in school. And educating children to eat well will gift them with a skill they will carry with them for a lifetime.
Promoting better healthcare through self-care: Educating individual citizens about practicing a healthy lifestyle and promoting healthy eating habits should be wrapped within a campaign to promote better healthcare through self-care. Since we are making healthy eating choices every day, this must be seen as renewed responsibility for our own health. Just as we take care of our own cars, clothing, and personal hygiene, our health has to become an arena of personal responsibility. Self-care means practicing a lifestyle of healthy eating and regular exercise, and avoiding the intake of excess amounts of fast foods, sugary, salty, and fatty foods, has been proven over and over again around the world to be the best way to a long and healthy life - a life in which we can contribute to society instead of wasting and destroying our lives.
___________________________________
The New
Nutritional & Lifestyle Program
to Save the Precious American Family
During the past 6 years STAF, Inc. has developed the most comprehensive
Nutritional & Lifestyle Program
with the 5 basic facts:
(1) it has to be affordable for anyone either working (even with the minimum salary) or
living on his/her social security;
(2) it has to include ALL nutritionally relevant ingredients the human body needs daily;
see below the numbers of daily food items this scientifically leading program
contains. No other program provides
the same numbers, yet this new program is the most affordable in the US;
(3) it has to have the correct info to promote our health and it has to automatically keep
the body weight in a
health maintaining level;
(4) all nutritional items must be available year-round nationwide, and;
(5) it has to include the correct food preparing instructions including how to apply the
scientific principles of
food combining.
The new program is ready and finished and will now be introduced to
(1) the new U.S. Congress;
(2) the new U.S. Senate;
(3) The White House & the U.S. President- and
(4) to all federal officials necessary
to have this system included in the new health care legislation as the tool to correct the country's enormously lacking information in any of these matters.
Its PRICE = daily, weekly, monthly, yearly costs
to any American family is the LOWEST
- much lower than with any other result-bringing program existing -
- yet it covers all the above mentioned 5 set demands 100 %.
The same new Nutritional & Lifestyle Program will be introduced to the governments worldwide to be adopted in their countries.
THE PRICE FOR THIS NEW NUTRITIONAL & LIFESTYLE PROGRAM
per month
(1) for 1-person household is under $100;
(all costs per month)
(2) for 2-person family about $80 monthly/each;
(3) the relative price goes down per person the bigger the family.
It is imperative to notice:
(a) the food items are ALL of correct quality for the human consumption – no compromising items;
(b) the system is an automatic, natural weight loss program
(without anything else to pay – no need for any other weight maintenance program, ever).
This new program will keep your weight on a health-promoting level to avoid serious sicknesses;
(c) this program has also a real potential to return a person’s lost health caused by a wrong lifestyle (except if it is too late already for your body to recover)
(d) as well as this system is well fit for prevention.
As amazing as the following item amount information sounds,
it is all based on the most modern research as necessary to bring the above listed results in every human being.
FOOD ITEMS - DAILY:
(the following variable numbers depend on the season)
(a) 19 -21 vegetables (up to), (availability & reasonable price),
(all item numbers are daily numbers - 7 d/w)
(b) 5 – 7 fresh fruits (or more) plus
(c) 5 dried fruits,
(d) 5 - 7 nuts/seeds,
(e) 1 – 3 healthy oils,
(f) 4+ whole grains,
(g) 5 – 7 spices,
(h) 1 - 2 eggs every second day
(i) fish & meat variably every second day
(fish & meat items in this new program are the health promoting ones – not just anything moving, crawling, or swimming around).
(j) coffee/tea (correct amount & type),
(k) proper amount & type of wine (if desired, not a must),
(l) dark chocolate (weekly, not daily, correct % of cocoa),
(m) daily (plain) water (correct amount)
(within proper time frame) depending on weight & height & other factors)
Yes – the items listed are daily items (if not otherwise marked) and they all are natural, scientifically correct food items. Yet, as said, everyone can afford this as long the person works at leas on the minimum wage or lives on social security.
It is all natural nutrition that not only maintains and potentially corrects the health problems but is also a natural, automatic weight loss program (= free - no needs to invest hundreds or thousand of dollars to any fad weight management because this new nutritional program does the work, automatically, without any additional effort or action – and: keeps the extra weight off forever).
This new program will be introduced at a proper time to the whole nation – to the American People to save our precious American Families, to save our Precious Children, to promote information how to maintain the happiest marriage
(see an article on this site, tab:services, sub-tab: Restoring any marriage – RAM™, “The Health Benefits of Marriage”)
There is no any other Nutritional & Lifestyle Program that comes even close to these correct solutions including the most affordable & nutritionally perfect solutions.
At the present time any additional, detailed information is available in our Radio/TV Show the President of STAF, Inc. hosts weekly (show info in this site: tab: Radio/TV Shows). Further information is available on this not-for-profit organization’s website:staf1org.weebly.com
Become familiar with this new, life & money saving program.
Get involved; your health is on your plate.
New public seminars will be soon available, videos will be released, CDs, DVD's will be produced, new, delicious health-promoting recipes will be available, books will be written & published – and everything else, based on the modern technology, will be initiated and applied for every family to get this most important info and how to adapt it to improve and save their health & lives.
The radio show recordings (from the past several years) are 24/7 on the internet – listen to any time.
You will get CE & College/University credit by listening to the shows – info on the Radio/TV show tab “how to get the free credit that never expire”.
You save time & money – because you still might go back (or start) to College – we all have 2 – 5 different professions during our lifetime (recent research).
The show title is DrDrCanYouHelpMe and the Host Dr. Christian (site tab: Radio/TV Shows).
Another show title is The Miracle Show.
As needed for any info call (212) 946-1234 or send an email to: [email protected]
When applied, this new program
will save
millions of lives
&
billions
of dollars in federal expenses
every year
(it is your money as a tax-payer - it leaves much more money in your wallet and purse)
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The New Healthier Way of Daily Eating
This plan is also
an automatic, natural weight loss
program - nothing extra to buy, no added expenses
Nothing similar ever existed before
-
it is totally a newly developed system
based on the most recent science knowledge
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This new, unprecedented
Nutritional, Rewarding Lifestyle & Success Program
will restore & maintain your health, raise your quality of life, increase your level of happiness, and will guide you to build a 7-figure portfolio. The system handles all areas of life. It is custom-made for the American people. It covers all needs the modern internet generation dreams of. It will help busy people like you to live happier, healthier, wealthier lives. The total system will be introduced to the U.S. President, The White House, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate & to all necessary federal officials to be included in the new health care legislation as the most prominent part to get the searched-after results in the American life.
The fully scientifically correct daily nutrition in this new system guides you automatically (with no extra effort or cost) to maintain a safe weight level with the goal to get rid of all sicknesses, to avoid any and all senior age mental diseases, and to stay active in every aspect well beyond 100 + (today 1oo + is the fastest growing age group in the developed countries). The lifestyle part of the program guides competently in all other matters needed for a healthy, happy, meaningful, successful life with a 7-figure portfolio for your later years. This new program will save your life and your children’s lives, will save your marriage and your family, and will give you financially prosperous future.
This totally new multi-level system was created as a custom made program for all Americans and American Families.
All needs for the new internet generation are met in this program. It took over 6 (six) years to develop and create this unprecedented program. Never before has a similar system existed. This total health, rewarding lifestyle & success program is built to be suitable and easily applicable for every American.
Save The American Family - STAF Inc. and its internationally known, experienced specialists have made this miracle available for you and your family.
The STAF, Inc. founding President, Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.,
has functioned as the lead scientist for the project.
STAF, Inc., not-for-profit, headquartered in New York City
with nationwide operations and with the goal of growing wider and more important than the Red Cross,
is for every American - it is for YOU.
STAF, Inc. will be your staff to make these miracles happen.
As the STAF, Inc. slogan goes:
“We’ll give you a NEW life.”
_____________________________
Education about healthier ways of cooking
Is Your Cooking Sucking the Health Out of Your Food?
* Below two detailed articles about healthy cooking
A campaign for educating citizens about healthy eating should also promote healthier ways of cooking that retain the greatest number of nutrients and also produce meals that taste great. Encouraging more at-home cooking will greatly help individuals to take control of their sugar, salt, and fat intake. People should be aware that some foods are more delicate than others, and if cooked too long and on high heat, can lose not only 50-80% of their nutritional value, but their taste as well. For example, meats can cook for hours without much nutrient loss, but a delicate vegetable like spinach should be cooked for only 1 minute to retain the maximum number of nutrients and best flavor. A major reason some people do not enjoy vegetables is that they have never eaten any that were properly prepared, but instead have had only overcooked, flavorless, soggy vegetables.
Many of the cooking programs that are now available on TV focus on entertainment rather than on preparing nourishing foods. Americans need to learn that they can cook for health, quickly and easily, without spending lots of money or forgoing the aesthetics or flavor of exceptionally delicious food. Placing greater emphasis not only on what foods are healthy but how to prepare them is an essential part of a healthier way of eating.
Through examples set by the First Family
The First Family as a Role Model: Through the power of example set by the First Family in the White House, you can influence change in America's thinking about food, and you are the ideal choice to lead us by becoming the role model for a healthy eating lifestyle. You, Michelle, and your wonderful children can set the national tone about how healthy eating can impact health. You can reverse the negative image of broccoli put in place by the first President Bush and the honor given to jelly beans by President Reagan.
The power of your example has already been witnessed by Michelle's continued expression of the importance of basic nutritious foods and family meals, and in the groundbreaking of her vegetable garden, which has already been an inspiration to thousands of Americans. In fact, her praise of community vegetable gardens has increased the sale of vegetable seeds by 50%! These examples set by you and your family can be as effective as any legislation in changing the consciousness of the American public towards their focus on the relationship between food and health.
You can continue as a role model for Americans by focusing on the healthful meals provided by White House chefs committed to cooking simply from fresh local ingredients. In addition to feeding you and your family exceptionally well, your chefs can demonstrate how it is possible, even in Washington, D.C., to eat locally for much of the year, and that good food needn't be fussy nor complicated. Michelle's order to serve spinach not with cream sauce but in a more healthy style at the first State dinner was already a boost to this image.
Another idea would be to have the White House chef post daily menus on the Web, listing the farmers who supplied the food, as well as recipes. Realizing that the First Family places so much stock in healthy eating on a day-to-day basis sets a great example for the American people and provides them with ideas of what they can include in their personal menus for healthy eating.
How to Raise Money to Fund This Campaign
One idea of how to raise the money to fund this campaign would be by taxing the purchase of what will be defined as nutrient-poor, unhealthy foods and drinks. Like alcohol and tobacco, such foods are detrimental to health and contribute to the health crisis we are currently experiencing. Taxing the purchase of these foods can offset the costs in healthcare that result from their consumption as well as educating the public towards a healthier way of eating as they take on the responsibility of their own health and the health of our nation.
I urge you to make a commitment to include a campaign for a "Healthier Way of Eating" as an essential part of your universal healthcare reform package. I urge you to take strong and aggressive action to pass legislation and take measures to educate Americans on a healthier way of eating. I sincerely believe it is the only way to save millions of lives and billions of American dollars and extricate us from our current healthcare crisis. We, and countless others in and out of government, would welcome the opportunity to help you tackle this challenging problem.
About Healthier ways of cooking
Is Your Cooking Sucking the Health Out of Your Food?
Richard E. Collins, MD
South Denver Cardiology Associates - Richard E. Collins, MD, director of wellness at South Denver Cardiology Associates in Littleton, Colorado. He is board-certified in cardiology and internal medicine, has performed more than 500 cooking demonstrations nationwide and is author of The Cooking Cardiologist (Advanced Research) and Cooking with Heart (South Denver Cardiology Associates). www.TheCookingCardiologist.com
How can home cooking be bad for you? Well, Richard E. Collins, MD, author of The Cooking Cardiologist, has news on the connection between cancer and roasted, grilled and broiled meats and sautéed vegetables. But wait -- Dr. Collins has a solution to make these foods tasty and healthful.
Inflammation is the body’s natural, temporary, healing response to infection or injury. But if the process fails to shut down when it should, inflammation becomes chronic -- and tissues are injured by excess white blood cells and DNA-damaging free radicals.
Result: Elevated risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis and other diseases.
STAF, Inc. asked Richard E. Collins, MD, "the cooking cardiologist," how to prevent chronic inflammation.
His advice: Follow a diet that is rich in immune-strengthening nutrients... and use cooking techniques that neither destroy food’s disease-fighting nutrients nor add inflammatory properties to it.
HEALTHY WAYS WITH VEGETABLES
Deeply colored plant foods generally are rich in antioxidants that help combat inflammation by neutralizing free radicals.
Examples: Healthful flavonoids are prevalent in deep yellow to purple produce... carotenoids are found in yellow, orange, red and green vegetables.
Exceptions: Despite their light hue, garlic and onions are powerful antioxidants.
Unfortunately, these nutrients are easily lost.
For instance: Boiling or poaching vegetables causes nutrients to leach into the cooking water -- and get tossed out when that potful of water is discarded. The high heat of frying causes a reaction between carbohydrates and amino acids, creating carcinogenic chemicals called acrylamides. And even when healthful food-preparation techniques are used, overcooking destroys nutrients. Better...
Microwave. This uses minimal water and preserves flavor (so you won’t be tempted to add butter or salt). Slightly moisten vegetables with water, cover and microwave just until crisp-tender.
Stir-fry. In a preheated wok or sauté pan, cook vegetables over medium-high heat for a minute or two in a bit of low-sodium soy sauce.
Steam. This beats boiling, but because steam envelops the food, some nutrients leach out. To "recycle" them, pour that bit of water from the steamer into any soup or sauce.
Stew. Nutrients that leach from the vegetables aren’t lost because they stay in the stew sauce.
Roast. Set your oven to 350°F or lower to protect vegetables’ nutrients and minimize acrylamides.
HEALTHY METHODS FOR MEAT JUST AFTER THIS ARTICLE YOU SEE IMPORTANT INFO
When beef, pork, poultry or fish is roasted at 400°F or higher, grilled, broiled or fried, it triggers a chemical reaction that creates inflammatory heterocyclic amines (HCAs) -- especially when food is exposed to direct flame and/or smoke. At least 17 HCAs are known carcinogens, linked to cancer of the breast, stomach, colon and/or pancreas.
Safest: Roast meat, poultry and fish at 350°F. Avoid overcooking -- well-done meats may promote cancer. Also, be sure to avoid undercooking to prevent food poisoning.
If you love to grill: Buy a soapstone grilling stone, one-and-a-quarter inches thick and cut to half the size of your grill. (Stones are sold at kitchen-counter retail stores and at Dorado Soapstone, 888-500-1905, www.DoradoSoapstone.com). Place it on your grilling rack, then put your food on top of it. Soapstone heats well, doesn’t dry out food and gives the flavor of grilling without exposing food to direct flames or smoke.
If you eat bacon: To minimize HCAs (heterocyclic amines), cook bacon in the microwave and take care not to burn it.
STAF, Inc. advice: Do not eat pork or bacon – too unhealthy – if you do at least prepare it in a healthier way.
THE RIGHT COOKING OILS
Do you cringe when the Food Network chefs sauté in unrefined extra-virgin olive oil? You should. This oil has a very low smoke point (the temperature at which a particular oil turns to smoke) of about 325°F -- and when oil smokes, nutrients degrade and free radicals form.
Best: Sauté or stir-fry with refined canola oil, which has a high smoke point. Or use tea seed cooking oil (not tea tree oil) -- its smoke point is about 485°F.
Try: Emerald Harvest (www.Emerald-Harvest.com) or Republic of Tea (800-298-4832, www.RepublicofTea.com).
Rule of thumb: If cooking oil starts to smoke, throw it out. Use a laser thermometer (sold at kitchenware stores) to instantly see oil temperature -- so you’ll know when to turn down the heat.
Richard E. Collins, MD, director of wellness at South Denver Cardiology Associates in Littleton, Colorado. He is board-certified in cardiology and internal medicine, has performed more than 500 cooking demonstrations nationwide and is author of The Cooking Cardiologist (Advanced Research) and Cooking with Heart (South Denver Cardiology Associates). www.TheCookingCardiologist.com
About Meat - Can Prime Rib Be Healthy?
Sure, some people love their vegetarian diet... but others just can’t imagine living life without steak, burgers and beef bourguignon. Maybe there’s no reason they should have to!
It’s definitely unhealthy to eat a lot of red meat... but just how unhealthy? It depends in part on how the beef is prepared and in part on something you may not have thought much about -- what the cow ate on its way to becoming your dinner.
If you want to eat steak (or prime rib, beef stew or any other beef dish), it pays to be particular about what kind of beef you eat. Even your run-of-the-mill supermarket has lots of different alternatives you can choose from... not only a variety of cuts of beef with varying fat content, but also beef that is "antibiotic-free," "organic," "grass-fed" and even "free range." Are any of these truly healthier or just marketing gimmicks? It’s a fair question. I took the query to nutritionist Jonny Bowden, CNS, author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.
GRAIN IS JUNK FOOD FOR COWS
I’m sure you are familiar with the old saying, "you are what you eat." It should come as no surprise to learn that it applies not only to people but also to cows -- and to a cow, eating grass is the equivalent of eating natural, whole foods. Unfortunately, only a very few cows have that luxury. At this point, 100% grass-fed cows (also called "pasture-fed") constitute only about 1% of the nation’s beef, though the number is growing.
Instead, most cows eat grain, which is like junk food to them -- and (just like with people) eating unhealthy food extracts a toll. "Cows are meant to eat grass, not grain," Bowden told me. Since grain is high in omega-6 fatty acids, cows raised on grain produce meat that is high in inflammatory omega-6 fats. Grass in pastures contains healthier omega-3 fatty acids in abundant amounts and that, too, is reflected in cows’ meat.
Related problem: While all cows start out eating grass, 75% are moved to commercial feedlots where they eat grain and live very short, brutish lives in confined quarters. Cows from factory farms (called "CAFOs," for "confined animal feeding operations") also are fed antibiotics (to prevent disease) and growth hormones and steroids (to make them very fat very quickly). The beef produced this way is laced with unhealthy drug residue that you don’t want to ingest, Bowden points out.
Grass-fed beef, however, is a whole different animal. Not only is it richer in omega-3s, but it also contains measurable amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a healthful type of fat that is thought to help fight cancer. Several studies have demonstrated that grass-fed beef has more vitamin A and E than its grain-fed counterpart, not to mention antioxidants such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase (SOD) that help fight cancer.
Grass-fed beef is also better for you because of what it does not have. Most grass-fed beef is antibiotic- and steroid-free. It’s also lower in fat. For instance, a USDA study of one brand (Mesquite Organic Foods) found that their grass-fed ground beef was 65% lower in saturated fat than grain-fed beef, while their New York strip cut was 35% lower in fat
WHAT THE LABEL SAYS... AND DOESN’T SAY
Now that I’ve explained why grass-fed beef is healthier, my job is only half done -- you need to know exactly what you are looking for when you head out to buy your meat, since it’s not quite as clear-cut as you might guess. You’ll need to read the labels closely. Bowden offered some tips...
- You want to buy beef that is labeled "100% Grass Fed" or has the "American Grassfed" logo on its label -- which indicates that the farmer meets standards set by the American Grassfed Association. You can find this kind of beef at high-end grocery stores such as Whole Foods.
- Don’t be fooled into thinking buying "organic beef" necessarily solves the problem. It may merely mean that the cow was fed organic grain (meaning, essentially, pesticide-free grain), but "beef shouldn’t be raised on any grain diet," Bowden said.
- A label that says "grass-fed" isn’t good enough either, believe it or not. Beef only needs to be 80% grass-fed to earn this label, and many so-called "grass-fed ranches" send their cattle to feedlots for the final weeks of life, where they are fattened up on corn (which may or may not be organic) and sometimes given growth hormones as well. So, look for that 100% grass-fed label.
IS IT WORTH THE PRICE?
Obviously, raising a 100% grass-fed animal is far more time-consuming and expensive than raising one on a feedlot farm... and, as you’d expect, the price reflects that. This kind of beef can be 20% to 100% more expensive. I’m convinced that the health benefits alone are worth the extra cost -- but is it as good to eat?
Well, grass-fed beef can be tough. "Dry-aging," a process by which the meat is refrigerated for up to several weeks before being sent to market, is done by some meat purveyors -- it makes the meat more tender and flavorful, but is another factor that can drive up the cost even more. For tips on how to cook grass-fed beef, check the American Grassfed Association site at www.americangrassfedbeef.com/tips-for-cooking-grass-fed.asp .)
As far as taste, I did an "informal" test and cooked up some regular rib-eye steaks and burgers along with others that were grass-fed for a gathering that included two families, adults and teens, and a seven-year-old child. The verdict was nearly unanimous: Every person except the seven-year-old said that the grass-fed beef was loads better -- more succulent, juicy, tender and delicious.
The seven-year-old simply asked if we could pass the ketchup.
Jonny Bowden, CNS, board-certified nutritionist based in Woodland Hills, California, and author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What You Should Eat and Why (FairWinds).
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"We’ll Give you a NEW life"
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Part 2 of the letter to President Obama below after the references
References
Bazzano LA, Serdula M, and Liu S. Prevention of type 2 diabetes by diet and lifestyle modification. J Am Coll Nutr. 2005 Oct;24(5):310-9.
Bellisle F. Effects of diet on behaviour and cognition in children. Br J Nutr. 2004 Oct;92 Suppl 2:S227-32.
Bray GA and Popkin BM. Dietary fat intake does affect obesity! Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, Dec 1998; 68: 1157 - 1173.
Cruz NV and Bahna SL. Do foods or additive cause behavior disorders? Pediatric Annals 2006, 35(10): 744-755.
Davis K, Schoen C, Guterman S, et al. Slowing the growth of U.S. healthcare expenditures: what are the options? The Commonwealth Fund Publication No. 989, January 2007. (Available online at www.cmwf.org.)
DeVol R and Bedroussian A. An unhealthy America: the economic burden of chronic disease. Executive summary and research findings. 2007, The Milken Institute, Santa Monica, California.
Fierro MP. Costs of chronic diseases: what are states facing? The Council of State Governments, Lexington, KY, 2006. (Available online at www.healthystates.csg.org.)
Florence MD, Asbridge M, and Veugelers PJ. Diet quality and academic performance. J Sch Health. 2008 Apr;78(4):209-15.
Fu ML, Cheng L, Tu SH, et al. Association between unhealthful eating patterns and unfavorable overall school performance in children. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007 Nov;107(11):1935-43.
Golan E, Steward H, Kuchler F et al. Can Low-Income Americans Afford a Healthy Diet? Amber Waves. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 2008, 6(5): 26-34.
Greenwood CE, Kaplan RJ, Hebblewaite S et al. Carbohydrate-Induced Memory Impairment in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care, Jul 2003; 26: 1961 - 1966.
King, DE, Mainous, AG, Carnemolla, M, et al. Adherence to Healthy Lifestyle Habits in USA Habits,Am. J. Medicine (2009) June 122(6),528-534.
Kleinman RE, Hall S, Green H, et al. Diet, breakfast, and academic performance in children. Ann Nutr Metab. 2002;46 Suppl 1:24-30.
Rampersaud GC, Pereira MA, Girard BL, et al. Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 May;105(5):743-60.
Thompson WG, Cook DA, Clark MM, et al. Treatment of Obesity. Mayo Clin. Proc., Jan 2007; 82: 93 - 102.
Wang Y, Beydoun MA, Liang L, et al. Will All Americans Become Overweight or Obese? Estimating the Progression and Cost of the US Obesity Epidemic. Obesity (2008) 16 10, 2323-2330.
Willett WC, Koplan JP, Nugent R, et al. Prevention of Chronic Disease by Means of Diet and Lifestyle Changes. Chapter 44 in: Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries (2nd Edition). Jamison DT, Breman LG, Measham AR et al, Eds. Disease Control Priorities Project, Washington, D.C., April 2006.
World Health Organization. Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. Report of a Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation, 2003 WHO Technical Report Series 916, WHO Geneva.
Zhang J, Herbert JR, and Muldoon MF. Dietary Fat Intake Is Associated with Psychosocial and Cognitive Functioning of School-Aged Children in the United St
Some of the above facts are quoted from Mr. George Mateljan - a nutritional writer
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Part 2
Prepared & compiled by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., the President of Save The American Family - STAF, Inc - not-for-profit-
Consists of several life-saving articles
Dear President Obama,
Correct nutrition, safe food preparation & proper food chewing are not enough to maintain good health and avoid sicknesses
There is more to
a correct L-I-F-E-S-T-Y-L-E * * *
(1) Smoking:eliminate (STAF, Inc. tab: services);
(2) Overweight: eliminate (STAF, Inc. tab: services);
(3) Alcohol not needed but if: a glass of wine/day, heavy liquor: eliminate (STAF, Inc. tab: services) - below a recent study about the dangers of alcohol;
(4) Substance use: eliminate (STAF, Inc. tab: services);
(5) Proper amount of SLEEP & learning Stress conquering techniques: (learn from STAF. Inc.);
(6) Family Life & Children (learn from STAF, Inc.) the secrets of how to have the heavenly happiness in your marriage and how to raise mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy, successful children(– STAF, Inc. tab: services:“RAM™ - Restoring Any Marriage”);
(7) Religion & Spirituality (see website: gcg1org.weebly.com for worldwide Radio/TV Ministry & Local Ministry - we humans are a body that has a spirit – that spirit must be healed, nurtured & maintained);
(8) Exercise, physical & mental (learn from STAF. Inc.);
(9) Become a Millionaire (yes, you can) &Stay Debt Free (learn from STAF. Inc. - see tab: University & College - earn free CE, College & University credits (never expire) by listening/watching the STAF, Inc. Radio/TV Shows - register as an achiever of free credits; call or email for easy instructions, take STAF, Inc. seminars, training, volunteer your time = you'll learn more techniques while performing volunteer work, study STAF, Inc. books, publications, CD's, DVD's, etc.);
(10) Achieve all your worthy goals and live a long life filled with happiness (learn from STAF. Inc. – see and apply all info “how”- study fully STAF, Inc. website, all tabs, follow regularly STAF, Inc. Radio/TV shows, other instructions, take STAF, Inc. seminars, training, volunteer your time = you'll learn more techniques while performing volunteer work, study STAF, Inc. books, publications, CD's, DVD's, etc. and recognize the message of the
Quote: “Knowledge is no power – only applied knowledge is power”
(Dr. Christian, President of STAF, Inc.)
_______________________________________________________________________________
STAF, Inc. has new programs for all mental & physical activities mentioned on its website – all developed to fit for the internet generation
As also, among many other programs:
Yoga (= Yabbanetics™ Yoga - developed by Dr. Christian, President of STAF, Inc.),
Meditation (= M+ = Meditation+ - developed by Dr. Christian, President of STAF, Inc.),
and traditional Tai Chi – Asian physical & mental exercise program
with roots that extend back thousands of years, offers many benefits:
- Lowers blood pressure, cholesterol level and pulse rates
- Improves cardiovascular, endocrine and digestive function
- Boosts immunity
- Promotes better sleep documented health benefits. It:
- Lessens chronic pain
- Increases energy and endurance
- Reduces risk of depression
- Improves memory and concentration
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Study: Alcohol More Dangerous Than Heroin
“Alcohol More Dangerous Than Heroin", a recently published health research finds.
Based on a British abstract study of various drugs (such as cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, marijuana, and alcohol), the research assessed the effects that these substances have on individuals and on our society.
The researchers looked at the addictive potential of each substance, harmful physical effects to users, emotional/functional costs of substance use to family systems, and financial costs to society for such things as health care, social services, and prison.
Their conclusions? The most severe effects on individual users came from heroin, crack cocaine, and crystal meth (methamphetamine). Social costs were greatest from the use of alcohol, heroin, and crack cocaine. But, when all parameters were considered as a total package, alcohol was at the top of the list, causing the greatest combination of overall individual physical disability, as well as widespread social dysfunction. The next substances on the ranking were heroin and crack cocaine, with marijuana, ecstasy and LSD lower in rank.
It’s possible that alcohol’s rank comes in part due to our society’s acceptance of both alcohol use and abuse, the ready availability of alcohol, and the devastating effects of excess alcohol on nearly every organ system.
I worry most about the effect of alcohol on teenagers. Some of the costs of alcohol use among younger users include an increased risk of:
- Depression, anxiety, and attention problems
- Alcoholism – the younger the drinker, the higher the risk of that individual eventually becoming addicted
- Injury or death in motor vehicle accidents, as well as increased risk of violent death from other causes
- Suicide attempts in girls who drink
- Risky sexual practices (including earlier age of sexual activity, and higher risks of unprotected sex and sex with strangers)
- Other drug use (including marijuana, cocaine, heroin)
Our schools try to educate our teens about alcohol use and abuse, but we all need to join their efforts. We adults need to lead by modeling responsible alcohol use, by refusing to be amused by drunkenness, and by making it clear that underage drinking is wrong not just because it is illegal, but because it is potentially seriously harmful to the underage drinker.
_____ STAF, Inc. 's internationally known professionals will guide you to stop drinking - contact STAF, Inc. _____
CALL - 212-946-1234 - and: your new life begins
___________________________
Save Your Brain By Not Lighting Up
Smoking is so over. But if you're still promising yourself and your kids, spouse, doc that you'll quit next week, month, year, maybe this new finding will help motivate you to join today's Great American Smokeout: Heavy smoking from middle age on more than doubles your risk of dementia down the road.
Yup, more than doubles it. And all smoking in middle age -- including secondhand -- increases your risk of brain dysfunction as you age. That's because smoking affects the blood vessels in your brain as well as your body. If you're a smoker who's lucky enough to reach your 60s or up minus lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema or chronic bronchitis, you still won't get much further with your mental faculties intact. Even if you're a "lite" smoker (the half- to pack-a-day kind), you still have a 37 percent increased risk of dementia. The thirdhand smoking is the fact that harmful chemicals from smoking attach the walls, the clothes, the furniture - and continue harming everyone around. The pets lick the surfaces, so do the babies - and get health hazards from the smoker's life-threatening habits.
You wouldn't think there's really good news here, but there is. The 50- to 60-year-olds who quit smoking when this recent study began had NO increased risk of dementia in the following decades. So save your brain and don't light up today. Just don't go it alone, either. The minute you finish this article, contact STAF, Inc. - STAF, Inc. has the most effective program - and the only private program anywhere guaranteed with a life- time result guarantee with only ONE-TIME fee.
Save your life, save your family's life, save your cildren's lives, save your pet's life - call STAF, Inc. now.
____ STAF, Inc. 's internationally known professionals will guide you to stop smoking - contact STAF, Inc. ______
CALL - 212-946-1234 - and: your new life begins
Save your life - Save your children's health - Save your family
Save your money
Have freedom of nicotine and any other addiction and live free
_____
- then you'll know what "happiness" is -
STAF, Inc. internationally leading specialists
will help you and your family to get rid of your addiction(s).
Listen to our Radio Shows and watch our TV Shows - see the related tab in this site for further show info - you'll get free CEU, College & University credits (they never expire) just by listening and watching the shows. Registration as the achiever of these credits necessary - instructions in the TV/Radio Shows tab.
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ABOUT SLEEP NEXT
HOW TO RESTORE YOUR BRAIN POWER
Source: August 2010 issue of the journal Sleep
Evidence demonstrates that sleeping in on the weekend is a smart idea after a tough week at work (or anywhere else). I’ve been known to sleep late myself on occasion, but always with a twinge of guilt, since we’re told that it’s better to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day. But juggling my job, kids, household tasks and other requirements all week sometimes leaves me weary and sleep-deprived by Friday afternoon -- and I bet you know exactly how I feel.
Americans have a sleep debt that makes the national budget deficit look minor, warns Matthew Edlund, MD, MOH, an expert on rest, biological clocks, performance and sleep based in Sarasota, Florida, and author of the new book, The Power of Rest. Sleep is as important to health as food and water, and we should stop feeling guilty for allotting time for our bodies to rest, recharge and regenerate, he said.
HERE’S PROOF...
At the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, researchers conducted a study of the effect of sleep deprivation on the brain power of 159 healthy adults aged 22 to 45. A control group of 17 spent 12 consecutive days in the sleep lab -- 10 hours in bed each night for seven nights -- while the others spent 10 hours in bed for the first two nights, then were in bed only from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. for five consecutive nights. Next, this group was assigned randomized amounts of recovery sleep, up to 10 hours per night.
All participants completed 30-minute computerized tests to assess their levels of alertness and neurobehavior performance every two hours while awake -- and no one will be surprised to learn that in comparison with those who had adequate sleep, people with restricted sleep experienced:
· Impaired alertness
· Shortened attention span
· Reduced reaction time.
WHY YOU NEED A VACATION
But here’s the happy finding: Normal function (alertness and performance, as above) was restored in sleep-deprived participants after just one solid night of recovery sleep -- 10 hours, or the equivalent of squeezing in extra shut-eye on Saturday morning after a long week. (The more recovery sleep, the higher the scores.) In contrast, participants whose sleep continued to be restricted to an average of four to six hours per night performed poorly on tests and continued to get worse as their restricted sleep continued. Researchers also warned that even 10 hours of sleep in one night is not enough to bounce back if you continually push yourself too hard and burn the candle at both ends. Dr. Edlund said that, in fact, many studies have shown that even a few weeks of normal sleep won’t make up for a longtime habit of sleep deprivation -- and he added that nowadays people rarely know what it’s like to feel fully rested. In that case, it is likely to take more than a day -- think many weeks, and that’s only if you don’t go back to your old ways -- to get back to par... which is why we need to take vacations!
These results were published in the August 2010 issue of the journal Sleep.
Just as we don’t expect our bodies to function without adequate nutrition, we can’t expect to feel fully fueled and alert without sufficient sleep, Dr. Edlund told. The best scenario, of course, is to not allow yourself to become sleep-deprived in the first place -- but this is not always possible. Most people require seven or eight hours a night to be at their best the next day. But when that doesn’t happen, we now know that you can get tremendous benefit from snoozing a little longer even for just one morning. It gives your brain time to recover and reboot -- you’ll be more focused, productive and energetic as a result.
Source:
Matthew Edlund, MD, MOH (masters in occupational health), Center for Circadian Medicine, Sarasota, Florida. Dr. Edlund is author of The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone is Not Enough: A 30-Day Plan to Reset Your Body (HarperOne). Visit his Web site atwww.TheRestDoctor.com.
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Sitting at a Desk All Day Can Cause Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is dangerous -- it’s even linked to premature death, so it is disconcerting to learn that it can be caused by something we all do nearly every day: Sit. T. Douglas Bradley, PhD, director of the Centre for Sleep Medicine and Circadian Biology at the University of Toronto, explains why and tells how to prevent it.
When you sit for long periods, blood and water pool in your legs. If you sit long enough and collect a great deal of fluid in your legs, when you lie down to go to sleep, gravity causes this fluid to flow to your neck. In some people, so much fluid moves to their necks that it puts pressure on the throat, causing it to collapse from the pressure, leading to obstructive sleep apnea and making it difficult to breathe and get a good night’s sleep.
Self-defense: Take a walk every hour while you’re at work to prevent fluid retention in your legs. (see the following article)
Source: T. Douglas Bradley, PhD, professor of medicine and director, Centre for Sleep Medicine and Circadian Biology, University of Toronto, Canada, and leader of a study published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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Modern Technology :
A bad match with your and your children's sleep
Cell phones and computers ... we love 'em (most of the time). We can keep in touch with our wives and kids no matter what. If we're not 100 percent sure what clouds are made of, we can find out instantly (tiny ice crystals and air). What would we do without them? Simple: We'd sleep better! And so would our kids.
Turns out that 8-to-22-year-olds who send texts and e-mails, surf the Web or play computer games around bedtime have sleep troubles ranging from restlessness and insomnia to leg pain, reports a new study. The daytime effects: anxiety, depression and learning difficulties. Not what anybody (your child or you) needs.
Healthy sleep at night does for kids what it does for you: boosts alertness, productivity, creativity and general well-being. Improves sex quality, too (that one's just for you). So make it happen.
Put kids' cell phones to bed -- say, in your closet. Remember sneaking a flashlight under the covers after lights-out? Some things don't change. Half the parents in the study said they didn't know their kids were surfing and texting hours after bedtime. Clear TVs and computers out of bedrooms, too (including yours).
Limit total screen time to two hours a day. The typical kid watches three hours of TV alone. That's time not spent playing outside and reading, activities that are more likely to induce sweet dreams.
Keep it down. Kids can't sleep if your TV is blaring and your cell phone is beeping. Besides, all that screen time isn't good for your zzz's either.
Unplug. Sleep tight.
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A Wake-Up Call on Teen Obesity
______ STAF, Inc. 's internationally known professionals will guide you to slim down - contact STAF, Inc. ______
Rosalyn Carson-DeWitt, MD
Obese teens are at high risk of severe obesity in adulthood. This recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association is not surprising, but it should serve as a call to action.
Statistical analysis of data from the U.S. National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health demonstrated that adolescents whose BMI (body mass index) is in the obese range (that is, a BMI of 30 or more) are at extremely high risk of being severely obese in adulthood – that is, a BMI of 40 or more. By “extremely high risk,” I mean that these adolescents have a 16 times increased risk.
While this study underscores adolescent obesity as a strong risk factor for severe adult obesity, I think it stands to reason that we don’t actually know at what age obesity or overweight begins to become a risk for obesity in adulthood. Is it by mid-childhood? Is it by school age? Is it in the preschool years?
We’ve got to take control of our children’s diets to protect them from this risk. We have to take seriously all the advice to learn how to cook healthily, eat moderately, and exercise regularly; we have to model these behaviors for our kids; and we have to work to ingrain these behaviors as habits in our children.
Food activists know that one of the shocking problems in poor neighborhoods is the dearth of full-service supermarkets, where fruits and vegetables are available. Families who live in these inner-city “food deserts” are forced to buy all their food at convenience stores, where the only choices are high-fat, high-sodium, high-sugar, processed foods. If we want to have an impact on our nation’s health, we are going to have to band together to insist that access to good, healthy, fresh food is a right. It should not be a privilege or a luxury to have the opportunity to act on the old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
A project in Michigan called Project Fit Community Assessment examined the inventory of 23 inner-city stores in Grand Rapids, demonstrating that none of the 23 stocked all four of the food categories that would qualify them as a “healthy food store,” such as “quality produce, lean meat, and whole-wheat bread.”
So step one: Let’s get healthy food stores in the inner cities. And step two: Let’s teach people how to prepare and enjoy healthy foods. A palate that has grown up on high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar processed foods is not going to immediately accept fresh steamed vegetables or other unfamiliar (but healthier) foods.
Fully 10 percent of the cost of health care in our country goes to pay for the medical consequences of obesity — such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and the medications required to control these conditions. So we’re all bearing the burden of obesity in this country, whether we are obese ourselves or not.
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"We’ll Give you a NEW life"
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ABOUT EXERCISE NEXT
It’s Time for Recess: Just Keep on Moving
Exercise in Small Increments for Personal Health
One doctor’s prescription for exercise: Do it where you gather, even 10 minutes at a time.
We all know by now that we should be getting 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days. Yet for all the proselytizing, wheedling and cajoling, only about 5 percent of the population has bought into the program.
“Being sedentary is the norm in America,” writes Dr. Toni Yancey, a professor of health services at the University of California, Los Angeles. Thanks to the plethora of labor-saving devices and motorized vehicles, we now “spend most of our waking time sitting, reclining or lying down.”
“Even activities that we still do regularly demand less exertion,” Dr. Yancey continued. “And the less people have to do, the more quickly they get tired when they exert themselves just a little bit, which of course discourages them from exercising.”
Clearly, a new approach is needed. And Dr. Yancey is offering one that has already shown great promise to counteract what she calls “sedentary behavior disorder.”
She calls it “Instant Recess” — the title of her new book (University of California Press), in which she demonstrates the value of two 10-minute breaks of enjoyable communal activity as part of people’s everyday lives. The sessions can be instituted wherever people gather: day care centers, schools, workplaces, conferences, places of worship, senior centers and the like.
At 6-foot-2, Dr. Yancey was a college basketball star, and she remains a staunch believer in the value of lifelong physical activity. She says the secret to motivating more Americans to make regular physical exercise a part of their lives is to incorporate enjoyable bouts of activity into their everyday behavior.
Office or Other Workplace
Take a Break and Exercise
As an alternative to a structured exercise break, she suggests “gathering groups of people to take a brisk walk around the grounds for 10 minutes twice a day.” Getting people to exercise in groups is easier because “everyone’s doing it,” and these brief exercise sessions deliver the most benefit to those who need it most.
Dr. Yancey has a wealth of experience at motivating highly sedentary people to move more. She describes instant recess as “a point of entry, a calling card for national physical activity” — a way to stimulate health-promoting activity, especially among those whose lives and value systems have not caught up with the top-down prescriptions for regular physical exercise.
“These short bouts of activity can spill over to the rest of a person’s life,” she said in an interview. “Once people feel more fit and better about themselves, they are more likely to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity during their leisure time.”
She calls the recess model “the aerobics of the 21st century — an updated exercise prescription for an increasingly over scheduled, ethnically diverse, multicultural, media-and-information-technology-driven global modern society.”
“People want to be healthier, fitter and thinner,” she writes. “But the cost is just more than most are willing to pay, and the rewards are too far in the future.”
By making instant recess the default option, she said, no one has to decide to exercise or carve out a special time to do it, and some of the rewards are immediate — among them camaraderie, social interaction with friends and co-workers, stress relief, muscle relaxation, increased energy, improved mood and better concentration.
So at sites around the country, students, employees and older people, among others, are taking dancelike exercise breaks to music that have been shown to enhance achievement, productivity, self-esteem and well-being.
As Dr. Yancey puts it, “What’s good for the waistline is good for the bottom line.” Companies including L. L. Bean and Replacements Ltd. have found that the kinds of breaks Dr. Yancey is promoting can increase output and decrease injuries and workers’ compensation claims. L. L. Bean employees who take part in three five-minute stretch breaks each workday have given back to the company “a 100 percent return on its investment — 30 minutes of productivity in terms of what comes off the assembly line,” Dr. Yancey reported. And within three years, she said, “work-related injuries dropped from 14 a year to essentially none.”
After the introduction of 10-minute exercise breaks at Replacements Ltd., which sells replacement pieces for sets of china and silverware, fewer employees lost time from work because of problems like carpal tunnel syndrome and low back pain. Dr. Yancey is now involved in a study of recess breaks at 70 work sites in Los Angeles County.
Schools – Kinder Gardens
Motivating the Young Take a Break and Exercise
Likewise, she said, 10-minute exercise breaks during the school day could do more to forward the goals of No Child Left Behind than double that amount of time spent trying to stuff math and English into students’ heads. She cited a federally financed study by the University of Kansas conducted at 24 low-income public schools.
The study, which included a matched control group, found that 10-minute activity breaks, usually done to music, led to improved scores in math, spelling and composition among the participants. The students also increased their activity levels outside school, on weekdays and weekends, and gained less weight than those in the schools who did not institute fitness breaks.
This study is especially telling because in schools around the country, physical education classes and outdoor recess have fallen prey to the demands to improve test scores.
“Getting kids to sit shoulder to shoulder for six hours a day is not going to do it,” Dr. Yancey said. “Even in schools that still have 30-minute periods of physical education or recess, many children get only about five minutes of moderate to vigorous activity. Most just stand around texting or talking with their friends.”
But studies by Dr. Yancey and colleagues at U.C.L.A. showed, for example, that athlete-led exercise breaks in school, even via DVDs or CDs, could motivate otherwise sedentary youngsters to get moving and improve their fitness levels.
In a charter school in Phoenix, instant recess was tested among low-income minority students from kindergarten through sixth grade. They loved the 10-minute sessions, according to researchers, saying things like “It gave me energy throughout the day,” “It was way better than sitting down in class all the time” and “I think other schools should do it so they can become more active.”
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Be Sure Exercise Is All You Get at the Gym
When you go to the gym, do you wash your hands before and after using the equipment? Bring your own regularly cleaned mat for floor exercises? Shower with antibacterial soap and put on clean clothes immediately after your workout? Use only your own towels, razors, bar soap, water bottles?
About washing your hands: rub your hands with the soap long enough, about 20 seconds = the same amount it takes you to hum in your mind 2 times "Happy Birthday to you". Teach this to your older children also. The younger children could hum in their minds once "Now I know my ABCs" or 2 times "Happy Birthday to you" (which ever they like best). After 20 seconds rubbing your hands with the soap rinse well (the water temperature for rinsing in itself does not matter - the temperature is up to you).
If you answered ''no'' to any of the above, you could wind up with one of the many skin infections that can spread like wildfire in athletic settings. In June, the National Athletic Trainers' Association, known as N.A.T.A., issued a position paper on the causes, prevention and treatment of skin diseases in athletes that could just as well apply to anyone who works out in a communal setting, be it a school, commercial gym or Y.
The authors pointed out that ''skin infections in athletes are extremely common'' and account for more than half the outbreaks of infectious diseases that occur among participants in competitive sports. And if you think skin problems are minor, consider what happened to Kyle Frey, a 21-year-old junior and competitive wrestler at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Mr. Frey noticed a pimple on his arm last winter but thought little of it. He competed in a match on a Saturday, but by the next morning the pimple had grown to the size of his biceps and had become very painful.
His athletic trainer sent him straight to the emergency room, where the lesion was lanced and cultured. Two days later, he learned he had MRSA*) , the potentially deadly staphylococcus infection that is resistant to most antibiotics. _________________________
*) Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It may also be called multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA). MRSA is, by definition, any strain of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria that has developed resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics which include the penicillins (methicillin, dicloxacillin, nafcillin, oxacillin, etc.) and the cephalosporins. MRSA is especially troublesome in hospitals where patients with open wounds, invasive devices and weakened immune systems are at greater risk of infection than the general public._______________________
Mr. Frey spent five days in the hospital, where the lesion was surgically cleaned and stitched and treated with antibiotics that cleared the infection. He said in an interview that he does not know how he acquired MRSA: ''The wrestling mat might have been contaminated, or I wrestled with someone who had the infection.''
If it could happen to Mr. Frey, who said he has always been health-conscious in the gym and careful about not sharing his belongings, it could happen to you.
The Risks
Recreational athletes as well as participants in organized sports are prone to fungal, viral and bacterial skin infections. Sweat, abrasion and direct or indirect contact with the lesions and secretions of others combine to make every athlete's skin vulnerable to a host of problems. While MRSA may be the most serious skin infection, athlete's foot, jock itch, boils, impetigo, herpes simplex and ringworm, among others, are not exactly fun or attractive.
Athletes who are infected should be kept from competing in matches for a week or more until treatment renders them noninfectious. The authors of the trainers' study warned against simply covering infections like herpes and active bacterial lesions in order to return to competition.
Likewise, people like you and me who work out at a facility or swim in a public pool should stay away until cleared by a doctor who is well versed in skin diseases.
Steven M. Zinder, a trainer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and chief author of the new paper, said in an interview that these recommendations are not esoteric.
''It's what we all learned -- or should have learned -- in sixth-grade health class,'' he said. ''It's all common sense. You need to keep yourself and your equipment clean. You never know who last used the equipment in a gym. It can be a great breeding ground for these bugs, some of which are pretty nasty.''
The report, published in the August issue of The Journal of Athletic Training, stated, ''Athletes must shower after every practice and game with an antibacterial soap and water over the entire body.''
Dr. Zinder noted that after a workout, women tend not to shower at the facility, while men, who are more likely to shower, often fail to cleanse their entire bodies, including their feet. Well-equipped facilities should provide antibacterial liquid soap.
''You should be showering at the gym and putting on clean clothes that are kept separate from the dirty ones,'' he said. In fact, he added, it's best to have two bags, one only for clean clothes, and to wash the dirty-clothes bag now and then.
Assume Exposure
Jack Foley, athletic trainer and director of sports medicine at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., and co-author of the report, said athletes should always assume they are exposed to skin infections.
At any given time, he said in an interview, one person in three in the United States suffers from a skin disease that can be spread to others, even while in the incubation stage.
The report noted that there had been ''an alarming increase in the prevalence of MRSA'' in the noses of both healthy children and adults. Thus, sneezing into one's hand or blowing one's nose without washing with an antibacterial cleanser afterward may spread these dangerous bacteria to others.
While hand hygiene is most important over all , avoiding fungal infections requires a daily change of athletic socks and underwear; carefully drying the armpits and groin and between toes (perhaps blow-drying the feet on low heat); and using foot powder. Shower shoes can help prevent infection as long as they don't keep you from soaping your feet.
A viral infection called molluscum contagiosum may not be on the popular tongue, but it is commonly seen in young children and , spread through skin-to-skin contact, is not uncommon among athletes, including swimmers, cross-country runners and wrestlers, the report stated.
Prevention of this highly contagious infection requires ''meticulous hygiene'' after contact with secretions from other athletes through benches, towels and mats.
If you plan to work out in a gym or use a locker room, Mr. Foley suggested that before choosing a facility, you quiz the management about the cleaning agents used (they should be approved by the Environmental Protection Agency) and daily cleaning schedule for all surfaces and equipment. If exercise mats are not cleaned between classes, he suggested bringing your own. Antibacterial wipes or spray bottles should be provided and used by everyone to clean equipment after a workout.
(Exercise) Text, partially, by JANE E. BRODY - The New York Times
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Exercise: For Type 2 Diabetes, 2 Types of Training
Type 2 diabetics can significantly lower their blood sugar — and lose body fat in the bargain — with an exercise program that combines aerobics and weight lifting, a new study reports.
While that regimen is already recommended in Type 2 diabetes, researchers say the study offers some of the best evidence to date that a combined program offers greater benefits than aerobics or weight lifting by itself, even if it does not increase total exercise time.
“We can now look at individuals with diabetes right in the face and tell them, ‘This is the best exercise prescription for you,’” said the paper’s lead author, Dr. Timothy S. Church, director of preventive medicine research at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
Such a program consists of “about 100 minutes of higher-intensity aerobics a week, and then give yourself one to two days of resistance training for 15 to 20 minutes a day,” he said.
The study randomly divided 262 inactive Type 2 diabetics, average age 55.8, into four groups — 73 assigned to resistance training three days a week, 72 to aerobic exercise, 76 to the combination and 41 to a non-exercise comparison group. The study was notable in that almost half the participants were not white, and 63 percent were women.
After nine months of observed exercise, participants who did the combination training lowered their blood level of the glucose marker HbA1c to 7.3 percent from 7.7 percent, on average, a drop that corresponds to a significantly reduced risk of heart disease, Dr. Church said. The improvements in the other exercise groups were not significantly different from those in the non-exercise group.
Dr. Church said he was surprised but added that the findings made sense. “Diabetes is the failure to control the amount of sugar in your blood, and the biggest user of blood sugar is skeletal muscle,” he said. “The healthier your skeletal muscle, the more blood sugar it’s chewing up and taking out of the blood.”
Text by RONI CARYN RABIN - The New York Times
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The Positive of Pet Ownership
"Pet er" - A Natural Health & Success Enhancer at a Low Cost
An Effective 4-legged "Family Doctor"
Rebecca Johnson, director of the University of Missouri's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction, says:
“Research shows that being able to care for a pet improves our morale, helps validate us and encourages us to take care of ourselves,” The body of research is leading more retirement communities and universities to roll out the welcome mat for pets.
In our modern society one challenging matter is the fact when a child comes home from school, there is no one waiting for the child, no one greeting, no one to communicate with - all this together with several other negative factors can cause serious failures, emotional & mental sicknesses, emotionally pacifying over-eating leading to obesity, diabetes, elevated blood pressure, cancer, asthma, allergies, etc. These sicknesses always weaken the immune system and its disease fighting power. It leads to multitudes of additional physical sicknesses. The child carries these sicknesses to the adulthood and possibly for the rest of his or her life resulting in even more additional sicknesses and constant human suffering and human unhappiness leading to different emotional and mental challenges and sicknesses. High health/sickness care is then attached to this common cycle all the way from the individual's childhood. This common cycle can be eliminated. The STAF, Inc. developed plan has effective solutions to cut off this cycle and lower dramatically the nation's health/sickness care expenses.
One effective solution, relating to this section of the new plan, is to substantially add "pet memberships" in the American families. The majority of the population (and of the nations doctors) is not aware of the pet-benefits - the STAF, Inc. plan will provide the necessary information to widely raise the awareness of the benefits related to a family pet and how to draw the maximum benefits. Selling the "pet family-memberships" can be an easy task because the result benefits are undeniable and substantial. The cost is low. It is like the humorous quote stating "It costs $100 K to send a child to school - to school a pet costs a $100" . This plan has a brief but impressive section showing tens of health benefits the 4-legged pet-doctor will produce. A pet helps not only the children but also the parents and their marriage.
Pet & pet care information
The Positive Power of Pet Ownership
because: pets are helpful in many ways:
(1) PETS improve our marriage happiness - research proves this as a fact
(2) PETS improve our children's development & success
(3) Pets improve our and our family members' physical, emotional & mental health - "a 4-legged hard-working "Family Doctor" applying natural principles without any negative side effects - at a low cost without any formal service fee and no bill"
(4) Pets protect & save lives
(5) Pets give much happiness to us humans
The plan pet section provides detailed info about the multitudes of benefits the pets give us and also how to correctly feed and otherwise take care of your pet in a manner that maintains your pet's health and gives a long, happy life to your pet.
Is an Egg for Breakfast Worth This?
Source: NYT
April 11, 2012
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Supermarket eggs gleam with apparent cleanliness, and nothing might seem more wholesome than breaking one of them into a frying pan.
Think again. The Humane Society of the United States plans to release on Thursday the results of an undercover investigation into Kreider Farms, a major factory farm that produces 4.5 million eggs each day for supermarkets like ShopRite.
I’ve reviewed footage and photos taken by the investigator, who says he worked for Kreider between January and March of this year. In an interview, he portrayed an operation that has little concern for cleanliness or the welfare of hens.
“It’s physically hard to breathe because of the ammonia” rising from manure pits below older barns, said the investigator, who would not allow his name to be used because that would prevent him from taking another undercover job in agriculture. He said that when workers needed to enter an older barn, they would first open doors and rev up exhaust fans, and then rush in to do their chores before the fumes became overwhelming.
Mice sometimes ran down egg conveyer belts, barns were thick with flies and manure in three barns tested positive for salmonella, he said. (Actually, salmonella isn’t as rare as you might think, turning up in 3 percent of egg factory farms tested by the Food and Drug Administration last year.)
In some cases, 11 hens were jammed into a cage about 2 feet by 2 feet. The Humane Society says that that is even more cramped than the egg industry’s own voluntary standards — which have been widely criticized as inadequate.
An automatic feeding cart that runs between the cages sometimes decapitates hens as they’re eating, the investigator said. Corpses are pulled out if they’re easy to see, but sometimes remain for weeks in the cages, piling up until they have rotted into the wiring, he added.
Other hens have their heads stuck in the wire and are usually left to die, the investigator said.
“These allegations by the Humane Society are a gross distortion of Kreider Farms, our employees and the way we care for birds,” Ron Kreider, the president of Kreider Farms, told me in a statement. He acknowledged that three barns had tested positive for salmonella but said that consumers were never endangered.
“The reality of food processing can be off-putting to those not familiar with animal agriculture,” added Kreider, the third-generation family leader of the company. “When dealing with millions of birds, there is always a small percentage of dead birds. Older-style chicken houses will inherently contain a level of fly and rodent activity.” Kreider added that his company was leading the industry in replacing old barns with state-of-the-art ones.
Like many readers, I don’t particularly empathize with chickens. It’s their misfortune that they lack big eyes.
As a farmboy from Yamhill, Ore., I found our pigs to be razor smart, while our geese mated for life and our sheep and cattle had distinct personalities. The chickens were the least individualistic of the animals we raised. (I’ll get letters from indignant chicken-lovers, I know!)
Industrial operations like Kreider are dazzlingly efficient at producing cheap eggs, so they save consumers money. Still, I flinch at a system in which hens are reduced to widgets. Many of us do, which is why Burger King, Denny’s, Quiznos and Hardee’s have started buying more cage-free eggs.
Last year, the main egg industry trade association, United Egg Producers, joined with the Humane Society of the United States in an agreement to support new federal standards that would provide more space for hens. That was a landmark: farmers and animal protection activists agreeing on a way forward.
But Kreider Farms is not a member of United Egg Producers, and some industry outliers and cattle and hog farmers are trying to kill the deal. They fear a precedent of federal concern for animal welfare, so the legislation faces strong resistance.
For those who are wavering, think for a moment about the arc of empathy. Centuries ago, we humans amused ourselves by seeing other people executed or tortured. Until modern times, we considered it sport to see animals die horrible deaths. Now our sensibilities have evolved so that there is an outcry when animals are abused — unless it happens out of sight on farms.
The police would stop wayward boys who were torturing a stray dog, so should we allow industrialists to abuse millions of hens? Shouldn’t we agree on minimum standards?
Granted, it is not easy to settle on what constitutes cruelty to animals. But cramming 11 hens for most of their lives into a cage the size of an oven seems to cross a line.
Somehow, fried eggs don’t taste so good if you imagine the fetid barn in which they were laid.
I invite you to visit my blog, On the Ground. Please also join me on Facebook and Google+, watch my YouTube videos and follow me on Twitter.
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Source: NYT
April 11, 2012
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Supermarket eggs gleam with apparent cleanliness, and nothing might seem more wholesome than breaking one of them into a frying pan.
Think again. The Humane Society of the United States plans to release on Thursday the results of an undercover investigation into Kreider Farms, a major factory farm that produces 4.5 million eggs each day for supermarkets like ShopRite.
I’ve reviewed footage and photos taken by the investigator, who says he worked for Kreider between January and March of this year. In an interview, he portrayed an operation that has little concern for cleanliness or the welfare of hens.
“It’s physically hard to breathe because of the ammonia” rising from manure pits below older barns, said the investigator, who would not allow his name to be used because that would prevent him from taking another undercover job in agriculture. He said that when workers needed to enter an older barn, they would first open doors and rev up exhaust fans, and then rush in to do their chores before the fumes became overwhelming.
Mice sometimes ran down egg conveyer belts, barns were thick with flies and manure in three barns tested positive for salmonella, he said. (Actually, salmonella isn’t as rare as you might think, turning up in 3 percent of egg factory farms tested by the Food and Drug Administration last year.)
In some cases, 11 hens were jammed into a cage about 2 feet by 2 feet. The Humane Society says that that is even more cramped than the egg industry’s own voluntary standards — which have been widely criticized as inadequate.
An automatic feeding cart that runs between the cages sometimes decapitates hens as they’re eating, the investigator said. Corpses are pulled out if they’re easy to see, but sometimes remain for weeks in the cages, piling up until they have rotted into the wiring, he added.
Other hens have their heads stuck in the wire and are usually left to die, the investigator said.
“These allegations by the Humane Society are a gross distortion of Kreider Farms, our employees and the way we care for birds,” Ron Kreider, the president of Kreider Farms, told me in a statement. He acknowledged that three barns had tested positive for salmonella but said that consumers were never endangered.
“The reality of food processing can be off-putting to those not familiar with animal agriculture,” added Kreider, the third-generation family leader of the company. “When dealing with millions of birds, there is always a small percentage of dead birds. Older-style chicken houses will inherently contain a level of fly and rodent activity.” Kreider added that his company was leading the industry in replacing old barns with state-of-the-art ones.
Like many readers, I don’t particularly empathize with chickens. It’s their misfortune that they lack big eyes.
As a farmboy from Yamhill, Ore., I found our pigs to be razor smart, while our geese mated for life and our sheep and cattle had distinct personalities. The chickens were the least individualistic of the animals we raised. (I’ll get letters from indignant chicken-lovers, I know!)
Industrial operations like Kreider are dazzlingly efficient at producing cheap eggs, so they save consumers money. Still, I flinch at a system in which hens are reduced to widgets. Many of us do, which is why Burger King, Denny’s, Quiznos and Hardee’s have started buying more cage-free eggs.
Last year, the main egg industry trade association, United Egg Producers, joined with the Humane Society of the United States in an agreement to support new federal standards that would provide more space for hens. That was a landmark: farmers and animal protection activists agreeing on a way forward.
But Kreider Farms is not a member of United Egg Producers, and some industry outliers and cattle and hog farmers are trying to kill the deal. They fear a precedent of federal concern for animal welfare, so the legislation faces strong resistance.
For those who are wavering, think for a moment about the arc of empathy. Centuries ago, we humans amused ourselves by seeing other people executed or tortured. Until modern times, we considered it sport to see animals die horrible deaths. Now our sensibilities have evolved so that there is an outcry when animals are abused — unless it happens out of sight on farms.
The police would stop wayward boys who were torturing a stray dog, so should we allow industrialists to abuse millions of hens? Shouldn’t we agree on minimum standards?
Granted, it is not easy to settle on what constitutes cruelty to animals. But cramming 11 hens for most of their lives into a cage the size of an oven seems to cross a line.
Somehow, fried eggs don’t taste so good if you imagine the fetid barn in which they were laid.
I invite you to visit my blog, On the Ground. Please also join me on Facebook and Google+, watch my YouTube videos and follow me on Twitter.
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Should Fido Fly? You May Not Like the Answer
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On the heels of two pet death incidents – both on United Airlines – it may be time to reconsider taking your pet along on the next family vacation.
Michael Jarboe's dog, a two-year-old Neapolitan mastiff named Bam Bam, died on a cross-country United Airlines flight last month. And earlier this month, cover model Maggie Rizer drew national attention to the issue of pets on planes with her blog post, "United Airlines Killed Our Golden Retriever."
And the Department of Transportation is considering new rules for airlines when it comes to transporting pets. Today is the last day the DOT is hearing public comment on the issue.
There are three major changes proposed. First, the new rules would expand the reporting requirement to U.S. carriers that operate scheduled service with at least one aircraft with a design capacity of more than 60 seats. Currently, only 15 airlines report animal losses, injuries and deaths.
Second, the rules would also expand the definition of "animal'' to include all cats and dogs transported by the carriers, regardless of whether the cat or dog is transported as a pet by its owner or as part of a commercial shipment, such as a breeder.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, currently only owned pets are reported on. So if a breeder is transporting a cat or dog that dies, it does not have to be reported.
Third, the new rule would require carriers to provide annually the total number of animals that were lost, injured, or died during air transport for the calendar year. This would include exotic animals being transported between zoos.
Kirsten Theisen, director of pet care issues for the Humane Society of the United States, told ABC News the organization fully supports these new measures. "Right now, it's still a bit of a mystery," she said, referring to the current regulations on airlines transporting pets. "We would like to see on those numbers. If the public had access to full spectrum of info they would be a lot smarter if they decide to fly their pet."
"There's a common misconception that if you put your pet in the cargo hold it will be treated like a passenger, but that's not what's playing out in reality," she said. Since each airline individually sets the standard for transport, it's unclear what the temperature control and air pressure control will be. "They're [the animals] packed in with the suitcases and what we've heard is that the suitcases are packed around them to help stabilize the crate, so it's unclear how much air the animal is getting."
While the organization welcomes more regulation, they advise against flying with your pet. "Air travel is a risk to your pet's health and well being," she said. "Our goal is to promote the health and well being of animals and these two things are not compatible."
Flying with your pet, she said, should be a last resort when there is no other option. They're far better off, she said, with a pet sitter or in a kennel than on a plane.
Some pets are better suited to flying than others. Brachycephalic -- or smush nose -- dogs and cats such as bulldogs, Persian cats, pugs and mastiffs have more trouble breathing than other breeds and therefore may not be able to regulate their body temperature well. These animals should "never fly, period," Theisen said. "End of sentence."
In a statement to ABC News, United Airlines said, "We have been in contact with Mr. Jarboe and are saddened by the loss of his dog, Bam Bam. The safety of the animals we transport is always considered first and foremost when making decisions regarding their routing and carriage."
At the time of the death of Maggie Rizier's dog, the airline said, "We understand that the loss of a beloved pet is difficult and express our condolences to Ms. Rizer and her family for their loss. After careful review, we found there were no mechanical or operational issues with Bea's flight and also determined she was in a temperature-controlled environment for her entire journey. We would like to finalize the review but are unable until we receive a copy of the necropsy."
Source:
Yahoo News
This article is for your private use, only
Click Also Read
____________________________________
Click the green for further info
On the heels of two pet death incidents – both on United Airlines – it may be time to reconsider taking your pet along on the next family vacation.
Michael Jarboe's dog, a two-year-old Neapolitan mastiff named Bam Bam, died on a cross-country United Airlines flight last month. And earlier this month, cover model Maggie Rizer drew national attention to the issue of pets on planes with her blog post, "United Airlines Killed Our Golden Retriever."
And the Department of Transportation is considering new rules for airlines when it comes to transporting pets. Today is the last day the DOT is hearing public comment on the issue.
There are three major changes proposed. First, the new rules would expand the reporting requirement to U.S. carriers that operate scheduled service with at least one aircraft with a design capacity of more than 60 seats. Currently, only 15 airlines report animal losses, injuries and deaths.
Second, the rules would also expand the definition of "animal'' to include all cats and dogs transported by the carriers, regardless of whether the cat or dog is transported as a pet by its owner or as part of a commercial shipment, such as a breeder.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, currently only owned pets are reported on. So if a breeder is transporting a cat or dog that dies, it does not have to be reported.
Third, the new rule would require carriers to provide annually the total number of animals that were lost, injured, or died during air transport for the calendar year. This would include exotic animals being transported between zoos.
Kirsten Theisen, director of pet care issues for the Humane Society of the United States, told ABC News the organization fully supports these new measures. "Right now, it's still a bit of a mystery," she said, referring to the current regulations on airlines transporting pets. "We would like to see on those numbers. If the public had access to full spectrum of info they would be a lot smarter if they decide to fly their pet."
"There's a common misconception that if you put your pet in the cargo hold it will be treated like a passenger, but that's not what's playing out in reality," she said. Since each airline individually sets the standard for transport, it's unclear what the temperature control and air pressure control will be. "They're [the animals] packed in with the suitcases and what we've heard is that the suitcases are packed around them to help stabilize the crate, so it's unclear how much air the animal is getting."
While the organization welcomes more regulation, they advise against flying with your pet. "Air travel is a risk to your pet's health and well being," she said. "Our goal is to promote the health and well being of animals and these two things are not compatible."
Flying with your pet, she said, should be a last resort when there is no other option. They're far better off, she said, with a pet sitter or in a kennel than on a plane.
Some pets are better suited to flying than others. Brachycephalic -- or smush nose -- dogs and cats such as bulldogs, Persian cats, pugs and mastiffs have more trouble breathing than other breeds and therefore may not be able to regulate their body temperature well. These animals should "never fly, period," Theisen said. "End of sentence."
In a statement to ABC News, United Airlines said, "We have been in contact with Mr. Jarboe and are saddened by the loss of his dog, Bam Bam. The safety of the animals we transport is always considered first and foremost when making decisions regarding their routing and carriage."
At the time of the death of Maggie Rizier's dog, the airline said, "We understand that the loss of a beloved pet is difficult and express our condolences to Ms. Rizer and her family for their loss. After careful review, we found there were no mechanical or operational issues with Bea's flight and also determined she was in a temperature-controlled environment for her entire journey. We would like to finalize the review but are unable until we receive a copy of the necropsy."
Source:
Yahoo News
This article is for your private use, only
Click Also Read
____________________________________
Deciding When a Pet Has Suffered Enough
ODY died peacefully last year, Nov. 29. He was 14 and a half. Truth be told, Ody didn’t just die. I killed him. I paid a vet to come to my house and inject a chemical solution into a vein in Ody’s back leg.
People ask me how I knew it was time. There was no watershed, but a slow accumulation of miseries. Ody had been in serious decline for six months. Partial paralysis of his laryngeal muscles made it hard for him to breathe, and he would begin to pant at the slightest exertion. His once deep tenor bark had transformed into a raspy Darth Vader croak. The signals from his addled brain often failed to reach his body, so when I walked him he left a Hansel and Gretel trail of pee and poop behind him. His muscles atrophied, and his walk was crab-like and unsteady. He grew increasingly uninterested in food and people, his two great passions. Worst of all, he began falling more and more frequently and was unable to get up by himself.
Toward the end, I would wake in the night to scuffling sounds. I’d search the house and find Ody trapped behind the piano or tangled up in the exercise equipment. It was on the fourth such night that my husband said: “It’s time. We can’t do this to Ody anymore.”
Euthanasia is deeply entrenched in the culture of pet keeping in America, and for the vast majority of companion animals, death will be orchestrated by a human caretaker, the time and date chosen in advance and not, as it were, decided by “nature” or some higher power. Yet despite its ubiquity, we rarely question its moral appropriateness.
Euthanasia is typically thought of as a choice between suffering and death — and, indeed, it can offer relief from unyielding pain. But death is too often prescribed as a de facto treatment for suffering when much less aggressive possibilities exist. We can ease our animals into the valley of death, rather than abruptly shoving them off the cliff.
Pain is the barometer most often used to assess whether an animal should be euthanized, and one of the most important improvements we can make in caring for our pets is to provide them with better palliative care. Untreated or undertreated pain is epidemic among companion animals. Kevin Stafford, an authority on veterinary ethics, estimates that 10 million dogs in the United States suffer from osteoarthritis but that only a small fraction get treatment. Of those dogs that do, he says, many are treated ineffectually or are given too little pain medicine for too short a time. The only treatment many arthritic dogs receive is euthanasia.
Effective and affordable pain treatments for animals are available; many human pain drugs were developed using animals. We can also lessen the pain for ailing pets with structural alterations to our homes, like ramps.
Why, then, are so many animals in pain? The reasons are largely cultural. Some veterinarians, particularly older ones, have been taught that animals don’t feel pain (the same convenient skepticism under which the animal research juggernaut labors). Few vets specialize in palliative care, and treating pain effectively takes a tenacity that harried and underpaid vets may find difficult to muster on a daily basis. And pet owners can be inattentive, even lazy.
To be sure, animal pain can be tricky to recognize and treat. Cats and rabbits are notorious for their so-called stoicism, but dogs, too,may not display pain in ways we easily see. As with humans, responses to pain vary. Effective pain management often requires trial and error with various types of drugs, as well as the use of non-drug therapies like weight management, controlled exercise, physical therapy, massage, acupuncture and nutritional supplements.
Pain must be understood broadly, as it is in human medicine, to include psychological suffering. Ody’s physical ailments were mostly caused by neurological decline. The fact that he wasn’t obviously in physical pain made the decision to euthanize a difficult one, because I was left to make an imperfect judgment about his overall well-being.
Quality-of-life assessments have long been used within human end-of-life care, and similar tools for assessing our animals are increasingly available, well-refined and imminently useful. One nice example is the veterinarian Alice Villalobos’s “Pawspice” program, which directs pet owners to assess their pet on a 1-to-10 scale on seven measures — hurt, hunger, hydration, hygiene, happiness, mobility and “more good days than bad” — with the lowest number being the worst. During Ody’s final decline, I would force myself to think through this assessment. It was hard to be honest. Ody’s score just kept getting lower. But the exercise at least offered a measure of objectivity.
One of the most troublesome moral challenges involves money. We could say that money shouldn’t matter when an animal’s life is in the balance, but this is neither realistic nor fair to pet owners. We might feel a justified repugnance toward the financially well-positioned pet owner who refuses to cough up the money for an antibiotic or inexpensive pain medicine. But the question of money can be gut-wrenching, as when prolonged care for an ill animal is balanced against college education for a child. Luckily, basic palliative care is not particularly expensive, and the emerging field of animal hospice will allow more owners to give respite to their dying animals without going broke.
AT animal hospice, the therapeutic agenda is not abandoned, but its goals shift, sometimes subtly, from cure to compassionate care and comfort. We put aside the desire to fix — the stem-cell treatments, joint replacements, X-rays and biopsies, and the other marvels of modern veterinary medicine — and focus instead on managing pain and allowing death to unfold in its own time. When things get really ugly, we retain the option — still largely unavailable for our human loved ones — of a gentle release.
Unfortunately, the love we feel for our animals can inure us to their suffering. We may wait for our animal to “tell us she is ready,” but our love can make it hard to hear her cries. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Ody, so I sugarcoated his suffering. I focused on caregiving, feeling vindicated when he showed his typical interest in hot dogs and processed cheese. When, prodded by my husband, I finally called the euthanasia vet, I asked her to come the following day. I need one more day with Ody, to say goodbye, I thought. After realizing that this extra day was for me, not for Ody, I called back, and when I was able to control my voice, I asked her to come as soon as she could.
When the vet arrived at our house that night to perform the procedure, Ody was crouched under the piano, peering out at the family and friends gathered to say farewell. Normally he was drawn to people, but not this night. I watched him turn and stumble off. I followed him onto the flagstone patio, where he stood still, his back legs with their awkward bent. It was a bitterly cold night. I sat next to him and wrapped my arms around his chest and buried my face in the soft red fur of his neck. I didn’t want this moment to end. A few minutes later, my husband opened the door and called, “The vet’s ready.” I sat for another long moment with Ody and then got up and moved toward the door, beckoning him after me. He stood still, looking into the dark. I got behind him and gently touched his back, urging him on.
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Source:
NYT,
September 23, 2012
This article is an opinion by Jessica Pierce, Lyons, Colo.
Jessica Pierce is a bioethicist and the author of “The Last Walk: Reflections on Our Pets at the End of Their Lives.”
MORE IN OPINION (1 OF 23 ARTICLES)Op-Ed Contributor: When Growth Outpaces Happiness
Read More »
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PETS FOR YOUR FAMILY
Next below plenty of beneficial information about pets
and how the family pet(s) will help create closeness & happiness, even emotional/mental/physical health.
However, there are also serious, even life-threatening facts you need to know.
First: avoid exotic pets - the more exotic the riskier - there may be risks affecting negatively your family.
The first article below this text has a good example of a pet risking your family's health.
It is important that you study the first article.
Some pets are illegal
___________________
Study these articles together with your family including with your children BEFORE you decide what pet to take.
In case you want a cat or a dog, study the information in this STAF, Inc. website and search the internet to learn about the personalities of dogs and cats. Some dogs and some cats are fit for your family, some not. It is like getting married. You need to know the personality and other facts before you "marry" a pet. Your children may want a certain pet - study together before you decide. When you decide together with your children as a whole family then everyone knows the choice was made together - important for your family "peace".
The pets have a positive influence on your children and your whole family - as long as you adopt a safe pet.
_______________________
This first article has a good example of a pet potentially risking your family's health.
It is important that you study the first article.
Avoid all exotic pets - the more exotic the riskier to your family's health
_________________________________________________________________________
Some pets are illegal
If a pet turtle shows up at your home, do not take him in.
He is considered armed and dangerous. No joke.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of Salmonella cases linked to tiny breeds of the reptile (it's not an amphibian!) is on the rise. As of last week, there are six current outbreaks of the bacteria-borne illness directly linked to exposure to the illegal contraband. Yes pet turtles are illegal.
Farm pulls fruit after salmonella scare
Ever since 1975, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed a nationwide ban on sales of the amphibians-with shells 4 inches or smaller. After a spike in Salmonella-related sicknesses, the little guys were found to be breeders of the bacteria.
Here's how it happens: They release the bacteria when they relieve themselves (that's a fancy way of saying turtle poop). So do every pet - thus, cleanness is important. When pets come from outside, you need to clean them.
Remnants of the Salmonella strain live on their shells and get transferred to human hands and mouths easily.
"Young children are ingenious, characterized by cleverness of invention or constructing ways to infect themselves,"
says Joseph C. Paige, D.V.M., a Consumer Safety Officer in the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, in a statement to press.
"They put the small turtles in their mouths or, more often, they touch the turtles or dangle their fingers in the turtle tank water and then put their hands in their mouths. Also, sometimes the tanks and reptile paraphernalia are cleaned in the kitchen sink, and food and eating utensils get cross-contaminated risking the whole family."
The latest CDC survey found turtle-related outbreaks in 30 states. (cdc.gov)
Even just letting the turtles run free in the house can spread the disease with serious consequences.
In 2007, a 3-week-old baby died after exposure to a pet turtle. More recently, 196 people (up from 168 in July) have been sickened after the six outbreaks were unleashed. As of last month, 36 of those sickened were hospitalized.
Because of their weakened immune systems, kids are particularly susceptible to the bacteria's side effects -which in rare cases can be deadly.
The latest reports from the CDC estimate 63% of those recently sickened are 10 years of age or younger, and 29% are under a year old.
Spotting the warning signs of Salmonella
"All reptiles and amphibians are commonly contaminated with Salmonella," says Paige. "But it is the small turtles that most often are put in contact with young children, where consequences of infection are likely to be severe."
Prior exposure to the turtle doesn't mean you're in the clear. At least 72% of those exposed to the illness have lived with their pets for a while.
The steady increase in turtle-related illnesses since 2006 has prompted a crackdown on the illegal sale of the tiny pets. Last month, cops in Maryland busted two vendors, one at a pet store, the other at a makeshift vending station at Six Flags Great Adventure.
"We've really seen a big influx of these turtles for sale," said Mike Lathroum, a senior officer with the Maryland Natural Resources Police, told the Washington Post. "I don't know why. . . We've not been able to determine the source."
The turtles are sometimes given away for free -with purchase of habitats-in order to bypass the law. You'd think that the FDA, the CDC and police task forces could catch up with the slowest creature known to man. But if we've learned anything from childhood fables, it's that those sluggish little guys are persistent.
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Related:
11 riskiest foods to eat
How to know if your turkey is bacteria-free
Peanut butter recall prompts salmonella scare
This article is for your private use, only
Source: Yahoo Health
__________________________________________________________
STAF,Inc.'s editors decided to place this article below next to the pet info
to remind of the potential dangers of any animal, domesticated or wild
_______________________
News 10/2/12 from Oregon
Authorities: Oregon farmer eaten by his hogs
John Killefer, who heads the Animal and Rangeland Sciences Department at Oregon State University in Corvallis, told:
Domestic hogs are not typically known to be as aggressive as their feral, wild cousins,
but
"there is some degree of danger associated with any animal"
(Qoute by John Killefer, who heads the Animal and Rangeland Sciences Department at Oregon State University in Corvallis)
The person killed by his hogs was raising them professionally.
However, some people take a pig as their pet - when it grows it can kill a baby or hurt anyone while the family is sleeping, even though they are regarded quite intelligent and loving to their owner(s).
So can any large pet animal, potentially. Pay attention. Like human beings, pets can get "insane" because the commercial food most pets eat are filled with mind-affecting chemicals. Learn to prepare yourself the food for your pet(s) in your home from fresh ingredients - that will keep them healthy and you can enjoy your pet much longer. Study the internet for pet food recipes. Not every pet can eat or digest what we humans eat.
The same way: any process food you eat or give to your children has harmful chemicals affecting physical, emotional & mental health. Learn to prepare ALL food in your home using healthy, safe ingredients.
STAF, Inc. has full programs available for healthy food preparing for your human family members and for your pet(s).
Any pet coming from outside will (notice: WILL) carry in harmful ingredients as do your shoes. Clean the pet, keep your shoes away from your active living area. After cleaning your pet or coming from outside was your hands and teach your children do the same. Soap and water. Hand washing: rub the hands with soap lather as long as it takes "to hum 'happy birthday to you' or once (for children) 'now I know my abc's - then rinse well.
Avoid using any other chemicals (except simple perfume-free soap) for washing the humans as well as the pet(s).
The Pet Choice for your family
Carefully look TOGETHER AS A FAMILY at the facts on the internet, discuss the pet choice with your whole family, including with your children. Especially study the pet's temperament and suitability for children and for the whole family.
_______________
to remind of the potential dangers of any animal, domesticated or wild
_______________________
News 10/2/12 from Oregon
Authorities: Oregon farmer eaten by his hogs
John Killefer, who heads the Animal and Rangeland Sciences Department at Oregon State University in Corvallis, told:
Domestic hogs are not typically known to be as aggressive as their feral, wild cousins,
but
"there is some degree of danger associated with any animal"
(Qoute by John Killefer, who heads the Animal and Rangeland Sciences Department at Oregon State University in Corvallis)
The person killed by his hogs was raising them professionally.
However, some people take a pig as their pet - when it grows it can kill a baby or hurt anyone while the family is sleeping, even though they are regarded quite intelligent and loving to their owner(s).
So can any large pet animal, potentially. Pay attention. Like human beings, pets can get "insane" because the commercial food most pets eat are filled with mind-affecting chemicals. Learn to prepare yourself the food for your pet(s) in your home from fresh ingredients - that will keep them healthy and you can enjoy your pet much longer. Study the internet for pet food recipes. Not every pet can eat or digest what we humans eat.
The same way: any process food you eat or give to your children has harmful chemicals affecting physical, emotional & mental health. Learn to prepare ALL food in your home using healthy, safe ingredients.
STAF, Inc. has full programs available for healthy food preparing for your human family members and for your pet(s).
Any pet coming from outside will (notice: WILL) carry in harmful ingredients as do your shoes. Clean the pet, keep your shoes away from your active living area. After cleaning your pet or coming from outside was your hands and teach your children do the same. Soap and water. Hand washing: rub the hands with soap lather as long as it takes "to hum 'happy birthday to you' or once (for children) 'now I know my abc's - then rinse well.
Avoid using any other chemicals (except simple perfume-free soap) for washing the humans as well as the pet(s).
The Pet Choice for your family
Carefully look TOGETHER AS A FAMILY at the facts on the internet, discuss the pet choice with your whole family, including with your children. Especially study the pet's temperament and suitability for children and for the whole family.
_______________
Study the above text relating to this article below
Authorities: Oregon farmer eaten by his hogs
Click the green for further info
COQUILLE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon authorities are investigating how a farmer was eaten by his hogs.
Terry Vance Garner, 69, never returned after he set out to feed his animals last Wednesday on his farm near the Oregon coast, the Coos County district attorney said Monday.
A family member found Garner's dentures and pieces of his body in the hog enclosure several hours later, but most of his remains had been consumed, District Attorney Paul Frasier said. Several of the hogs weighed 700 pounds or more.
It's possible Garner had a medical emergency, such as a heart attack, or was knocked over by the animals, then killed and eaten, Frasier said, adding that at least one hog had previously bitten Garner.
The possibility of foul play is being investigated as well.
"For all we know, it was a horrific accident, but it's so doggone weird that we have to look at all possibilities," Frasier told The Register-Guard.
A pathologist was unable to identify a cause or manner of death, the newspaper reported. The remains will be examined by a forensic anthropologist at the University of Oregon.
Terry Garner was "a good-hearted guy" who cared for several huge adult sows and a boar named Teddy, said his brother, Michael Garner, 75, of Myrtle Point.
Piglets were typically sold to local 4-H kids.
"Those animals were his life," Michael Garner said. "He had all kinds of birds, and turkeys that ran all over the place. Everybody knew him."
Michael Garner said one of the large sows bit his brother last year when he accidentally stepped on a piglet.
"He said he was going to kill it, but when I asked him about it later, he said he had changed his mind," the brother said.
Domestic hogs are not typically known to be as aggressive as their feral cousins, but "there is some degree of danger associated with any animal," John Killefer, who heads the Animal and Rangeland Sciences Department at Oregon State University in Corvallis, told the newspaper.
While pigs "are more omnivorous than other farm animals, (such as) cows," Killefer called the case highly unusual.
Most hogs are raised until they reach a market weight of between 250 and 300 pounds, while breeding female pigs rarely weigh more than 400 pounds, Killefer said.
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EXPLORE RELATED CONTENT1 - 4 of 20
Source:
Yahoo News
This article is for your private use, only
___________________________________________________________
Authorities: Oregon farmer eaten by his hogs
Click the green for further info
COQUILLE, Ore. (AP) — Oregon authorities are investigating how a farmer was eaten by his hogs.
Terry Vance Garner, 69, never returned after he set out to feed his animals last Wednesday on his farm near the Oregon coast, the Coos County district attorney said Monday.
A family member found Garner's dentures and pieces of his body in the hog enclosure several hours later, but most of his remains had been consumed, District Attorney Paul Frasier said. Several of the hogs weighed 700 pounds or more.
It's possible Garner had a medical emergency, such as a heart attack, or was knocked over by the animals, then killed and eaten, Frasier said, adding that at least one hog had previously bitten Garner.
The possibility of foul play is being investigated as well.
"For all we know, it was a horrific accident, but it's so doggone weird that we have to look at all possibilities," Frasier told The Register-Guard.
A pathologist was unable to identify a cause or manner of death, the newspaper reported. The remains will be examined by a forensic anthropologist at the University of Oregon.
Terry Garner was "a good-hearted guy" who cared for several huge adult sows and a boar named Teddy, said his brother, Michael Garner, 75, of Myrtle Point.
Piglets were typically sold to local 4-H kids.
"Those animals were his life," Michael Garner said. "He had all kinds of birds, and turkeys that ran all over the place. Everybody knew him."
Michael Garner said one of the large sows bit his brother last year when he accidentally stepped on a piglet.
"He said he was going to kill it, but when I asked him about it later, he said he had changed his mind," the brother said.
Domestic hogs are not typically known to be as aggressive as their feral cousins, but "there is some degree of danger associated with any animal," John Killefer, who heads the Animal and Rangeland Sciences Department at Oregon State University in Corvallis, told the newspaper.
While pigs "are more omnivorous than other farm animals, (such as) cows," Killefer called the case highly unusual.
Most hogs are raised until they reach a market weight of between 250 and 300 pounds, while breeding female pigs rarely weigh more than 400 pounds, Killefer said.
Click the green for further info
EXPLORE RELATED CONTENT1 - 4 of 20
- DA: Death of woman, 25, 'suspicious' …
- US farmer apparently eaten by his hogs; …
COQUILLE, Ore. - Authorities are investigating how a U.S. farmer was eaten by his hogs. Full Story »US farmer apparently eaten by his hogs; authorities investigating how he died
Associated Press - Canada hog supply seen down slightly …
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Canadian hog supplies should tighten only modestly in 2013, one of the … Full Story »Canada hog supply seen down slightly in 2013: Maple Leaf
Reuters - Gloria Adele Shares Her Documentations …
New Book introduces readers to the Methods of professional hog hunters.Gulf Breeze, FL (PRWEB) September … Full Story »Gloria Adele Shares Her Documentations on Feral Hog Hunting in Texas
PRWeb - MORE TOP STORIES »
Source:
Yahoo News
This article is for your private use, only
___________________________________________________________
5 signs you're too close to your dog
Written by one of STAF, Inc.'s donators who emailed this story to STAF, Inc.
First of all, let me say that I am not convinced that it is possible to be too close to your dog.
Of course, I work from home and spends virtually every hour with Max the Foxhound, so we are pretty close. Most dog owners have a unique bond with their dogs, and I think many would agree that their relationships depend on closeness. Those outside that dog-master relationship may see things a little differently. Take a look at a few signs that may indicate to others that you and your dog are too close.
You are never out of your dog's sight. If your dog cannot let you out of his sight when you are together, you may be too close. My dog drifts from room to room with me throughout the day. When I'm working, he is watching me from across the room. When I make dinner, he is either in the kitchen with me or watches me from the dining room. When I put the girls to bed, he follows. He does not seem to have separation anxiety in my absence, but he certainly attaches himself to me when I am home.
You have fallen over your dog more than twice in the past day. I have tripped over Max four times so far today. Being in his sight does not necessarily mean that he is in my sight. If you tumble backward over your dog more than a couple of times a day, you may be overly bonded.
You use your dog to corroborate a story. If you have ever uttered the words, "But, my dog saw it, too," you may have taken your dog-master relationship to a new level. I have used both my dog and one of my cats to back up unusual stories or events. My husband especially enjoyed the time I heard an unexplained noise while home alone, and I immediately announced that Gina the Cat had heard it, too. I am probably a little too close to my dog and my cats.
You know whether your dog's trip outside requires a pet waste bag. If you can tell by your dog's behavior if the pooper scooper is necessary during your walk, you may be a little too in-tune to his needs. I get the occasional perplexed look when I ask my daughter or my husband to run Max outside and tell them that he requires a waste bag. I am rarely wrong about these things. I may be a little too close to my dog.
You share a special language with your dog. My dog flips over his food bowl and places a paw on it at dinnertime. He also holds up one paw to beg for something that he wants, whether it is food or a trip to the potty. Perhaps your dog offers a little backtalk or sass when you tell him to wait or ignore his distinctive signals. Sharing a unique language is probably a clear sign that you are a little too close to your dog, but it is also one of my favorite parts about my relationship with my dog.
Written by one of STAF, Inc.'s donators who emailed this story to STAF, Inc.
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Article 1 of 3
Articles 2 of 3 and 3 of 3 are next below
Why Does My Dog Eat Poop?
Reasons Why Some Dogs Eat Feces
The medical term for eating feces is Coprophagia
Natural Treatments below without any negative side effects
Click green for further info
The medical term for eating feces is Coprophagia. There are many reasons why your dog eats poop. Some of the reasons are physical and some could be psychological. Once you know the probable causes of Coprophagia, you can help your dog stop this unpleasant behavior.
Medical causes for eating feces
Eating poop could be caused by medical problems in a c. The Douglas Island Veterinary Service says that pancreatitis, infections in the dog's intestine, the inability to absorb nutrients, or feeding your dog a high fat diet can possible cause your dog to eat stools. Coprophagia is not the only symptom of these diseases. If your dog is not exhibiting any other health issues, especially diarrhea, then eating feces is probably a behavioral issue.
Behavioral causes for eating feces
Seeking Attention - Usually, when your dog eats poo, you reprimand him. You either pull your dog away from the feces or actually lecture him how disgusting it is to eat poop. It's probably the most effective way for your dog to get your attention. Your lecture has the opposite effect than you intended. The dog eats more poop to get more attention from you.
Imitating - Dogs are intelligent animals and want to please their owners. When your dog sees you picking up poop in a doggie bag, she learns to do the same thing.
Learned - Your dog could learn coprophagia from other dogs. Maybe your dog saw the neighbor's dog or another dog at a dog park eating feces and copied the behavior.
Maternal - When a mother dog delivers puppies, it is perfectly normal for her to eat the feces of her puppies. She is keeping her puppies and the whelping box *) clean. It is also believed that mother dogs eat feces to prevent predators from smelling the puppies. *)
Dominance - Many times, a submissive dog will eat the poop dominant dogs, especially when they are living in the same house.
Hunger - Many dog owners feed their dogs once per day. It could be that your dog needs to eat several small meals each day and is supplementing his only meal with feces.
Natural Treatments
There are no definitive treatments for dogs eating poop but there are some methods that seem to help.
Treat the Food - Adding enzymes to your dog's diet help break down nutrients so the dog gets more nutrition, not needing to supplement with feces. Meat tenderizer is a common ingredient that can provide enzymes to your dog's diet.
Treat the Feces - After your dog has a bowel movement, don't pick it up right away. Pour hot sauce or other bad tasting product on the poop. When your dog eats the feces, he will soon learn that it is not a tasty treat and will stop the behavior.
Pick up the Feces - Picking up the poop right after your dog eliminates helps break the habit of eating feces. This is the most effective method found by dog owners. If you are unable to go outside with your dog and pick up the poop right away, put a muzzle on him so he can't eat it. Go outside as soon as you can and pick up the dog's poop, and then remove the muzzle. This will also break the cycle.
Avoid Punishment - Punishment never works to prevent coprophagia. The dog only knows that he is getting attention and does not associate the scolding with not eating his poop. It is a waste of time and energy to try and stop the behavior with punishment.
Positive Reinforcement - When you notice your dog start to eat feces, tell him to 'leave it' , 'come', or 'sit', whichever command he is most familiar with. If your dog responds to the command, give him a treat and praise. Quickly, pick up the poop and distract the dog with some other activity.
Resource: Douglas Island Veterinary Service: Coprophagia in the Canine
Click green for further info
See 2 related articles just below
________________________
Articles 2 of 3 and 3 of 3 are next below
Why Does My Dog Eat Poop?
Reasons Why Some Dogs Eat Feces
The medical term for eating feces is Coprophagia
Natural Treatments below without any negative side effects
Click green for further info
The medical term for eating feces is Coprophagia. There are many reasons why your dog eats poop. Some of the reasons are physical and some could be psychological. Once you know the probable causes of Coprophagia, you can help your dog stop this unpleasant behavior.
Medical causes for eating feces
Eating poop could be caused by medical problems in a c. The Douglas Island Veterinary Service says that pancreatitis, infections in the dog's intestine, the inability to absorb nutrients, or feeding your dog a high fat diet can possible cause your dog to eat stools. Coprophagia is not the only symptom of these diseases. If your dog is not exhibiting any other health issues, especially diarrhea, then eating feces is probably a behavioral issue.
Behavioral causes for eating feces
Seeking Attention - Usually, when your dog eats poo, you reprimand him. You either pull your dog away from the feces or actually lecture him how disgusting it is to eat poop. It's probably the most effective way for your dog to get your attention. Your lecture has the opposite effect than you intended. The dog eats more poop to get more attention from you.
Imitating - Dogs are intelligent animals and want to please their owners. When your dog sees you picking up poop in a doggie bag, she learns to do the same thing.
Learned - Your dog could learn coprophagia from other dogs. Maybe your dog saw the neighbor's dog or another dog at a dog park eating feces and copied the behavior.
Maternal - When a mother dog delivers puppies, it is perfectly normal for her to eat the feces of her puppies. She is keeping her puppies and the whelping box *) clean. It is also believed that mother dogs eat feces to prevent predators from smelling the puppies. *)
Dominance - Many times, a submissive dog will eat the poop dominant dogs, especially when they are living in the same house.
Hunger - Many dog owners feed their dogs once per day. It could be that your dog needs to eat several small meals each day and is supplementing his only meal with feces.
Natural Treatments
There are no definitive treatments for dogs eating poop but there are some methods that seem to help.
Treat the Food - Adding enzymes to your dog's diet help break down nutrients so the dog gets more nutrition, not needing to supplement with feces. Meat tenderizer is a common ingredient that can provide enzymes to your dog's diet.
Treat the Feces - After your dog has a bowel movement, don't pick it up right away. Pour hot sauce or other bad tasting product on the poop. When your dog eats the feces, he will soon learn that it is not a tasty treat and will stop the behavior.
Pick up the Feces - Picking up the poop right after your dog eliminates helps break the habit of eating feces. This is the most effective method found by dog owners. If you are unable to go outside with your dog and pick up the poop right away, put a muzzle on him so he can't eat it. Go outside as soon as you can and pick up the dog's poop, and then remove the muzzle. This will also break the cycle.
Avoid Punishment - Punishment never works to prevent coprophagia. The dog only knows that he is getting attention and does not associate the scolding with not eating his poop. It is a waste of time and energy to try and stop the behavior with punishment.
Positive Reinforcement - When you notice your dog start to eat feces, tell him to 'leave it' , 'come', or 'sit', whichever command he is most familiar with. If your dog responds to the command, give him a treat and praise. Quickly, pick up the poop and distract the dog with some other activity.
Resource: Douglas Island Veterinary Service: Coprophagia in the Canine
Click green for further info
See 2 related articles just below
________________________
Article 2 of 3
Whelping box (Wikipedia)
whelp = puppy - pup - cub
Click green for further info
Wikipedia: A whelping box (also nesting box or whelping pen) is designed to protect puppies during birth (whelping) and early life by keeping them safely contained, protected from cold, and safe from the danger of crushing or smothering by the mother.Whelping boxes vary from improvised cardboard boxes to purpose built equipment, typically made of plywood. The sides of the box are designed to be high enough to safely contain the puppies, yet low enough to allow the mother to enter and leave comfortably, with consideration given to her protruding mammary glands.*) The bottom of the box may be lined with specially designed "whelping pads," or layers of newspaper (or fabric) to provide insulation from cold floors and to absorb fluids.
A low railing, termed a guard-rail or bumper-rail, may be present around the inside of the box. This is to protect puppies from being crushed or smothered by the mother should she roll over during birthing or while asleep. This is considered especially important with larger dog breeds. A whelping box (also nesting box or whelping pen) is designed to protect puppies during birth (whelping) and early life by keeping them safely contained, protected from cold, and safe from the danger of crushing or smothering by the mother.
Whelping boxes vary from improvised cardboard boxes to purpose built equipment, typically made of plywood. The sides of the box are designed to be high enough to safely contain the puppies, yet low enough to allow the mother to enter and leave comfortably, with consideration given to her protruding mammary glands. The bottom of the box may be lined with specially designed "whelping pads," or layers of newspaper (or fabric) to provide insulation from cold floors and to absorb fluids.
A low railing, termed a guard-rail or bumper-rail, may be present around the inside of the box. This is to protect puppies from being crushed or smothered by the mother should she roll over during birthing or while asleep. This is considered especially important with larger dog breeds.
*) A mammary gland is an organ in female mammals that produces milk to feed youngoffspring. Mammals get their name from the word "mammary." In humans, the mammary glands are situated in the breasts. In ruminants such as cows, goats, and deer, the mammary glands are contained in the udders. The mammary glands of mammals having more than two breasts, such as dogs and cats, are sometimes called dugs.
See related article 3 of 3 just below
________________________
Article 3 of 3
What is a whelping box?
whelp = puppy - pup - cub
Click green for further info
The word whelp is defined as "a young offspring of a mammal, such as a dog or wolf". A whelping box is simply a specialized box designed for optimal birthing and raising of small mammals, specifically puppies.
You are probably thinking "well my grandma put our pregnant dog in a cardboard box or laundry basket with some towels when she was giving birth, isn't that the same thing?". I assure you it is not. Many people even view this simplistic, old-fashioned idea as neglectful these days.
Discussions about how pups can become injured during birth flood the internet. Pups an become tangled and injured when born in a laundry basket and without proper supervision a birthing mother can even unknowingly crush or squish her pups in a cardboard box during the birthing process.
Whelping boxes are mainly a safety precaution for birthing mothers and their offspring and they are most commonly used by breeders. They are designed for easy clean up, optimum safety for the pups and they are reusable. which is a great benefit for multiple litter breeders. When you are breeding for money the care and survival of your pups is your livelihood.
Ensuring the safety and cleanliness of the pups in addition to finding convenience and efficiency in the breeding process is how whelping boxes became prevalent in the breeding world.
Whelping boxes are also now considered a necessity for many owners who find their pet has become pregnant. This is because whelping boxes are known to ensure the safety of the pups without extra supervision needed. They have specially placed rails within the box that'll keep mama from accidentally squishing a pup between herself and and the box wall during the birthing and afterward.
A whelping box keeps young pups confined while allowing the mother to easily enter and exit at her will and a whelping box keeps the mess of birthing puppies off your floor. Additionally whelping boxes are made to keep pups shielded from drafts which can make them sick and weak after birth.
Whelping boxes are often reusable and specially made for disassembly and ease in cleaning which is why they are preferred by by many. Whelping boxes can be purchased or built from scratch depending on what you prefer and they make breeding much safer and cleaner for all.
If your pet is expecting or if you are considering becoming a breeder a whelping box is something you will want to research and invest in.
Click green for further info
__________________________________
Whelping box (Wikipedia)
whelp = puppy - pup - cub
Click green for further info
Wikipedia: A whelping box (also nesting box or whelping pen) is designed to protect puppies during birth (whelping) and early life by keeping them safely contained, protected from cold, and safe from the danger of crushing or smothering by the mother.Whelping boxes vary from improvised cardboard boxes to purpose built equipment, typically made of plywood. The sides of the box are designed to be high enough to safely contain the puppies, yet low enough to allow the mother to enter and leave comfortably, with consideration given to her protruding mammary glands.*) The bottom of the box may be lined with specially designed "whelping pads," or layers of newspaper (or fabric) to provide insulation from cold floors and to absorb fluids.
A low railing, termed a guard-rail or bumper-rail, may be present around the inside of the box. This is to protect puppies from being crushed or smothered by the mother should she roll over during birthing or while asleep. This is considered especially important with larger dog breeds. A whelping box (also nesting box or whelping pen) is designed to protect puppies during birth (whelping) and early life by keeping them safely contained, protected from cold, and safe from the danger of crushing or smothering by the mother.
Whelping boxes vary from improvised cardboard boxes to purpose built equipment, typically made of plywood. The sides of the box are designed to be high enough to safely contain the puppies, yet low enough to allow the mother to enter and leave comfortably, with consideration given to her protruding mammary glands. The bottom of the box may be lined with specially designed "whelping pads," or layers of newspaper (or fabric) to provide insulation from cold floors and to absorb fluids.
A low railing, termed a guard-rail or bumper-rail, may be present around the inside of the box. This is to protect puppies from being crushed or smothered by the mother should she roll over during birthing or while asleep. This is considered especially important with larger dog breeds.
*) A mammary gland is an organ in female mammals that produces milk to feed youngoffspring. Mammals get their name from the word "mammary." In humans, the mammary glands are situated in the breasts. In ruminants such as cows, goats, and deer, the mammary glands are contained in the udders. The mammary glands of mammals having more than two breasts, such as dogs and cats, are sometimes called dugs.
See related article 3 of 3 just below
________________________
Article 3 of 3
What is a whelping box?
whelp = puppy - pup - cub
Click green for further info
The word whelp is defined as "a young offspring of a mammal, such as a dog or wolf". A whelping box is simply a specialized box designed for optimal birthing and raising of small mammals, specifically puppies.
You are probably thinking "well my grandma put our pregnant dog in a cardboard box or laundry basket with some towels when she was giving birth, isn't that the same thing?". I assure you it is not. Many people even view this simplistic, old-fashioned idea as neglectful these days.
Discussions about how pups can become injured during birth flood the internet. Pups an become tangled and injured when born in a laundry basket and without proper supervision a birthing mother can even unknowingly crush or squish her pups in a cardboard box during the birthing process.
Whelping boxes are mainly a safety precaution for birthing mothers and their offspring and they are most commonly used by breeders. They are designed for easy clean up, optimum safety for the pups and they are reusable. which is a great benefit for multiple litter breeders. When you are breeding for money the care and survival of your pups is your livelihood.
Ensuring the safety and cleanliness of the pups in addition to finding convenience and efficiency in the breeding process is how whelping boxes became prevalent in the breeding world.
Whelping boxes are also now considered a necessity for many owners who find their pet has become pregnant. This is because whelping boxes are known to ensure the safety of the pups without extra supervision needed. They have specially placed rails within the box that'll keep mama from accidentally squishing a pup between herself and and the box wall during the birthing and afterward.
A whelping box keeps young pups confined while allowing the mother to easily enter and exit at her will and a whelping box keeps the mess of birthing puppies off your floor. Additionally whelping boxes are made to keep pups shielded from drafts which can make them sick and weak after birth.
Whelping boxes are often reusable and specially made for disassembly and ease in cleaning which is why they are preferred by by many. Whelping boxes can be purchased or built from scratch depending on what you prefer and they make breeding much safer and cleaner for all.
If your pet is expecting or if you are considering becoming a breeder a whelping box is something you will want to research and invest in.
Click green for further info
__________________________________
The Positive Power
of Pet Ownership
Stay Well With Your Animals
27 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health
Most pet owners don't need reminding. Animals make people feel good. But we're talking about more than feeling glad they're around. Your favorite animal can make you healthy and help you stay that way. You may be surprised at just how many ways a pet can improve your health.
Pets Are Natural Mood Enhancers
It only takes 15 to 30 minutes with a dog or cat or watching fish swim to feel less anxious and less stressed. Your body actually goes through physical changes in that length of time that make a difference in your mood. The level of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress, is lowered. And the production of serotonin, an important chemical associated with well-being, is increased. Reducing stress saves your body a lot of wear and tear.
Keep Blood Pressure in Check
You still have to watch your weight and exercise. But having a pet can help you manage your blood pressure. In one study of 240 married couples, pet owners had lower blood pressure and lower heart rates during rest than people who did not own a pet. That held true whether they were at rest or undergoing stress tests. And another study showed that children with hypertension actually lowered their blood pressure while petting their dog.
Help for Lowering Cholesterol
To manage cholesterol, doctors still recommend that you follow guidelines regarding diet, exercise, and medication. But owning a pet has the potential of making it easier to avoid the dangers of cholesterol. Researchers have noted lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in people who own pets compared to people who don't. However, this could be attributed to lifestyle factors of pet owners.
Cats and Dogs Good for the Heart
Research has shown the long-term benefits of owning a cat include protection for your heart. Over the 20 years of one study, people who never owned a cat were 40% more likely to die of a heart attack than those who had. Another study showed that dog owners had a significantly better survival rate one year after a heart attack. Overall, pet owners have a lower risk of dying from any cardiac disease, including heart failure.
Pet an Animal and Fight Depression
Therapists have been known to prescribe a pet as a way of dealing with and recovering from depression. No one loves you more unconditionally than your pet. And a pet will listen to you talk for as long as you want to talk. Petting a cat or dog has a calming effect. And taking care of a pet -- walking with it, grooming it, playing with it -- takes you out of yourself and helps you feel better about the way you spend your time.
Better Physical Fitness
People who own dogs tend to be more physically active and less obese than people who don't. Taking your dog for a daily 30-minute walk will keep you moving and ensure that you meet the minimum recommendations for healthy physical activity. Two 15-minute walks, one in the morning and one in the evening, will do the same thing. And after that, just playing fetch in the back yard with your dog will earn you healthful dividends.
Make Your Pet an Exercise Buddy
If you exercise with your pet, you'll both benefit. Shine a flashlight on the wall or wave a string while you do a step aerobics routine. You're cat will get a healthy workout chasing the light, and you'll be thoroughly entertained. Some people like to use their cat rather than dumbbells when doing weight training. And nationwide, there are yoga classes for people and their dogs, called doga. Call your local gym or ask your vet if there are similar programs in your area.
Fewer Strokes Among Cat Owners
Researchers aren't sure why. But cat owners have fewer strokes than people who don't own cats. It's partly due to the effects owning a pet can have on a person's circulation. But researchers speculate that cats may have a more calming effect on their owners than other animals do. It may also have something to do with the personality of a cat owner. Cats often become the focus of their owner's interest, which diverts them from other stressful worries.
More Interaction, Less Isolation
One key to a healthy mind is staying engaged with others. And pet owners have a tendency to want to talk with other pet owners. A dog is a conversation waiting to happen. People, especially other people with dogs, will stop and talk with you when they see you walking your pet. Visiting a dog park lets you socialize with other owners while your dog socializes with their dogs.
Fewer Allergies, Stronger Immunity
Researchers have noted that when children grow up in a home with a dog or cat they are less likely to develop allergies. The same is true for kids who live on a farm with large animals. In addition, higher levels of certain immune system chemicals indicate a stronger immune system activation, which will help keep them healthy as they get older.
Cats and Asthma Prevention
It sounds counterintuitive. Pet allergies are one of the most common triggers of asthma. But researchers have studied the effects of having cats in the homes of infants at risk for asthma. What they found was that those children were significantly less likely to develop asthma as they got older. There is one exception. Children whose mothers have a cat allergy are three times more likely to develop asthma after early exposure to cats.
Snack Alarm
For people with diabetes, a sudden drop in the level of blood glucose can be very serious. Some dogs can alert their owner to a dangerous drop before it actually happens. They may be responding to chemical changes in the body that give off a scent. The alarm gives the owner time to eat a snack to avoid the emergency. About one in three dogs living with people with diabetes have this ability. Dogs for Diabetics is training more dogs to help more people.
Working With a Counselor
Some mental health therapists use a dog in therapy. A dog in the office may help someone be more at ease. But that'snot all. A remark to or about a dog may reveal what's really on a patient's mind. One therapist tells about a couple in his office who started bickering. The dog, which usually just slept during the session, got up and wanted out. He used that to help the couple see how their fighting affected others, especially their children.
Partners in Better Cancer Care
Cats and dogs both get cancer, and both benefit from research on human cancer. But more and more the opposite is also true. Humans are benefiting from research on their cancers. Dogs and cats can get the same kinds of cancers humans do. For example, studies of prostate cancer in dogs have led to a better understanding of how it develops in older men. And preventing cancer in pets can lead to new prevention strategies for their human owners.
Overcoming the Limitations of ADHD
Kids with ADHD can benefit from working with and keeping a pet. Taking charge of the tasks on a pet care schedule helps a child learn to plan and be responsible. Pets need to play, and playing with a pet is an excellent way to release excess energy. That means an easier time falling asleep at bed time. And because the bond between a pet and a child is unconditional love, pets help children with ADHD learn about self-esteem.
Autism: Addressing the Senses
Sensory issues are common among children with autism. Sensory integration activities are designed to help them adjust, for instance, to the way something feels against their skin. Or it may be how they react to certain smells or sounds. Dogs and horses have both sometimes been incorporated into these activities. The children typically find it calming to work with animals. And animals easily hold the attention of children with autism.
Want Stronger Bones? Walk the Dog
Strong bones are your best defense against osteoporosis and painful fractures. Walking your dog helps. It's a weight-bearing exercise that strengthens your bones and the muscles around them. It also lets you spend time in the sun, which provides vitamin D. If you have osteoporosis, be sure you guard against falls. Use a short leash that won't get tangled. And don't walk a dog that is liable to jump on you and make you lose your balance.
Stretching With the Cat
If you have arthritis, you know its important to stretch. You also know it can be hard to know when you're stretching enough. An article in Arthritis Today advises cat owners to take a cue from their cat. Watch how many times she stretches every day, and when she does, you do it too. If you can, get down on the floor and go through the same motions. If you can't get on the floor, sit on a chair and follow along by stretching your upper body.
Managing Arthritis Together
If your dog has arthritis, you can use the effort to manage his to help manage yours. When you make an appointment at the vet, also call and make your own doctor's appointment. Regular exercise is important for both of you, so walk with your dog. Keep your medicine in the same place you keep the dog's. That way you'll see it when you get his. And if you can, coordinate taking your medicines at the same time you give him his medicine.
Getting Back in the Saddle
Some rehab programs for stroke patients use horses to help facilitate recovery. At places like Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center in California, clients who have had strokes start riding with side walkers and someone leading the horse. Horseback riding provides stretching exercise, which is especially good if one side has been made weaker. It also helps the person regain balance and build core strength.
Relief From RA
People with rheumatoid arthritis derive benefit from movements like walking and throwing a Frisbee with their pet. And pets provide a distraction that can help take your thoughts off of your own condition. But perhaps the best help comes from those dogs or cats that seem to be super sensitive to people who aren't feeling well. Sometimes just their presence can provide a relieving comfort.
Soothing Heat
A Mexican hairless dog called a Xolo is known for generating intense body heat. An organization called Paws for Comfort trains Xolos to be service dogs for people with fibromyalgia and other forms of chronic pain that respond to heat. People get relief just by placing their hurting limbs against the dog's body or lying up next to it. Some dogs have even been trained to ride around wrapped around the neck of a person with chronic neck pain.
Seizure Dogs
A "seizure dog" is one that has been specially trained to live and work with people who have epilepsy. Some are trained to bark and alert the parents when a child is having a seizure outside or in another room. Some lie next to a person having a seizure to prevent injury (as seen in this demonstration). And some work has been done training dogs to warn before a seizure occurs. This gives the person time to lie down or move away from a dangerous place such as a hot stove.
Staying Independent
Specially trained dogs can perform tasks that let people with Parkinson's disease maintain their independence. They can pick up dropped items or fetch requested ones. They can provide balance support, open and close doors, turn lights on with their paws. They can also sense when someone with Parkinson's is "freezing" and touch the foot to let the person keep walking. Groups like the Delta Society can help you find a good service dog.
A Better Quality of Life
Visits from therapy dogs help patients recovering from devastating illness or an event such as a stroke. Some dogs are trained to understand a range of commands which lets them help people with aphasia (a language disorder common in older adults, particularly those who've had a stroke) feel good when they see the dog understands them. And, petting or scratching a dog can help a patient rebuild strength while recovering from a stroke or other illness. It also creates a feeling of calm.
A Calming Presence
People with AIDS are less likely to be depressed if they own a pet, especially if they're strongly attached. And with an animal in the home, people with Alzheimer's have fewer anxious outbursts. The animal also helps the caregivers feel less burdened. Cats seem to be particularly helpful since they require less care than dogs.
Animal Assisted Therapies
Some studies are being done on bringing specially trained animals into clinical settings, which is happening in more and more hospitals and nursing homes. One of the biggest advantages of letting patients interact with animals in such places appears to be improved mood and reduced anxiety.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Your pet adds immeasurably
to the quality of your and your family's life
Click the green for further info
If you own a dog, there’s nothing to compare with the greeting you receive from your pup when you come through the
door at the end of a long day. There’s something about a pair of warm, soulful eyes at one end and an eagerly wagging tail at the other that lifts your spirits and makes the day’s burdens disappear in an instant.
If you’re owned by a cat, you sense all is right with the world when your purring furball curls into your lap for the evening. As you stroke your kitty’s soft coat, a feeling of contentment settles over you.
A Pet Improves Your Marriage, Your Children, Your Health & Happiness
A study research study revealed that married couples with pets felt more satisfied with their unions than couples without companion animals. Click: study to see the facts
For newly married young people who both enjoy animals, it’s commonplace to acquire a pet – or several. Through caring for their furry “children,” newlyweds are able to gain insight into how each partner deals with responsibility, illness, sharing and jealousy.
Pets are known to reduce the inevitable stress between partners in a marriage, and also encourage social interaction with
others.
Other ways a companion animal can enhance your marriage:
Pets are attentive - Pets provide physical touch - Your dog or cat can comfort you or your spouse during times of disappointment or loss - Your pet accepts you unconditionally and is not judgmental - Having a pet around can trigger positive memories - Dogs and cats are full of cute and funny behaviors that can increase the joy and laughter in your home.
Kids and Pets
Studies show that children who are attached to their pets tend to function better emotionally. Your child’s self-esteem is enhanced by owning a pet.
Helping to care for the family pet teaches children how to nurture a dependent creature. And the positive feedback your child receives from you for caring for a pet helps him to feel competent and responsible.
When a child interacts with a pet that is totally dependent on its owners, she learns to understand the needs and feelings of animals, which naturally translates over time to a desire to understand the needs and feelings of people. This is how your youngster learns compassion and empathy for other living things.
Your child’s pet also provides an important form of social and emotional support. Whereas social feedback given by humans can feel critical and threatening, the nonjudgmental support offered by a beloved pet makes your child feel unconditionally accepted.
Family pets can also facilitate teaching your children about important life events like birth and death. Helping your child to understand and express feelings of sadness and loss when a pet dies or is euthanized can influence how he copes with the experience of death throughout his life.
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Click: Sources: USA Today December 1, 2010
Get the white out of baby's first foods,
pediatrician says
Concerned about increasing childhood obesity and growing rates of diabetes, we MUST change how babies eat. It is time to put the human needs first, not the profits of the processed "food" industry
("food" - read: non-food = poison)
By Liz Szabo, USA TODAY (partially)
(The red color text below are comments by Dr. Christian, Pres., STAF, Inc)
Almost every child care book offers the same advice about a baby's first meal. The following 5-line advice is totally WRONG and health-destroying.
When infants are ready for solid food, experts say, start them first on rice cereal, available in a box, mixed with breast milk or formula. Babies have launched their eating careers this way for 60 years, says Alan Greene, a pediatrician at Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children Hospital.
In the 1950s, Greene says, baby food companies trumpeted the benefits of white rice cereal, telling mothers that it was easier for babies to digest than anything they could make at home. "The ads said, 'You can't feed children as well as we can,' " says Greene, author of Feeding Baby Green.
The 1950's information was and is totally wrong and life-destroying - yet is still applied - it ruins children's health.
David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children's Hospital Boston, says "there's no scientific basis for this recommendation. That's a myth."
Concerned about increasing childhood obesity and growing rates of diabetes, some pediatricians want to change how babies eat.
Greene is encouraging parents to abandon white rice cereal in favor of more nutritious brown rice cereals or even a homemade brown rice mash or vegetable purée. "They won't mind," says Greene, who launched a "WhiteOut" campaign last week. "They'll thank you for it."
He is concerned that babies are getting hooked on the taste of highly processed white rice and flour, which could set them up for a lifetime of bad habits, such as a weakness for cakes and cookies.
White rice — after processing strips away fiber, vitamins and other nutrients — is a "nutritional disaster," Ludwig says. It's "as processed as anything in the food supply" and "the nutritional equivalent of table sugar."
White rice and flour turn to sugar in the body "almost instantly," Ludwig says, raising blood sugar aninsulin levels "while providing virtually no other nutrients."
The USA Rice Federation, which represents the rice industry, counters that white rice has no fat, cholesterol, sodium or gluten, a protein in wheat to which some people are allergic, says spokeswoman Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd. Even fussy babies can tolerate white rice without an upset stomach. QUESTION: WHOSE BEST are they defending - the processed food industry's or the baby's best. ALL PROCESSED FOOD AT ANY AGE IS HEALTH AND LIFE DESTROYING - the biggest reason in the USA for our high health/sickness care costs and for enormous amount of killer sicknesses and endless human suffering.
It's "as nutritionally sound as any other carbohydrate," she says.
A TOTALLY WRONG STATEMENT - A CLEAR LIE
Babies certainly eat a lot of it.
Yes - they do - but so are over 75 % of the USA population having overweight problems.
It's "the No. 1 source of calories for kids in the first year of life, other than breast milk or formula," says Greene, noting that, "by 18 months, most children get no whole grains each day."
Greene says parents don't have to abandon instant rice cereal, which offers the advantage of added iron, an important nutrient for babies, especially those who are breast-fed. Most cereal manufacturers already offer a brown rice alternative.
Though offering whole grains seems like a smart idea, nutrition expert Walter Willett says white rice is far from the only culprit in childhood obesity. Most kids also drink too many sugary beverages, such as fruit juice, punch and soda, says Willett, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and co-author of the June diabetes study.
"I don't want people to feel guilty," Greene says. "I have four kids and I figured this out just recently. But it's time to change.
Red color text above are comments by Dr. Christian, Pres., STAF, Inc.
____________________________________
"We’ll Give you a NEW life"
___________________________________________________________
This site is under re-construction. Please be patient - the updated information will be even more beneficial for you and your family.
Meanwhile, take the Color Test - click the BLOG tab at the top bar of this page; BLOG page # 1 (one) has the Color Test to look at some hidden info in your own or in your friends' personality and attitudes.
Have some fun with your family and friend - the Color Test will tell you interesting facts.
______________________
Important pet care
information
Think before applying
As the veterinarian he knows he should brush them daily...
Veterinarian Confession: "I Don’t Brush My Dog’s Teeth"
Click green for further info
By Dr. Andy Roark | January 7, 2013 - HE knows he should brush them daily....
SEE BELOW WHY AND LEARN TO DO THAT FOR YOUR DOG (AND FOR YOUR CAT ?)
(IF your cats allows - most do not) - dogs like the brushing when you do it with love and speak nicely and hug your dog.
Remember Your Pet Is Unique.
Recently, I (= Dr. Andy Roark) did an oral examination on a Chihuahua named Taco Larry, whose teeth had been cleaned in our clinic eight months earlier. I looked at Larry’s owner with a pained expression on my face. “Again?” he asked. I nodded. He stammered, “But … my other dog has never had his teeth cleaned, and his are fine!”
The amount of dental maintenance required to keep a pet healthy varies among individuals and also among breeds. Know that your pet’s mouth, just like your pet, is unique, and resign yourself to providing the care that mouth needs. Ask your veterinarian for guidance on the specific needs of your pet.
Never Give Up the Goal. Even though daily tooth brushings simply don’t seem to get done in my house, I don’t give up the dream. I recommit regularly to making it a routine. But even if that dream is never realized, even if I fall short of brushing those handsome little teeth a few times per week, I am always going to aspire to daily brushing. Because no matter how hectic our lives are, effort directed at making our pets healthier and happier is never wasted.
Don’t know where to start with brushing? Learn about brushing your dog’s teeth and cat’s teeth, as well as more about the effects of periodontal disease.
Now you and Mrs. Griffith know the shameful truth: I am a veterinarian who does not regularly brush my pet’s teeth. If you don’t either, you’re not alone. Let’s at least agree that dental health is important and commit to doing the best we can for our pets. We owe it to those who don’t have thumbs for holding their own toothbrushes.
____________________
Comments from the public - read them, please - interesting
information
Think before applying
As the veterinarian he knows he should brush them daily...
Veterinarian Confession: "I Don’t Brush My Dog’s Teeth"
Click green for further info
By Dr. Andy Roark | January 7, 2013 - HE knows he should brush them daily....
SEE BELOW WHY AND LEARN TO DO THAT FOR YOUR DOG (AND FOR YOUR CAT ?)
(IF your cats allows - most do not) - dogs like the brushing when you do it with love and speak nicely and hug your dog.
Remember Your Pet Is Unique.
Recently, I (= Dr. Andy Roark) did an oral examination on a Chihuahua named Taco Larry, whose teeth had been cleaned in our clinic eight months earlier. I looked at Larry’s owner with a pained expression on my face. “Again?” he asked. I nodded. He stammered, “But … my other dog has never had his teeth cleaned, and his are fine!”
The amount of dental maintenance required to keep a pet healthy varies among individuals and also among breeds. Know that your pet’s mouth, just like your pet, is unique, and resign yourself to providing the care that mouth needs. Ask your veterinarian for guidance on the specific needs of your pet.
Never Give Up the Goal. Even though daily tooth brushings simply don’t seem to get done in my house, I don’t give up the dream. I recommit regularly to making it a routine. But even if that dream is never realized, even if I fall short of brushing those handsome little teeth a few times per week, I am always going to aspire to daily brushing. Because no matter how hectic our lives are, effort directed at making our pets healthier and happier is never wasted.
Don’t know where to start with brushing? Learn about brushing your dog’s teeth and cat’s teeth, as well as more about the effects of periodontal disease.
Now you and Mrs. Griffith know the shameful truth: I am a veterinarian who does not regularly brush my pet’s teeth. If you don’t either, you’re not alone. Let’s at least agree that dental health is important and commit to doing the best we can for our pets. We owe it to those who don’t have thumbs for holding their own toothbrushes.
____________________
Comments from the public - read them, please - interesting
- James H. Hankins · Haines City, FloridaThe information disseminated here is exactly why you can't rely on a veterinarian for much in the way of sane, practical information. Dogs and their evolutionary predecessors lived in the wild for generations uncountable before toothbrushes or "enzymatic toothpaste" was ever a gleam in some chemists eye. Feed your dog the kinds of foods he or she has evolved to eat and see what the results are as far as their dental health. On the other hand, you can feed them the processed goo that comes out of a bag from your local PetSmart and subsequently shell out your hard-earned money to your local vet for anesthesia, teeth cleaning, skin problems--the list goes on and on (to include, with high probability, cancer). I've been caring for dogs for 40+ years, and I've never once had a veterinarian share one scintilla of information abo...See More
Reply · 1 · · 4 hours ago - Cindy Tefft · University of UtahI've been blessed with a gorgeous white shepherd/Samoyed mix whose breath was rank from the moment I adopted her. I don't know if it's the wide, open mouth that attracts more bacteria, or if it's just the chemical makeup of her saliva, but I've always battled her nasty breath---not normal dog breath, it's otherworld nasty. Now that she's at least 13, but probably 14, she's had most of her teeth pulled---even though I was very good about getting her dental cleanings done---an average of two times per year. I also brushed her teeth, but was always dismayed by the blood that would come out on the gauze (no matter how gentle I was). So, is it breed that determines dental issues, or does it just vary by dog?
Reply · · 7 hours ago - Rebecca Andres · Top CommenterI for one appreciate your honesty on this matter. I always think I'm going to brush all 7 of my dogs teeth daily but in reality it only happens once a week;however,their teeth are all checked twice a year and treated accordingly.
Reply · · 8 hours ago
Lynette Hutton · Lead Pet Care at Pet smartI am guilty of the same I work at a pet store and promote teeth cleaning everyday but I am not a brusher of my dogs teeth I do offer greenies and other dog oral care treats and bisqute - Reply · · 7 hours ago
- Ruey StockingI do brush my cat's teeth every night!
Reply · · 10 hours ago _______________________________________________________________________________
Article 1 of 2
2 Signs Your Cat is About to Bite or Scratch You
Human stupidity (from the cat's point of view, that is) in misreading or ignoring body language earns more than a few cat lovers a scratch or bite from time to time -- the result of misinterpreting a cat's "I've had enough" signs.
See Also: Why Does My Cat... Bite Me When I Pet Her
The classic example of this phenomenon is the cat who, while being petted, "suddenly" grabs the hand that pets him with teeth and claws, to the shock and sometimes anger of the human doing the petting.
In fact, these "out of the blue" attacks rarely are. Before the biting or clawing, a cat gives out subtle (subtle to us, anyway) signs of diminished tolerance. Primary among them: an increase in the stiffness and twitching of the tail.
Often, the problem starts with petting your cat's tummy, a very vulnerable area for any animal. Your cat may even offer his belly out of love, but after you start to pet, he may become increasingly uncomfortable with the attention. Most cats just don't like tummy rubs, although exceptions to this rule certainly do exist.
Watch your cat's body signs: If he's tensing or that tail starts twitching, stop petting immediately. Not only does doing so save you claw and teeth marks, but stopping before your cat strikes also slowly builds up his trust in you and his tolerance for physical attention.
__________
Article 2 of 2
Same topic different info
Why Does My Cat... Bite Me When I Pet Her?
This article was written by a Veterinarian
It’s a conundrum, for sure. One minute your beloved kitty is over the moon with pleasure as you scratch her favorite spot and the next thing you know you’re left staring at tooth marks on your arm.
You’re not the only one suffering. Many pet owners call this common behavior “Love biting,” but feline behaviorists have given it a more formal name: Petting-induced aggression—and it’s a poorly understood topic.
Typically, a friendly cat seeks out human attention, only to turn on his lavisher of attention once the affection seems to have gone on for too long. Owners describe these cats as changing from friendly to feral “like a light switch.”
Despite the perplexing nature of this uniquely feline way of acting out, a couple of possibilities have been proposed to explain why cats might do this:
___________________________________________________
2 Signs Your Cat is About to Bite or Scratch You
Human stupidity (from the cat's point of view, that is) in misreading or ignoring body language earns more than a few cat lovers a scratch or bite from time to time -- the result of misinterpreting a cat's "I've had enough" signs.
See Also: Why Does My Cat... Bite Me When I Pet Her
The classic example of this phenomenon is the cat who, while being petted, "suddenly" grabs the hand that pets him with teeth and claws, to the shock and sometimes anger of the human doing the petting.
In fact, these "out of the blue" attacks rarely are. Before the biting or clawing, a cat gives out subtle (subtle to us, anyway) signs of diminished tolerance. Primary among them: an increase in the stiffness and twitching of the tail.
Often, the problem starts with petting your cat's tummy, a very vulnerable area for any animal. Your cat may even offer his belly out of love, but after you start to pet, he may become increasingly uncomfortable with the attention. Most cats just don't like tummy rubs, although exceptions to this rule certainly do exist.
Watch your cat's body signs: If he's tensing or that tail starts twitching, stop petting immediately. Not only does doing so save you claw and teeth marks, but stopping before your cat strikes also slowly builds up his trust in you and his tolerance for physical attention.
__________
Article 2 of 2
Same topic different info
Why Does My Cat... Bite Me When I Pet Her?
This article was written by a Veterinarian
It’s a conundrum, for sure. One minute your beloved kitty is over the moon with pleasure as you scratch her favorite spot and the next thing you know you’re left staring at tooth marks on your arm.
You’re not the only one suffering. Many pet owners call this common behavior “Love biting,” but feline behaviorists have given it a more formal name: Petting-induced aggression—and it’s a poorly understood topic.
Typically, a friendly cat seeks out human attention, only to turn on his lavisher of attention once the affection seems to have gone on for too long. Owners describe these cats as changing from friendly to feral “like a light switch.”
Despite the perplexing nature of this uniquely feline way of acting out, a couple of possibilities have been proposed to explain why cats might do this:
- It may be a manifestation of so-called status-induced aggression, in which cats seek to control a situation.
- There may be some neurologically significant negative stimulus associated with being petted at length that affects these cats in particular.
- These cats may be especially subtle at letting humans know when they’re unhappy, so that their change in attitude appears more sudden than it truly is.
___________________________________________________
15 Ways to Improve Your Cholesterol
By Bill Phillips and the Editors of Men's Health
Sep 13, 2011
A good tip: Your heart will benefit more from a few long-term health
improvements than from a flurry of activity followed by a return to the
dangerous norm. Above are the tools to protect yourself. Work five of them into
your daily routine over the next month. When they become second nature, try five
more. By year's end, you will have given your heart a beating chance.
The Fountain of Youth may be fiction, but there really is a magic gene
pool in northern Italy. A few decades ago, researchers discovered that, despite
unhealthy cholesterol levels, 40 inhabitants of the village of Limone sul Garda
were seemingly immune to heart
disease. Turns out it wasn't the famed Mediterranean diet at work, but rather a
variation of a protein in HDL
cholesterol (the good kind) called ApoA-1 Milano. In less scientific terms, the
villagers were born with self-cleaning arteries.
Researchers immediately went to work creating a synthetic version of the
plaque-busting protein. And in 2003, they created one. Problem is, the drug is
still too expensive to mass produce.
Luckily, you don’t have to wait for a magic drug to improve your
cholesterol. Here are 15 ways to raise your HDL or lower your LDL (the bad cholesterol) today. The best part: Doing so will
literally cost you peanuts—or even less.
1.
Eat more nuts. In an analysis of 25 different studies on walnuts,
pecans, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, and macadamia nuts, researchers at Loma
Linda University found that eating 67 grams of nuts per day—that’s a little more
than two ounces—increased the ratio of HDL to LDL in the blood by 8.3 percent.
And Australian scientists found that when men replaced 15 percent of their daily
calorie intake with macadamia nuts—12 to 16 nuts a day—their HDL levels went up
by 8 percent. Even better: You can eat nuts covered in chocolate or rolled in
cocoa powder; a Japanese study found that the polyphenols in chocolate activate
genes that increase HDL production.
2. Boost your endurance. Researchers in Japan found that
exercising for 20 minutes a day increases your HDL by 2.5 points. That’s not
much, but for every additional 10 minutes per day you keep huffing in the gym,
you add an extra 1.4 points to your HDL. It doesn’t matter whether you pull a
rowing machine or power through a tough barbell routine, just keep your activity
level at a point where you’re panting but not out of breath.
3. Build killer quads.Ohio University researchers discovered
that men who did lower-body work—squats, leg extensions, leg presses—twice a
week for 16 weeks raised their HDL levels by 19 percent. For legs and HDL levels
that are something to look at, follow the lead of the men in the study: Do three
sets of six to eight repetitions of the half squat, leg extension, and leg
press, resting no more than 2 minutes between sets. Use a weight that's about 85
percent of the amount you can lift just once.
4. Pop a milk pill.In a study published in the American
Journal of Medicine, people who took a daily 1,000-mg calcium
supplement saw their HDL-cholesterol levels rise by 7 percent. Choose a brand
that contains calcium citrate
(not coral calcium) and 400 international units of vitamin
D for maximum absorption.
5. Make a date with Mrs. Paul. When Canadian
researchers compared a steady diet of whitefish with regular consumption of lean
beef and chicken, they found that the fish-eating folks experienced a 26 percent
increase in HDL2, a particularly protective form of HDL. Remember: Fish sticks
aren't health food—unless they're baked, like Healthy Selects Sticks from Mrs.
Paul's.
FIX IT WITH FOOD: Check out our list of the 40 Foods with
Superpowers—foods that, even in moderation, can strengthen your
heart, fortify your bones, and boost your metabolism so you can lose weight
more quickly.
6. Learn how to pronounce “policosanol” (poly-CO-sanol).
This mixture of alcohols derived from sugarcane wax is the rare natural
supplement that may actually live up to its hype. Doses of 10 to 20 mg a day can
increase HDL by up to 15 percent, according to David Maron, M.D., a cardiologist
at Vanderbilt University medical center. Two brands to try: Naturals and
Nature's Life, both sold at health-food stores.
7. Drink cranberry juice. University of Scranton
scientists found that volunteers who drank three 8-ounce glasses a day for a
month increased their HDL-cholesterol levels by 10 percent, enough to cut
heart-disease risk by almost 40 percent. Buy 100 percent juice that's at least
27 percent cranberry.
8. Eat grapefruit.One a day can reduce arterial
narrowing by 46 percent, lower your LDL cholesterol by more than 10 percent, and
help drop your blood pressure by
more than 5 points.
9. Don't let your tank hit empty. A study in the British
Medical Journalfound that people who eat six or more small meals a day have
5 percent lower LDL cholesterol levels than those who eat one or two large
meals. That's enough to shrink your risk of heart disease by 10 to 20
percent.
10. Eat oatmeal and oatmeal cookies. The University of Connecticut
study, men with high LDL cholesterol (above 200 mg/dL) who ate oat-bran cookies
daily for 8 weeks dropped their levels by more than 20 percent.
11. Switch your spread.Buy trans fat-free margarine, such as Smart Balance Buttery Spread.
Researchers in Norway found that, compared with butter, no-trans margarine
lowered LDL cholesterol by 11 percent.
12. Take the Concord.University of California
researchers found that compounds in Concord grapes help slow the formation of
artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. The grapes also lower blood pressure by an
average of 6 points if you drink just 12 ounces of their juice a day.
13. Swallow phytosterols or phytostanols. Both
substances—derived from pine trees and soy—lower bad cholesterol levels by an
average of 10 to 15 percent. Besides being available in supplements, the
compounds are in cholesterol-lowering spreads like Benecol and Take Control.
14. Be a part-time vegetarian. Researchers in Toronto found
that men who added a couple of servings of vegetarian fare such as whole grains,
nuts, and beans to their diets each day for a month lowered their LDL
cholesterol by nearly 30 percent.
15. Switch to dark chocolate. Finnish researchers found that consuming 2.5 ounces
of dark chocolate boosts levels of HDL by between 11 and 14 percent. Once a week is enough,
stack up when on sale. Notice: (no milk chocolate), only dark chocolate, 70-95 % cocoa.
A good tip: Your heart will benefit more from a few long-term health
improvements than from a flurry of activity followed by a return to the
dangerous norm. Above are some of the tools to protect yourself. Work five of them into
your daily routine over the next month. When they become second nature, try five
more. By year's end, you will have given your heart a beating chance.
STRANGE BUT TRUE: If beating asthma with sweet potatoes sounds too good to be
true, wait till you read these 14 crazy-sounding (but
completely true) health tips!
_________________________________________________________________
By Bill Phillips and the Editors of Men's Health
Sep 13, 2011
A good tip: Your heart will benefit more from a few long-term health
improvements than from a flurry of activity followed by a return to the
dangerous norm. Above are the tools to protect yourself. Work five of them into
your daily routine over the next month. When they become second nature, try five
more. By year's end, you will have given your heart a beating chance.
The Fountain of Youth may be fiction, but there really is a magic gene
pool in northern Italy. A few decades ago, researchers discovered that, despite
unhealthy cholesterol levels, 40 inhabitants of the village of Limone sul Garda
were seemingly immune to heart
disease. Turns out it wasn't the famed Mediterranean diet at work, but rather a
variation of a protein in HDL
cholesterol (the good kind) called ApoA-1 Milano. In less scientific terms, the
villagers were born with self-cleaning arteries.
Researchers immediately went to work creating a synthetic version of the
plaque-busting protein. And in 2003, they created one. Problem is, the drug is
still too expensive to mass produce.
Luckily, you don’t have to wait for a magic drug to improve your
cholesterol. Here are 15 ways to raise your HDL or lower your LDL (the bad cholesterol) today. The best part: Doing so will
literally cost you peanuts—or even less.
1.
Eat more nuts. In an analysis of 25 different studies on walnuts,
pecans, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, and macadamia nuts, researchers at Loma
Linda University found that eating 67 grams of nuts per day—that’s a little more
than two ounces—increased the ratio of HDL to LDL in the blood by 8.3 percent.
And Australian scientists found that when men replaced 15 percent of their daily
calorie intake with macadamia nuts—12 to 16 nuts a day—their HDL levels went up
by 8 percent. Even better: You can eat nuts covered in chocolate or rolled in
cocoa powder; a Japanese study found that the polyphenols in chocolate activate
genes that increase HDL production.
2. Boost your endurance. Researchers in Japan found that
exercising for 20 minutes a day increases your HDL by 2.5 points. That’s not
much, but for every additional 10 minutes per day you keep huffing in the gym,
you add an extra 1.4 points to your HDL. It doesn’t matter whether you pull a
rowing machine or power through a tough barbell routine, just keep your activity
level at a point where you’re panting but not out of breath.
3. Build killer quads.Ohio University researchers discovered
that men who did lower-body work—squats, leg extensions, leg presses—twice a
week for 16 weeks raised their HDL levels by 19 percent. For legs and HDL levels
that are something to look at, follow the lead of the men in the study: Do three
sets of six to eight repetitions of the half squat, leg extension, and leg
press, resting no more than 2 minutes between sets. Use a weight that's about 85
percent of the amount you can lift just once.
4. Pop a milk pill.In a study published in the American
Journal of Medicine, people who took a daily 1,000-mg calcium
supplement saw their HDL-cholesterol levels rise by 7 percent. Choose a brand
that contains calcium citrate
(not coral calcium) and 400 international units of vitamin
D for maximum absorption.
5. Make a date with Mrs. Paul. When Canadian
researchers compared a steady diet of whitefish with regular consumption of lean
beef and chicken, they found that the fish-eating folks experienced a 26 percent
increase in HDL2, a particularly protective form of HDL. Remember: Fish sticks
aren't health food—unless they're baked, like Healthy Selects Sticks from Mrs.
Paul's.
FIX IT WITH FOOD: Check out our list of the 40 Foods with
Superpowers—foods that, even in moderation, can strengthen your
heart, fortify your bones, and boost your metabolism so you can lose weight
more quickly.
6. Learn how to pronounce “policosanol” (poly-CO-sanol).
This mixture of alcohols derived from sugarcane wax is the rare natural
supplement that may actually live up to its hype. Doses of 10 to 20 mg a day can
increase HDL by up to 15 percent, according to David Maron, M.D., a cardiologist
at Vanderbilt University medical center. Two brands to try: Naturals and
Nature's Life, both sold at health-food stores.
7. Drink cranberry juice. University of Scranton
scientists found that volunteers who drank three 8-ounce glasses a day for a
month increased their HDL-cholesterol levels by 10 percent, enough to cut
heart-disease risk by almost 40 percent. Buy 100 percent juice that's at least
27 percent cranberry.
8. Eat grapefruit.One a day can reduce arterial
narrowing by 46 percent, lower your LDL cholesterol by more than 10 percent, and
help drop your blood pressure by
more than 5 points.
9. Don't let your tank hit empty. A study in the British
Medical Journalfound that people who eat six or more small meals a day have
5 percent lower LDL cholesterol levels than those who eat one or two large
meals. That's enough to shrink your risk of heart disease by 10 to 20
percent.
10. Eat oatmeal and oatmeal cookies. The University of Connecticut
study, men with high LDL cholesterol (above 200 mg/dL) who ate oat-bran cookies
daily for 8 weeks dropped their levels by more than 20 percent.
11. Switch your spread.Buy trans fat-free margarine, such as Smart Balance Buttery Spread.
Researchers in Norway found that, compared with butter, no-trans margarine
lowered LDL cholesterol by 11 percent.
12. Take the Concord.University of California
researchers found that compounds in Concord grapes help slow the formation of
artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. The grapes also lower blood pressure by an
average of 6 points if you drink just 12 ounces of their juice a day.
13. Swallow phytosterols or phytostanols. Both
substances—derived from pine trees and soy—lower bad cholesterol levels by an
average of 10 to 15 percent. Besides being available in supplements, the
compounds are in cholesterol-lowering spreads like Benecol and Take Control.
14. Be a part-time vegetarian. Researchers in Toronto found
that men who added a couple of servings of vegetarian fare such as whole grains,
nuts, and beans to their diets each day for a month lowered their LDL
cholesterol by nearly 30 percent.
15. Switch to dark chocolate. Finnish researchers found that consuming 2.5 ounces
of dark chocolate boosts levels of HDL by between 11 and 14 percent. Once a week is enough,
stack up when on sale. Notice: (no milk chocolate), only dark chocolate, 70-95 % cocoa.
A good tip: Your heart will benefit more from a few long-term health
improvements than from a flurry of activity followed by a return to the
dangerous norm. Above are some of the tools to protect yourself. Work five of them into
your daily routine over the next month. When they become second nature, try five
more. By year's end, you will have given your heart a beating chance.
STRANGE BUT TRUE: If beating asthma with sweet potatoes sounds too good to be
true, wait till you read these 14 crazy-sounding (but
completely true) health tips!
_________________________________________________________________
14 Strange but True Health Tips
The major medical studies grab the spotlight in the media, but some of the best solutions to health problems are simple, little, and often unusual things. Check out this list to see how easy it can be to cure yourself.
Change Your Name People with "positive" initials—ones that spell out things like J.O.Y. or W.O.W.—live nearly 4 1/2 years longer than people with neutral initials. D.U.D.'s and A.S.S.'s live nearly 3 years less. Other initials that may shorten life: I.L.L. and D.E.D.
Use the First Stall After analyzing 51 public restrooms, experts found that the stall closest to the restroom door consistently had the lowest bacteria levels (and the most toilet paper!). The first stall probably sees less traffic because it's near the door and people want privacy. And when you're finished, stand before you flush. When toilets are flushed, a fine mist of water containing contagious bacteria sprays up. You can catch intestinal bugs and hepatitis from it.
Splint a Broken Arm with a Magazine To make an impromptu cast, place your wrist palm-down on top of a thick magazine. Roll the magazine into a U-shaped cradle and secure it with tape, an ace bandage, or long strips torn from a shirt. Then please remember to renew your subscription.
Accuse Others of Taking Your Keys Research suggests there's a marked difference between how younger and older people interpret misplacing their car keys. A young guy usually blames it on someone else: "Who took my damn keys?" An old man typically blames it on himself: "I must be getting old. I misplaced my keys again." Never use your age as an excuse for anything like this—and see if you don't remain younger longer. It's an effective mental trick.
Scratch the Other Limb For itchy skin under a cast, try scratching the same place on the other arm or foot. This may trick your brain into thinking you're scratching the real itch.
Break a High Fever Anything up to 102°F is mild and can be treated by drinking plenty of fluids. But to quickly bring down a reading above that, put an ice pack under your arm or near your groin. Icing either spot will cool your body's core. It's uncomfortable, but it works fast. Then see a doctor.
Keep the Willies at Bay If you get claustrophobic in small spaces such as subways, elevators, and that closet of an office they stuck you in, visit your local fruit stand. A sniff of green apple may help relieve claustrophobic sensations. Carry one with you. Also, if you're selling your house, placing a basket of fresh green apples on the table may make potential buyers perceive the house as larger.
Skip the Antibacterial Soap There's absolutely no reason to buy antibacterial soaps, according to the American Medical Association. While close to 50 percent of soaps sold in the States contain antimicrobial agents, the AMA claims there's no solid scientific proof that these soaps are better at preventing infection than regular soap. In fact, the group argues that antibacterial soaps may be doing more harm than good—by making bacteria stronger and more resistant to existing germ killers.
Straighten Your Drive Taking a long drive? Pretend someone poured a cold drink down your back—notice how your shoulders pull back and your spine curves? That's the position your back should be in when you're rolling down the highway.
Disinfect a Wound with Honey Pour a dab of honey on a cut before covering it with a bandage. Believe it or not, honey has powerful antibacterial properties. A recent study found that it was capable of destroying almost all strains of the most common wound-infecting bacteria.
Call Dr. Pepper Next time you nick yourself in the kitchen, reach for the black pepper. Run cold water over the wound to clean it, using soap if you were handling meat. Then sprinkle on the pepper and apply pressure. In no time, the bleeding will stop. Turns out, black pepper has analgesic, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties. Pepper doesn't sting, either—but don't tell that to your audience.
Shave Your 'stache and Sniff Less If you're prone to allergies and have a mustache, wash it twice a day with liquid soap. One study found that patients who did this used fewer antihistamines and decongestants. Reason: Cleaning got rid of stuck pollen grains.
Pet Away High Blood Pressure To lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, get a dog. Numerous studies show that petting a dog keeps blood pressure under control when you're stressed.
Flush Away Trouble Ever notice how satisfying it is to flush a toilet, especially if it's one of those airport monsters? Think of this next tip as a stress laxative—a bit strange, but guaranteed to be gentle and effective: Before you go to bed, put some small strips of flushable paper and a pencil in the bathroom. The following morning, take a seat and write down the names of all the people or situations in your life that are causing you angst. Then throw them in the bowl and flush. You'll be amazed at how great this feels and works.
________________________________________________________________________________
The major medical studies grab the spotlight in the media, but some of the best solutions to health problems are simple, little, and often unusual things. Check out this list to see how easy it can be to cure yourself.
Change Your Name People with "positive" initials—ones that spell out things like J.O.Y. or W.O.W.—live nearly 4 1/2 years longer than people with neutral initials. D.U.D.'s and A.S.S.'s live nearly 3 years less. Other initials that may shorten life: I.L.L. and D.E.D.
Use the First Stall After analyzing 51 public restrooms, experts found that the stall closest to the restroom door consistently had the lowest bacteria levels (and the most toilet paper!). The first stall probably sees less traffic because it's near the door and people want privacy. And when you're finished, stand before you flush. When toilets are flushed, a fine mist of water containing contagious bacteria sprays up. You can catch intestinal bugs and hepatitis from it.
Splint a Broken Arm with a Magazine To make an impromptu cast, place your wrist palm-down on top of a thick magazine. Roll the magazine into a U-shaped cradle and secure it with tape, an ace bandage, or long strips torn from a shirt. Then please remember to renew your subscription.
Accuse Others of Taking Your Keys Research suggests there's a marked difference between how younger and older people interpret misplacing their car keys. A young guy usually blames it on someone else: "Who took my damn keys?" An old man typically blames it on himself: "I must be getting old. I misplaced my keys again." Never use your age as an excuse for anything like this—and see if you don't remain younger longer. It's an effective mental trick.
Scratch the Other Limb For itchy skin under a cast, try scratching the same place on the other arm or foot. This may trick your brain into thinking you're scratching the real itch.
Break a High Fever Anything up to 102°F is mild and can be treated by drinking plenty of fluids. But to quickly bring down a reading above that, put an ice pack under your arm or near your groin. Icing either spot will cool your body's core. It's uncomfortable, but it works fast. Then see a doctor.
Keep the Willies at Bay If you get claustrophobic in small spaces such as subways, elevators, and that closet of an office they stuck you in, visit your local fruit stand. A sniff of green apple may help relieve claustrophobic sensations. Carry one with you. Also, if you're selling your house, placing a basket of fresh green apples on the table may make potential buyers perceive the house as larger.
Skip the Antibacterial Soap There's absolutely no reason to buy antibacterial soaps, according to the American Medical Association. While close to 50 percent of soaps sold in the States contain antimicrobial agents, the AMA claims there's no solid scientific proof that these soaps are better at preventing infection than regular soap. In fact, the group argues that antibacterial soaps may be doing more harm than good—by making bacteria stronger and more resistant to existing germ killers.
Straighten Your Drive Taking a long drive? Pretend someone poured a cold drink down your back—notice how your shoulders pull back and your spine curves? That's the position your back should be in when you're rolling down the highway.
Disinfect a Wound with Honey Pour a dab of honey on a cut before covering it with a bandage. Believe it or not, honey has powerful antibacterial properties. A recent study found that it was capable of destroying almost all strains of the most common wound-infecting bacteria.
Call Dr. Pepper Next time you nick yourself in the kitchen, reach for the black pepper. Run cold water over the wound to clean it, using soap if you were handling meat. Then sprinkle on the pepper and apply pressure. In no time, the bleeding will stop. Turns out, black pepper has analgesic, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties. Pepper doesn't sting, either—but don't tell that to your audience.
Shave Your 'stache and Sniff Less If you're prone to allergies and have a mustache, wash it twice a day with liquid soap. One study found that patients who did this used fewer antihistamines and decongestants. Reason: Cleaning got rid of stuck pollen grains.
Pet Away High Blood Pressure To lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, get a dog. Numerous studies show that petting a dog keeps blood pressure under control when you're stressed.
Flush Away Trouble Ever notice how satisfying it is to flush a toilet, especially if it's one of those airport monsters? Think of this next tip as a stress laxative—a bit strange, but guaranteed to be gentle and effective: Before you go to bed, put some small strips of flushable paper and a pencil in the bathroom. The following morning, take a seat and write down the names of all the people or situations in your life that are causing you angst. Then throw them in the bowl and flush. You'll be amazed at how great this feels and works.
________________________________________________________________________________
April 15, 2012 The New York Times
This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only
U.S. Tightens Rules on Antibiotics Use for Livestock
By GARDINER HARRIS
Farmers and ranchers will for the first time need a prescription from a veterinarian before using antibiotics in farm animals, in hopes that more judicious use of the drugs will reduce the tens of thousands of human deaths that result each year from the drugs’ overuse.
The Food and Drug Administration announced the new rule Wednesday after trying for more than 35 years to stop farmers and ranchers from feeding antibiotics to cattle, pigs, chickens and other animals simply to help the animals grow larger. Using small amounts of antibiotics over long periods of time leads to the growth of bacteria that are resistant to the drugs’ effects, endangering humans who become infected but cannot be treated with routine antibiotic therapy.
At least two million people are sickened and an estimated 99,000 die every year from hospital-acquired infections, the majority of which result from such resistant strains. It is unknown how many of these illnesses and deaths result from agricultural uses of antibiotics, but about 80 percent of antibiotics sold in the United States are used in animals.
Michael Taylor, the F.D.A.’s deputy commissioner for food, predicted that the new restrictions would save lives because farmers would have to convince a veterinarian that their animals were either sick or at risk of getting a specific illness. Just using the drugs for growth will be disallowed and, it is hoped, this will cut their use sharply. The new requirements will also make obtaining antibiotics more cumbersome and expensive.
“We’re confident that it will result in significant reductions in agricultural antibiotic use,” Mr. Taylor said. “That’s why we’re doing this.”
Just how broadly farmers use antibiotics simply to promote animal growth is unknown. About 80 percent of antibiotics used on farms are given through feed, and an additional 17 percent are given in water. Just 3 percent are given by injection.
The F.D.A. believes that veterinarians will be far less likely to endorse indiscriminate drug uses. While doctors have the power to use drugs in ways not approved by the F.D.A., veterinarians are allowed to give a prescription for antibiotics in feed and water only if such uses are approved by the F.D.A.
Dr. Christine Hoang of the American Veterinary Medical Association said that her organization supported the new rules, although she said that some remote or small farmers might have trouble abiding by the rules since there are fewer than 10,000 large-animal veterinarians in the United States.
Antibiotics were the wonder drugs of the 20th century, and their initial uses in humans and animals were indiscriminate, experts say. Farmers were impressed that antibiotics led to rapid animal growth and began to add the drugs to feed and water, with no prescriptions or sign of sickness in the animals.
By the 1970s, public health officials had become worried that overuse was leading to the development of infections resistant to treatment in humans. In 1977, the F.D.A. announced that it would begin banning some agricultural uses. But the House and Senate appropriations committees — dominated by agricultural interests — passed resolutions against the ban, and the agency retreated. In the years since, the issue of antibiotic overuse in animals and drug resistance has become one of the leading public health concerns worldwide. Those concerns have over recent years even convinced some in the agricultural community that action was needed.
The new rules generated mixed reactions from both public health advocates and agricultural trade associations. Laura Rogers of the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming called the new rules “the most sweeping action the agency has undertaken in this area,” while Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest criticized them as “tragically flawed” because they relied too much on voluntary industry efforts.
The Animal Health Institute, an association of animal drug makers, welcomed the new rules. But R. C. Hunt, president of the National Pork Producers Council, said that small farmers and ranchers would have a hard time following the new rules, which “could eliminate antibiotics uses that are extremely important to the health of animals.”
Initially, the F.D.A. is asking drug makers to voluntarily change their labels to require a prescription; federal officials said that drug makers had largely agreed to the change. If some fail to impose the restrictions, the agency will consider a more forceful ban, Mr. Taylor said.
The reason for the reliance on voluntary efforts is that the F.D.A.’s process for revoking approved drug uses is lengthy and cumbersome, officials said. The last time the F.D.A. banned an agricultural use of a medically important antibiotic against the wishes of its maker, legal appeals took five years. In this case, hundreds of drugs are involved, each with myriad approved uses in various animals.
“You and I and our children would be long dead before F.D.A. could restrict all of these uses on its own,” Ms. Rogers said.
Last month, Judge Theodore H. Katz of the Southern District of New York ordered the F.D.A. to begin the process to ban indiscriminate agricultural uses of penicillin and tetracycline because of dangers to human health. The agency hopes that the rules it announced Wednesday achieve the same result.
This year, the Obama administration announced restrictions on agricultural uses of cephalosporins, a critical class of antibiotics that includes drugs like Cefzil and Keflex, which are commonly used to treat pneumonia and strep throat.
For most drug makers, there are compelling reasons to cooperate. Many of the companies manufacture both animal and human drugs but earn the vast majority of their profits in the human sphere. Any company seen to undermine human health could earn doctors’ disapproval and potentially hurt their most important business.
But Ms. DeWaal of the science center said that she believed the industry would not follow through on its promises but would instead await the next election in hopes of an administration friendlier to its interests. She condemned the F.D.A. for failing to restrict these drug uses outright. “The agency is afraid to use its authority,” she said.
__________________________________________________
This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only
U.S. Tightens Rules on Antibiotics Use for Livestock
By GARDINER HARRIS
Farmers and ranchers will for the first time need a prescription from a veterinarian before using antibiotics in farm animals, in hopes that more judicious use of the drugs will reduce the tens of thousands of human deaths that result each year from the drugs’ overuse.
The Food and Drug Administration announced the new rule Wednesday after trying for more than 35 years to stop farmers and ranchers from feeding antibiotics to cattle, pigs, chickens and other animals simply to help the animals grow larger. Using small amounts of antibiotics over long periods of time leads to the growth of bacteria that are resistant to the drugs’ effects, endangering humans who become infected but cannot be treated with routine antibiotic therapy.
At least two million people are sickened and an estimated 99,000 die every year from hospital-acquired infections, the majority of which result from such resistant strains. It is unknown how many of these illnesses and deaths result from agricultural uses of antibiotics, but about 80 percent of antibiotics sold in the United States are used in animals.
Michael Taylor, the F.D.A.’s deputy commissioner for food, predicted that the new restrictions would save lives because farmers would have to convince a veterinarian that their animals were either sick or at risk of getting a specific illness. Just using the drugs for growth will be disallowed and, it is hoped, this will cut their use sharply. The new requirements will also make obtaining antibiotics more cumbersome and expensive.
“We’re confident that it will result in significant reductions in agricultural antibiotic use,” Mr. Taylor said. “That’s why we’re doing this.”
Just how broadly farmers use antibiotics simply to promote animal growth is unknown. About 80 percent of antibiotics used on farms are given through feed, and an additional 17 percent are given in water. Just 3 percent are given by injection.
The F.D.A. believes that veterinarians will be far less likely to endorse indiscriminate drug uses. While doctors have the power to use drugs in ways not approved by the F.D.A., veterinarians are allowed to give a prescription for antibiotics in feed and water only if such uses are approved by the F.D.A.
Dr. Christine Hoang of the American Veterinary Medical Association said that her organization supported the new rules, although she said that some remote or small farmers might have trouble abiding by the rules since there are fewer than 10,000 large-animal veterinarians in the United States.
Antibiotics were the wonder drugs of the 20th century, and their initial uses in humans and animals were indiscriminate, experts say. Farmers were impressed that antibiotics led to rapid animal growth and began to add the drugs to feed and water, with no prescriptions or sign of sickness in the animals.
By the 1970s, public health officials had become worried that overuse was leading to the development of infections resistant to treatment in humans. In 1977, the F.D.A. announced that it would begin banning some agricultural uses. But the House and Senate appropriations committees — dominated by agricultural interests — passed resolutions against the ban, and the agency retreated. In the years since, the issue of antibiotic overuse in animals and drug resistance has become one of the leading public health concerns worldwide. Those concerns have over recent years even convinced some in the agricultural community that action was needed.
The new rules generated mixed reactions from both public health advocates and agricultural trade associations. Laura Rogers of the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming called the new rules “the most sweeping action the agency has undertaken in this area,” while Caroline Smith DeWaal of the Center for Science in the Public Interest criticized them as “tragically flawed” because they relied too much on voluntary industry efforts.
The Animal Health Institute, an association of animal drug makers, welcomed the new rules. But R. C. Hunt, president of the National Pork Producers Council, said that small farmers and ranchers would have a hard time following the new rules, which “could eliminate antibiotics uses that are extremely important to the health of animals.”
Initially, the F.D.A. is asking drug makers to voluntarily change their labels to require a prescription; federal officials said that drug makers had largely agreed to the change. If some fail to impose the restrictions, the agency will consider a more forceful ban, Mr. Taylor said.
The reason for the reliance on voluntary efforts is that the F.D.A.’s process for revoking approved drug uses is lengthy and cumbersome, officials said. The last time the F.D.A. banned an agricultural use of a medically important antibiotic against the wishes of its maker, legal appeals took five years. In this case, hundreds of drugs are involved, each with myriad approved uses in various animals.
“You and I and our children would be long dead before F.D.A. could restrict all of these uses on its own,” Ms. Rogers said.
Last month, Judge Theodore H. Katz of the Southern District of New York ordered the F.D.A. to begin the process to ban indiscriminate agricultural uses of penicillin and tetracycline because of dangers to human health. The agency hopes that the rules it announced Wednesday achieve the same result.
This year, the Obama administration announced restrictions on agricultural uses of cephalosporins, a critical class of antibiotics that includes drugs like Cefzil and Keflex, which are commonly used to treat pneumonia and strep throat.
For most drug makers, there are compelling reasons to cooperate. Many of the companies manufacture both animal and human drugs but earn the vast majority of their profits in the human sphere. Any company seen to undermine human health could earn doctors’ disapproval and potentially hurt their most important business.
But Ms. DeWaal of the science center said that she believed the industry would not follow through on its promises but would instead await the next election in hopes of an administration friendlier to its interests. She condemned the F.D.A. for failing to restrict these drug uses outright. “The agency is afraid to use its authority,” she said.
__________________________________________________
Bedbugs are one souvenir you don't want to bring home
MORE AT SMARTER TRAVEL
The National Pest Management Association's Vice President of Public Affairs, Missy Henriksen, shares the following tips for avoiding these pests while traveling.
Check Your Room. If you don't want to let the bedbugs bite, thoroughly inspect your room for signs of infestation. Henriksen advises placing your luggage in the bathroom when you first arrive in your hotel room, because there's no place for bedbugs to hide in most bathrooms. Next, says Henriksen, "Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams, particularly at the corners, for pepper-like stains or spots or even the bugs themselves. Adult bedbugs resemble a flat apple seed." Also look behind the headboard, inside chair and couch cushions, behind picture frames, and around electrical outlets. If you see anything suspicious, notify management and change rooms (or better yet, establishments) immediately.
Request A Different Room. If you do have to change rooms, don't move to a room adjacent to or directly above or below the site of the bedbug infestation. "Bedbugs can easily hitchhike via housekeeping carts and luggage or even through wall sockets," notes Henriksen. "If an infestation is spreading, it typically does so in the rooms closest to the origin."
Cover Your Bags. Even if you don't see any signs of bedbugs, you should still take precautions. Never place luggage on a hotel bed or floor. Use luggage racks if available, and place your suitcase in a protective cover. Even a plastic trash bag will suffice.
Keep Everything Off the Floor. Despite the name, bedbugs lurk in many spots, not just where you sleep. Always be vigilant when you travel. Avoid putting your personal belongings on the floor of an airplane, bus, train, or taxi. Keep your small bag or purse on your lap at all times, and seal your bigger bags inside plastic or protective covers before checking or storing them in overhead bins.
Treat Your Luggage and Clothes After Travel.
"The best way to prevent bedbugs is to remain vigilant both during travel and once you return home," says Henriksen. The National Pest Management Association offers the following checklist to make sure you leave the bedbugs behind:
• Inspect your suitcases before bringing them into the house, and vacuum all luggage before storing it.
• Consider using a handheld garment steamer to steam your luggage; this can kill any bedbugs or eggs that might have hitched a ride home.
• Immediately wash and dry all of your clothes—even those that have not been worn—in hot temperatures to ensure that any stowaway bedbugs are not transported into your drawers or closet.
• Keep clothes that must be dry-cleaned in a plastic bag and take them to the dry cleaner as soon as possible.
• If you suspect a bedbug infestation in your home, contact a licensed pest professional promptly. Bedbugs are not a DIY pest, and the longer you wait, the larger the infestation will grow. A trained professional has the tools and knowledge to effectively treat your infestation.
____________________________
MORE AT SMARTER TRAVEL
- » Packing Tips So Crazy They Just Might Work
- » Bedbugs: Something Special in the Sky?
- » 10 Things You Should Never Pack in Your Checked Bag
The National Pest Management Association's Vice President of Public Affairs, Missy Henriksen, shares the following tips for avoiding these pests while traveling.
Check Your Room. If you don't want to let the bedbugs bite, thoroughly inspect your room for signs of infestation. Henriksen advises placing your luggage in the bathroom when you first arrive in your hotel room, because there's no place for bedbugs to hide in most bathrooms. Next, says Henriksen, "Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams, particularly at the corners, for pepper-like stains or spots or even the bugs themselves. Adult bedbugs resemble a flat apple seed." Also look behind the headboard, inside chair and couch cushions, behind picture frames, and around electrical outlets. If you see anything suspicious, notify management and change rooms (or better yet, establishments) immediately.
Request A Different Room. If you do have to change rooms, don't move to a room adjacent to or directly above or below the site of the bedbug infestation. "Bedbugs can easily hitchhike via housekeeping carts and luggage or even through wall sockets," notes Henriksen. "If an infestation is spreading, it typically does so in the rooms closest to the origin."
Cover Your Bags. Even if you don't see any signs of bedbugs, you should still take precautions. Never place luggage on a hotel bed or floor. Use luggage racks if available, and place your suitcase in a protective cover. Even a plastic trash bag will suffice.
Keep Everything Off the Floor. Despite the name, bedbugs lurk in many spots, not just where you sleep. Always be vigilant when you travel. Avoid putting your personal belongings on the floor of an airplane, bus, train, or taxi. Keep your small bag or purse on your lap at all times, and seal your bigger bags inside plastic or protective covers before checking or storing them in overhead bins.
Treat Your Luggage and Clothes After Travel.
"The best way to prevent bedbugs is to remain vigilant both during travel and once you return home," says Henriksen. The National Pest Management Association offers the following checklist to make sure you leave the bedbugs behind:
• Inspect your suitcases before bringing them into the house, and vacuum all luggage before storing it.
• Consider using a handheld garment steamer to steam your luggage; this can kill any bedbugs or eggs that might have hitched a ride home.
• Immediately wash and dry all of your clothes—even those that have not been worn—in hot temperatures to ensure that any stowaway bedbugs are not transported into your drawers or closet.
• Keep clothes that must be dry-cleaned in a plastic bag and take them to the dry cleaner as soon as possible.
• If you suspect a bedbug infestation in your home, contact a licensed pest professional promptly. Bedbugs are not a DIY pest, and the longer you wait, the larger the infestation will grow. A trained professional has the tools and knowledge to effectively treat your infestation.
____________________________
April 15, 2012 The New York Times
This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only
Why Medical Bills Are a Mystery
By ROBERT S. KAPLAN and MICHAEL E. PORTER
Robert S. Kaplan and Michael E. Porter are professors of accounting and strategy, respectively, at Harvard Business School.
RISING health care costs are busting the federal budget as well as those of states, counties and municipalities. Policy makers and health care leaders have spent decades trying to figure out what to do about this.
Yet their solutions are failing because of a fundamental and largely unrecognized problem: We don’t know what it costs to deliver health care to individual patients, much less how those costs compare to the outcomes achieved.
When insurance companies or government bodies try to control costs, they usually make across-the-board reimbursement cuts that ultimately are unsustainable because they have no connection to the true costs of delivering care. Providers themselves do not measure their costs correctly. They assign costs to patients based on what they charge, not on the actual costs of the resources, like personnel and equipment, used to care for the patient. The result is that attempts to cut costs fail, and total health care costs just keep rising.
Regardless of what decision the Supreme Court reaches on the legality of the Affordable Care Act, measuring outcomes and costs is indispensable to driving improvements.
Because health care charges and reimbursements have become disconnected from actual costs, some procedures are reimbursed very generously, while others are priced below their actual cost or not reimbursed at all. This leads many providers to expand into well-reimbursed procedures, like knee and hip replacements or high-end imaging, producing huge excess capacity for these at the same time that shortages persist in poorly reimbursed but critical services like primary and preventive care.
The lack of cost and outcome information also prevents the forces of competition from working: Hospitals and doctors are reimbursed for performing lots of procedures and tests regardless of whether they are necessary to make their patients get better. Providers who excel and achieve better outcomes with fewer visits, procedures and complications are penalized by being paid less.
Our research and executive workshops show that many sites are already improving their measurements of patient outcomes. But they have done little to measure the actual costs of achieving those outcomes. We are currently working with several health care organizations, including MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Children’s Hospital Boston, Partners Healthcare in Boston and Schön Klinik in Germany, that are beginning to figure out how to measure costs. They use teams of clinicians and administrators to identify all the processes involved in care, from a patient’s first contact with a health care provider through his or her inpatient stay and outpatient follow-up care. The teams then identify the quantity and unit cost of each resource — clinical staff, equipment, supplies, devices and administrative support — used in each process and add these together to learn the total cost of a patient’s care.
The information helps them discover immediate and significant opportunities for improvements in care and reduced spending. MD Anderson, for example, has studied its evaluation process for new head and neck cancer patients. By substituting trained staff members for physicians, standardizing processes and improving information technology, it has been able to make care more efficient without any adverse effect on patient outcomes. It has made changes that reduced total costs by 36 percent, and freed employees to serve more patients without adding to costs.
A surgeon repairing cleft palates at Children’s Hospital Boston discovered that 40 percent of the total cost of an 18-month-care process was due to the time a child spent in the intensive care unit before and after surgery. By using a far less intensively staffed and equipped observation room, the hospital could achieve equivalent quality and safety at much lower costs.
Most health care providers have hundreds of these opportunities to use time, equipment and facilities more intelligently. These opportunities have been obscured by existing costing systems that have little connection to the processes actually performed.
With accurate information on outcomes and costs, providers can improve care and save money by eliminating things that don’t help the patient, like multiple check-ins and medical histories, tests that provide little new information and long waiting times. Many routine tasks are performed today by highly trained doctors and nurses. These tasks can be shifted to others, freeing the most skilled clinicians for far more productive work.
Health care providers with expensive and poorly utilized equipment, space and staff can see the benefits of consolidating services to improve utilization and reduce some existing capacity. They can also perform routine services in lower-cost locations, reserving expensive medical centers for complex care.
These opportunities will allow the health care needs of an aging population to be met with little need to increase spending. Understanding costs could be the single most powerful lever to transform the value of health care. This would give payers and providers the data they need to improve patient care, and to stop arbitrary cuts and counterproductive cost shifting.
Robert S. Kaplan and Michael E. Porter are professors of accounting and strategy, respectively, at Harvard Business School.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only
Why Medical Bills Are a Mystery
By ROBERT S. KAPLAN and MICHAEL E. PORTER
Robert S. Kaplan and Michael E. Porter are professors of accounting and strategy, respectively, at Harvard Business School.
RISING health care costs are busting the federal budget as well as those of states, counties and municipalities. Policy makers and health care leaders have spent decades trying to figure out what to do about this.
Yet their solutions are failing because of a fundamental and largely unrecognized problem: We don’t know what it costs to deliver health care to individual patients, much less how those costs compare to the outcomes achieved.
When insurance companies or government bodies try to control costs, they usually make across-the-board reimbursement cuts that ultimately are unsustainable because they have no connection to the true costs of delivering care. Providers themselves do not measure their costs correctly. They assign costs to patients based on what they charge, not on the actual costs of the resources, like personnel and equipment, used to care for the patient. The result is that attempts to cut costs fail, and total health care costs just keep rising.
Regardless of what decision the Supreme Court reaches on the legality of the Affordable Care Act, measuring outcomes and costs is indispensable to driving improvements.
Because health care charges and reimbursements have become disconnected from actual costs, some procedures are reimbursed very generously, while others are priced below their actual cost or not reimbursed at all. This leads many providers to expand into well-reimbursed procedures, like knee and hip replacements or high-end imaging, producing huge excess capacity for these at the same time that shortages persist in poorly reimbursed but critical services like primary and preventive care.
The lack of cost and outcome information also prevents the forces of competition from working: Hospitals and doctors are reimbursed for performing lots of procedures and tests regardless of whether they are necessary to make their patients get better. Providers who excel and achieve better outcomes with fewer visits, procedures and complications are penalized by being paid less.
Our research and executive workshops show that many sites are already improving their measurements of patient outcomes. But they have done little to measure the actual costs of achieving those outcomes. We are currently working with several health care organizations, including MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Children’s Hospital Boston, Partners Healthcare in Boston and Schön Klinik in Germany, that are beginning to figure out how to measure costs. They use teams of clinicians and administrators to identify all the processes involved in care, from a patient’s first contact with a health care provider through his or her inpatient stay and outpatient follow-up care. The teams then identify the quantity and unit cost of each resource — clinical staff, equipment, supplies, devices and administrative support — used in each process and add these together to learn the total cost of a patient’s care.
The information helps them discover immediate and significant opportunities for improvements in care and reduced spending. MD Anderson, for example, has studied its evaluation process for new head and neck cancer patients. By substituting trained staff members for physicians, standardizing processes and improving information technology, it has been able to make care more efficient without any adverse effect on patient outcomes. It has made changes that reduced total costs by 36 percent, and freed employees to serve more patients without adding to costs.
A surgeon repairing cleft palates at Children’s Hospital Boston discovered that 40 percent of the total cost of an 18-month-care process was due to the time a child spent in the intensive care unit before and after surgery. By using a far less intensively staffed and equipped observation room, the hospital could achieve equivalent quality and safety at much lower costs.
Most health care providers have hundreds of these opportunities to use time, equipment and facilities more intelligently. These opportunities have been obscured by existing costing systems that have little connection to the processes actually performed.
With accurate information on outcomes and costs, providers can improve care and save money by eliminating things that don’t help the patient, like multiple check-ins and medical histories, tests that provide little new information and long waiting times. Many routine tasks are performed today by highly trained doctors and nurses. These tasks can be shifted to others, freeing the most skilled clinicians for far more productive work.
Health care providers with expensive and poorly utilized equipment, space and staff can see the benefits of consolidating services to improve utilization and reduce some existing capacity. They can also perform routine services in lower-cost locations, reserving expensive medical centers for complex care.
These opportunities will allow the health care needs of an aging population to be met with little need to increase spending. Understanding costs could be the single most powerful lever to transform the value of health care. This would give payers and providers the data they need to improve patient care, and to stop arbitrary cuts and counterproductive cost shifting.
Robert S. Kaplan and Michael E. Porter are professors of accounting and strategy, respectively, at Harvard Business School.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
April 15, 2012
The New York Times
This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only
Is an Egg for Breakfast Worth This?
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Supermarket eggs gleam with apparent cleanliness, and nothing might seem more wholesome than breaking one of them into a frying pan.
Think again. The Humane Society of the United States plans to release on Thursday the results of an undercover investigation into Kreider Farms, a major factory farm that produces 4.5 million eggs each day for supermarkets like ShopRite.
I’ve reviewed footage and photos taken by the investigator, who says he worked for Kreider between January and March of this year. In an interview, he portrayed an operation that has little concern for cleanliness or the welfare of hens.
“It’s physically hard to breathe because of the ammonia” rising from manure pits below older barns, said the investigator, who would not allow his name to be used because that would prevent him from taking another undercover job in agriculture. He said that when workers needed to enter an older barn, they would first open doors and rev up exhaust fans, and then rush in to do their chores before the fumes became overwhelming.
Mice sometimes ran down egg conveyer belts, barns were thick with flies and manure in three barns tested positive for salmonella, he said. (Actually, salmonella isn’t as rare as you might think, turning up in 3 percent of egg factory farms tested by the Food and Drug Administration last year.)
In some cases, 11 hens were jammed into a cage about 2 feet by 2 feet. The Humane Society says that that is even more cramped than the egg industry’s own voluntary standards — which have been widely criticized as inadequate.
An automatic feeding cart that runs between the cages sometimes decapitates hens as they’re eating, the investigator said. Corpses are pulled out if they’re easy to see, but sometimes remain for weeks in the cages, piling up until they have rotted into the wiring, he added.
Other hens have their heads stuck in the wire and are usually left to die, the investigator said.
“These allegations by the Humane Society are a gross distortion of Kreider Farms, our employees and the way we care for birds,” Ron Kreider, the president of Kreider Farms, told me in a statement. He acknowledged that three barns had tested positive for salmonella but said that consumers were never endangered.
“The reality of food processing can be off-putting to those not familiar with animal agriculture,” added Kreider, the third-generation family leader of the company. “When dealing with millions of birds, there is always a small percentage of dead birds. Older-style chicken houses will inherently contain a level of fly and rodent activity.” Kreider added that his company was leading the industry in replacing old barns with state-of-the-art ones.
Like many readers, I don’t particularly empathize with chickens. It’s their misfortune that they lack big eyes.
As a farmboy from Yamhill, Ore., I found our pigs to be razor smart, while our geese mated for life and our sheep and cattle had distinct personalities. The chickens were the least individualistic of the animals we raised. (I’ll get letters from indignant chicken-lovers, I know!)
Industrial operations like Kreider are dazzlingly efficient at producing cheap eggs, so they save consumers money. Still, I flinch at a system in which hens are reduced to widgets. Many of us do, which is why Burger King, Denny’s, Quiznos and Hardee’s have started buying more cage-free eggs.
Last year, the main egg industry trade association, United Egg Producers, joined with the Humane Society of the United States in an agreement to support new federal standards that would provide more space for hens. That was a landmark: farmers and animal protection activists agreeing on a way forward.
But Kreider Farms is not a member of United Egg Producers, and some industry outliers and cattle and hog farmers are trying to kill the deal. They fear a precedent of federal concern for animal welfare, so the legislation faces strong resistance.
For those who are wavering, think for a moment about the arc of empathy. Centuries ago, we humans amused ourselves by seeing other people executed or tortured. Until modern times, we considered it sport to see animals die horrible deaths. Now our sensibilities have evolved so that there is an outcry when animals are abused — unless it happens out of sight on farms.
The police would stop wayward boys who were torturing a stray dog, so should we allow industrialists to abuse millions of hens? Shouldn’t we agree on minimum standards?
Granted, it is not easy to settle on what constitutes cruelty to animals. But cramming 11 hens for most of their lives into a cage the size of an oven seems to cross a line.
Somehow, fried eggs don’t taste so good if you imagine the fetid barn in which they were laid.
I invite you to visit my blog, On the Ground. Please also join me on Facebook and Google+, watch my YouTube videos and follow me on Twitter.
______________________________________
The New York Times
This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only
Is an Egg for Breakfast Worth This?
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Supermarket eggs gleam with apparent cleanliness, and nothing might seem more wholesome than breaking one of them into a frying pan.
Think again. The Humane Society of the United States plans to release on Thursday the results of an undercover investigation into Kreider Farms, a major factory farm that produces 4.5 million eggs each day for supermarkets like ShopRite.
I’ve reviewed footage and photos taken by the investigator, who says he worked for Kreider between January and March of this year. In an interview, he portrayed an operation that has little concern for cleanliness or the welfare of hens.
“It’s physically hard to breathe because of the ammonia” rising from manure pits below older barns, said the investigator, who would not allow his name to be used because that would prevent him from taking another undercover job in agriculture. He said that when workers needed to enter an older barn, they would first open doors and rev up exhaust fans, and then rush in to do their chores before the fumes became overwhelming.
Mice sometimes ran down egg conveyer belts, barns were thick with flies and manure in three barns tested positive for salmonella, he said. (Actually, salmonella isn’t as rare as you might think, turning up in 3 percent of egg factory farms tested by the Food and Drug Administration last year.)
In some cases, 11 hens were jammed into a cage about 2 feet by 2 feet. The Humane Society says that that is even more cramped than the egg industry’s own voluntary standards — which have been widely criticized as inadequate.
An automatic feeding cart that runs between the cages sometimes decapitates hens as they’re eating, the investigator said. Corpses are pulled out if they’re easy to see, but sometimes remain for weeks in the cages, piling up until they have rotted into the wiring, he added.
Other hens have their heads stuck in the wire and are usually left to die, the investigator said.
“These allegations by the Humane Society are a gross distortion of Kreider Farms, our employees and the way we care for birds,” Ron Kreider, the president of Kreider Farms, told me in a statement. He acknowledged that three barns had tested positive for salmonella but said that consumers were never endangered.
“The reality of food processing can be off-putting to those not familiar with animal agriculture,” added Kreider, the third-generation family leader of the company. “When dealing with millions of birds, there is always a small percentage of dead birds. Older-style chicken houses will inherently contain a level of fly and rodent activity.” Kreider added that his company was leading the industry in replacing old barns with state-of-the-art ones.
Like many readers, I don’t particularly empathize with chickens. It’s their misfortune that they lack big eyes.
As a farmboy from Yamhill, Ore., I found our pigs to be razor smart, while our geese mated for life and our sheep and cattle had distinct personalities. The chickens were the least individualistic of the animals we raised. (I’ll get letters from indignant chicken-lovers, I know!)
Industrial operations like Kreider are dazzlingly efficient at producing cheap eggs, so they save consumers money. Still, I flinch at a system in which hens are reduced to widgets. Many of us do, which is why Burger King, Denny’s, Quiznos and Hardee’s have started buying more cage-free eggs.
Last year, the main egg industry trade association, United Egg Producers, joined with the Humane Society of the United States in an agreement to support new federal standards that would provide more space for hens. That was a landmark: farmers and animal protection activists agreeing on a way forward.
But Kreider Farms is not a member of United Egg Producers, and some industry outliers and cattle and hog farmers are trying to kill the deal. They fear a precedent of federal concern for animal welfare, so the legislation faces strong resistance.
For those who are wavering, think for a moment about the arc of empathy. Centuries ago, we humans amused ourselves by seeing other people executed or tortured. Until modern times, we considered it sport to see animals die horrible deaths. Now our sensibilities have evolved so that there is an outcry when animals are abused — unless it happens out of sight on farms.
The police would stop wayward boys who were torturing a stray dog, so should we allow industrialists to abuse millions of hens? Shouldn’t we agree on minimum standards?
Granted, it is not easy to settle on what constitutes cruelty to animals. But cramming 11 hens for most of their lives into a cage the size of an oven seems to cross a line.
Somehow, fried eggs don’t taste so good if you imagine the fetid barn in which they were laid.
I invite you to visit my blog, On the Ground. Please also join me on Facebook and Google+, watch my YouTube videos and follow me on Twitter.
______________________________________
This article reminds us all of the potential danger when an innocent small wound can lead to a deadly sickness.
It is important to clean every wound to avoid potentially deadly bacteria.
Flesh Eating Disease Survivor Aimee Copeland Goes Home
Aimee Copeland, the 24-year-old who lost both hands, her left leg and her right foot when she contracted a flesh-eating bacteria in April, slept in her own bed last night for the first time in months.
After spending 51 days at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for rehabilitation, Copeland was discharged Wednesday, a spokesman for center told ABCNews.com.
"She was a delightful and very strong young lady, and she worked very hard while she was here," said Larry Bowie, a spokesman for the center. "We wish her all the best, and we know she's going to go on to do very great things."
Bowie said Copeland made a lot of friends at the Shepherd Center. He said patients always get graduation ceremonies before they are discharged, and called Copeland's "wonderful" and "very emotional" for everyone.
"She's looking forward to the next chapter," he said.
Copeland cut open her leg falling from a zip line near the Tallapoosa River nearly four months ago, allowing a deadly bacterium to enter her body. After being in and out of the emergency room with a painful wound that wouldn't heal, doctors realized she had necrotizing fasciitis and amputated her leg from the hip.
Copeland's recovery was touch and go. When she lost her pulse, doctors had to resuscitate her with CPR. Fearing the bacteria would spread to her blood, doctors amputated Copeland's hands and her remaining foot.
She was released from the hospital in early July, and went to the Shepherd Center. Copeland's father, Andy, blogged about the grueling workout routine designed to help her maneuver in and out of her wheelchair.
"During each of her physical therapy sessions, Aimee does two hundred crunches in seven minutes. Every ten crunches, Aimee is required to say a complete sentence with each repetition," Andy wrote on the blog last month. "How many of you can do two hundred crunches in seven minutes?"
Proud of his daughter, he said in another post that it was like she was training for the Olympics.
When Copeland returned to her Snellville home last night, it was renovated to include a 2,000-square-foot wing just for her. Pulte Homes and its 50 trade partners build the space, which includes a workout room and an elevator. The project cost about $200,000 to complete and took 25 days.
___________________________________
It is important to clean every wound to avoid potentially deadly bacteria.
Flesh Eating Disease Survivor Aimee Copeland Goes Home
Aimee Copeland, the 24-year-old who lost both hands, her left leg and her right foot when she contracted a flesh-eating bacteria in April, slept in her own bed last night for the first time in months.
After spending 51 days at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta for rehabilitation, Copeland was discharged Wednesday, a spokesman for center told ABCNews.com.
"She was a delightful and very strong young lady, and she worked very hard while she was here," said Larry Bowie, a spokesman for the center. "We wish her all the best, and we know she's going to go on to do very great things."
Bowie said Copeland made a lot of friends at the Shepherd Center. He said patients always get graduation ceremonies before they are discharged, and called Copeland's "wonderful" and "very emotional" for everyone.
"She's looking forward to the next chapter," he said.
Copeland cut open her leg falling from a zip line near the Tallapoosa River nearly four months ago, allowing a deadly bacterium to enter her body. After being in and out of the emergency room with a painful wound that wouldn't heal, doctors realized she had necrotizing fasciitis and amputated her leg from the hip.
Copeland's recovery was touch and go. When she lost her pulse, doctors had to resuscitate her with CPR. Fearing the bacteria would spread to her blood, doctors amputated Copeland's hands and her remaining foot.
She was released from the hospital in early July, and went to the Shepherd Center. Copeland's father, Andy, blogged about the grueling workout routine designed to help her maneuver in and out of her wheelchair.
"During each of her physical therapy sessions, Aimee does two hundred crunches in seven minutes. Every ten crunches, Aimee is required to say a complete sentence with each repetition," Andy wrote on the blog last month. "How many of you can do two hundred crunches in seven minutes?"
Proud of his daughter, he said in another post that it was like she was training for the Olympics.
When Copeland returned to her Snellville home last night, it was renovated to include a 2,000-square-foot wing just for her. Pulte Homes and its 50 trade partners build the space, which includes a workout room and an elevator. The project cost about $200,000 to complete and took 25 days.
___________________________________
Good information - in the scale of 0 - 10 STAF, Inc. puts a number 8-1/2
Eating Chocolate Linked With Lower Stroke Risk
* This is the first of its kind study to find that chocolate may be beneficial for reducing stroke in men
Consuming about one-third of a cup (= about 63 grams) of chocolate per week may reduce the risk of stroke in men, according to new Swedish research.
Over 35,000 Swedish men aged between 49 and 75 took part in the study.
They completed a questionnaire about their dietary habits, including how often they eat chocolate.
This data was correlated with hospital records on first stroke cases, which revealed 1,995 incidences during 10 years.
“While other studies have looked at how chocolate may help cardiovascular health, this is the first of its kind study to find that chocolate may be beneficial for reducing stroke in men,” said study author Susanna C. Larsson at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, in a press release.
The men who ate the most chocolate — 63 grams or about one-third of a cup of chocolate chips per week—had a 17 percent lower stroke risk than those who consumed no chocolate. This translates as 12 fewer strokes per 100,000 person-years, the total number of years each person was observed.
“The beneficial effect of chocolate consumption on stroke may be related to the flavonoids in chocolate,” Larsson said. “Flavonoids appear to be protective against cardiovascular disease through antioxidant, anti-clotting, and anti-inflammatory properties.”
“It’s also possible that flavonoids in chocolate may decrease blood concentrations of bad cholesterol and reduce blood pressure.”
A larger analysis of five studies that included 4,260 strokes showed a 19 percent lower risk for men who ate plenty of chocolate versus non-chocolate consumers.
Related Articles
The data showed that with every increase in chocolate consumption of 50 grams per week (about a quarter of a cup of chocolate chips), stroke risk decreased by about 14 percent.
“Interestingly, dark chocolate has previously been associated with heart health benefits, but about
90 percent of the chocolate intake in Sweden, including what was consumed during our study, is milk chocolate,” Larsson noted.
Source:
The findings were published online in the journal Neurology on Aug. 29.
By Cassie Ryan August 29, 2012In Inspiring Discoveries
_________________________________
STAF Inc.'s Comment to the chocolate article above - by Dr. Christian von Christopers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
Top information - in the scale of 0 - 10 STAF, Inc. puts a number 8+
Our concern at the STAF, Inc. is the quality of any milk chocolate in different countries worldwide.
Sweden, and all other Scandinavian countries, take high pride of producing everything on the highest possible quality level - they are also among the most expensive countries in the world.
The quality has a higher $ price. Good quality in everything provides a healthier human body.
In America and in many other areas of the world, the quality is not always the "top-item" but the "profit" is - that's the reason the U.S. is one of the sickest nations in the world among the developed countries.
The opposite is the situation in all Scandinavian countries.
We at the STAF, Inc. still believe that it is safer to eat "real" dark chocolate.
Yes: "fake dark" is marketed, too - read the labels carefully - the item title "dark" does not necessarily give a correct clue.
Dark chocolate should be over 70 % of real, pure cocoa - it is more expensive. Stack up when such a product by a reliable maker is on sale. In case you cannot always afford the "real dark", eat milk chocolate produced by a known company.
Eat the one that has the least amount of sugar and the SHORTEST list of ingredients. A long list tends to have many man-made chemicals - harmful for the human body. The more the ingredients list has word you do not understand, the bigger the reason NOT to eat/drink it - especially important with the children.
The more harmful the younger the person. E.g. our brains still develop up to the age +/- 20 - even up to 25 of years.
As an example of drug use, marijuana use affects the youngsters less than 18 years of age much more than even 1 or 2 years older youngsters- the brains are still far from their final formation at the age of 18.
The younger the marijuana user, the more the person will have memory, concentration, logical thinking, learning, and other mental challenges potentially during the rest of the person's life. The same is with any other drug use.
I am using the marijuana as an example because most youngster commonly (but wrongly) believe that marijuana use is safe.
It is NOT safe to anyone, no matter what age - the negative effects are the greater the younger the user.
______________________________________________
Eating Chocolate Linked With Lower Stroke Risk
* This is the first of its kind study to find that chocolate may be beneficial for reducing stroke in men
Consuming about one-third of a cup (= about 63 grams) of chocolate per week may reduce the risk of stroke in men, according to new Swedish research.
Over 35,000 Swedish men aged between 49 and 75 took part in the study.
They completed a questionnaire about their dietary habits, including how often they eat chocolate.
This data was correlated with hospital records on first stroke cases, which revealed 1,995 incidences during 10 years.
“While other studies have looked at how chocolate may help cardiovascular health, this is the first of its kind study to find that chocolate may be beneficial for reducing stroke in men,” said study author Susanna C. Larsson at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, in a press release.
The men who ate the most chocolate — 63 grams or about one-third of a cup of chocolate chips per week—had a 17 percent lower stroke risk than those who consumed no chocolate. This translates as 12 fewer strokes per 100,000 person-years, the total number of years each person was observed.
“The beneficial effect of chocolate consumption on stroke may be related to the flavonoids in chocolate,” Larsson said. “Flavonoids appear to be protective against cardiovascular disease through antioxidant, anti-clotting, and anti-inflammatory properties.”
“It’s also possible that flavonoids in chocolate may decrease blood concentrations of bad cholesterol and reduce blood pressure.”
A larger analysis of five studies that included 4,260 strokes showed a 19 percent lower risk for men who ate plenty of chocolate versus non-chocolate consumers.
Related Articles
The data showed that with every increase in chocolate consumption of 50 grams per week (about a quarter of a cup of chocolate chips), stroke risk decreased by about 14 percent.
“Interestingly, dark chocolate has previously been associated with heart health benefits, but about
90 percent of the chocolate intake in Sweden, including what was consumed during our study, is milk chocolate,” Larsson noted.
Source:
The findings were published online in the journal Neurology on Aug. 29.
By Cassie Ryan August 29, 2012In Inspiring Discoveries
_________________________________
STAF Inc.'s Comment to the chocolate article above - by Dr. Christian von Christopers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
Top information - in the scale of 0 - 10 STAF, Inc. puts a number 8+
Our concern at the STAF, Inc. is the quality of any milk chocolate in different countries worldwide.
Sweden, and all other Scandinavian countries, take high pride of producing everything on the highest possible quality level - they are also among the most expensive countries in the world.
The quality has a higher $ price. Good quality in everything provides a healthier human body.
In America and in many other areas of the world, the quality is not always the "top-item" but the "profit" is - that's the reason the U.S. is one of the sickest nations in the world among the developed countries.
The opposite is the situation in all Scandinavian countries.
We at the STAF, Inc. still believe that it is safer to eat "real" dark chocolate.
Yes: "fake dark" is marketed, too - read the labels carefully - the item title "dark" does not necessarily give a correct clue.
Dark chocolate should be over 70 % of real, pure cocoa - it is more expensive. Stack up when such a product by a reliable maker is on sale. In case you cannot always afford the "real dark", eat milk chocolate produced by a known company.
Eat the one that has the least amount of sugar and the SHORTEST list of ingredients. A long list tends to have many man-made chemicals - harmful for the human body. The more the ingredients list has word you do not understand, the bigger the reason NOT to eat/drink it - especially important with the children.
The more harmful the younger the person. E.g. our brains still develop up to the age +/- 20 - even up to 25 of years.
As an example of drug use, marijuana use affects the youngsters less than 18 years of age much more than even 1 or 2 years older youngsters- the brains are still far from their final formation at the age of 18.
The younger the marijuana user, the more the person will have memory, concentration, logical thinking, learning, and other mental challenges potentially during the rest of the person's life. The same is with any other drug use.
I am using the marijuana as an example because most youngster commonly (but wrongly) believe that marijuana use is safe.
It is NOT safe to anyone, no matter what age - the negative effects are the greater the younger the user.
______________________________________________
Buildings That Heal
By James Smith
On August 28, 2012 Environment & Health
Click the green areas for further info
See the picture # 1 the web link:
click: Buildings That Heal | Environment & Health | Health | Epoch Timeswww.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/buildings-that-heal-285208.html
Picture # 1
Pedestrians walk through the Winter Garden Atrium in the World Financial Center in 2011 in New York City.
(Spencer Platt/Getty Images) ______________________
NEW YORK—No doubt you have personally experienced the benefits of a well-designed building—just as you have also been troubled or frustrated by one that is designed poorly, even if you couldn’t put your finger on why. Research shows that the design of a building could affect your health or even be an aid in your healing process.
Age-old design concepts aim to provide better living and work environments. Basic design principles include natural lighting, proper ventilation, and something as simple and obvious as a good view. A lot of these principles have been ignored over the past 50 years, mostly for financial reasons, lack of interest, and simplistic beliefs such as “bigger is better.”
Sustainable design has been of growing interest to architects and clients across the building industry.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines have played a key role in reprioritizing the importance of healthily designed buildings. More evidence is coming forth to prove the effectiveness of a well-designed building.
Anastasia Harrison, director of Sustainability at design firm Gensler Associates, has more than 22 years of professional experience in architectural design and LEED consulting. At a recent seminar, she talked about research in to the benefits of green buildings. For example, 80 percent feel more comfortable and more at home in green buildings; 29 percent have a higher satisfaction rate and are hence more actively engaged; and the number of sick days in green buildings are reduced by 2–5 percent per year.
To see the picture # 2
click: Buildings That Heal | Environment & Health | Health | Epoch Timeswww.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/buildings-that-heal-285208.html
A Good View Is Good for Your Health
Picture # 2
Casa Redondo located in a secluded area of Akumal, Mexico, on the Caribbean in this file photo. Redondo has floor-to-ceiling windows on both the ocean and jungle sides of the house allowing plenty of natural light to come in. (Courtesy of David Chasteen)
Views are also proving to aid the healing process. A study conducted by scientist Robert Olbrich over 10 years compared patients. One-half had views of brick walls while the other half had a view of nature. The latter were able to heal faster, and their stay time was one day shorter, according to Harrison.
Harrison described the considerations that went into designing a cancer institute in Arizona. They asked themselves, “How can we take people to the outside, or bring the outside into them. … So there are interior gardens and exterior gardens?” Simple design considerations that orient toward views include gardens on site, and those that alter the building form to allow views from deeper within the buildings make a difference.
Other psychological studies by Thomas Joseph Doherty were able to prove that the effect of well-designed buildings could lower blood pressure, relieve anxiety, lower stress, sharpen mental states, and lessen hyperactivity experienced by children while suffering.
These concepts are actually not groundbreaking. These are simple concepts that we have known for centuries. Consider the courtyard castles and monasteries of Europe, or the classic buildings of Rome surrounding open forums. All these enable greater connection to the outdoors, natural light, and good ventilation.
Related Articles
As environmental conditions worsen and health problems abound, there is more of an effort to find the causes. Reintegrating simple environmental considerations in today’s buildings is one solution.
“Improving the health of our planet is intrinsically linked to our own health. … The unprecedented developing drive over the past 50 years is putting unsustainable pressures on our planet and our health,” said Breeze Glazer, who works in architecture and design firm Perkins + Will.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
Click here to print. URL to article: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/buildings-that-heal-285208.html
Copyright © 2012 Epoch Times. All rights reserved.
This is for your private use, only
___________________________________
By James Smith
On August 28, 2012 Environment & Health
Click the green areas for further info
See the picture # 1 the web link:
click: Buildings That Heal | Environment & Health | Health | Epoch Timeswww.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/buildings-that-heal-285208.html
Picture # 1
Pedestrians walk through the Winter Garden Atrium in the World Financial Center in 2011 in New York City.
(Spencer Platt/Getty Images) ______________________
NEW YORK—No doubt you have personally experienced the benefits of a well-designed building—just as you have also been troubled or frustrated by one that is designed poorly, even if you couldn’t put your finger on why. Research shows that the design of a building could affect your health or even be an aid in your healing process.
Age-old design concepts aim to provide better living and work environments. Basic design principles include natural lighting, proper ventilation, and something as simple and obvious as a good view. A lot of these principles have been ignored over the past 50 years, mostly for financial reasons, lack of interest, and simplistic beliefs such as “bigger is better.”
Sustainable design has been of growing interest to architects and clients across the building industry.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines have played a key role in reprioritizing the importance of healthily designed buildings. More evidence is coming forth to prove the effectiveness of a well-designed building.
Anastasia Harrison, director of Sustainability at design firm Gensler Associates, has more than 22 years of professional experience in architectural design and LEED consulting. At a recent seminar, she talked about research in to the benefits of green buildings. For example, 80 percent feel more comfortable and more at home in green buildings; 29 percent have a higher satisfaction rate and are hence more actively engaged; and the number of sick days in green buildings are reduced by 2–5 percent per year.
To see the picture # 2
click: Buildings That Heal | Environment & Health | Health | Epoch Timeswww.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/buildings-that-heal-285208.html
A Good View Is Good for Your Health
Picture # 2
Casa Redondo located in a secluded area of Akumal, Mexico, on the Caribbean in this file photo. Redondo has floor-to-ceiling windows on both the ocean and jungle sides of the house allowing plenty of natural light to come in. (Courtesy of David Chasteen)
Views are also proving to aid the healing process. A study conducted by scientist Robert Olbrich over 10 years compared patients. One-half had views of brick walls while the other half had a view of nature. The latter were able to heal faster, and their stay time was one day shorter, according to Harrison.
Harrison described the considerations that went into designing a cancer institute in Arizona. They asked themselves, “How can we take people to the outside, or bring the outside into them. … So there are interior gardens and exterior gardens?” Simple design considerations that orient toward views include gardens on site, and those that alter the building form to allow views from deeper within the buildings make a difference.
Other psychological studies by Thomas Joseph Doherty were able to prove that the effect of well-designed buildings could lower blood pressure, relieve anxiety, lower stress, sharpen mental states, and lessen hyperactivity experienced by children while suffering.
These concepts are actually not groundbreaking. These are simple concepts that we have known for centuries. Consider the courtyard castles and monasteries of Europe, or the classic buildings of Rome surrounding open forums. All these enable greater connection to the outdoors, natural light, and good ventilation.
Related Articles
As environmental conditions worsen and health problems abound, there is more of an effort to find the causes. Reintegrating simple environmental considerations in today’s buildings is one solution.
“Improving the health of our planet is intrinsically linked to our own health. … The unprecedented developing drive over the past 50 years is putting unsustainable pressures on our planet and our health,” said Breeze Glazer, who works in architecture and design firm Perkins + Will.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
Click here to print. URL to article: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/buildings-that-heal-285208.html
Copyright © 2012 Epoch Times. All rights reserved.
This is for your private use, only
___________________________________
Why Trees Matter
TREES are on the front lines of our changing climate. And when the oldest trees in the world suddenly start dying, it’s time to pay attention.
North America’s ancient alpine bristlecone forests are falling victim to a voracious beetle and an Asian fungus. In Texas, a prolonged drought killed more than five million urban shade trees last year and an additional half-billion trees in parks and forests. In the Amazon, two severe droughts have killed billions more.
The common factor has been hotter, drier weather.
We have underestimated the importance of trees. They are not merely pleasant sources of shade but a potentially major answer to some of our most pressing environmental problems. We take them for granted, but they are a near miracle. In a bit of natural alchemy called photosynthesis, for example, trees turn one of the seemingly most insubstantial things of all — sunlight — into food for insects, wildlife and people, and use it to create shade, beauty and wood for fuel, furniture and homes.
For all of that, the unbroken forest that once covered much of the continent is now shot through with holes.
Humans have cut down the biggest and best trees and left the runts behind. What does that mean for the genetic fitness of our forests? No one knows for sure, for trees and forests are poorly understood on almost all levels. “It’s embarrassing how little we know,” one eminent redwood researcher told me.
What we do know, however, suggests that what trees do is essential though often not obvious. Decades ago, Katsuhiko Matsunaga, a marine chemist at Hokkaido University in Japan, discovered that when tree leaves decompose, they leach acids into the ocean that help fertilize plankton. When plankton thrive, so does the rest of the food chain. In a campaign called Forests Are Lovers of the Sea, fishermen have replanted forests along coasts and rivers to bring back fish and oyster stocks. And they have returned.
Trees are nature’s water filters, capable of cleaning up the most toxic wastes, including explosives, solvents and organic wastes, largely through a dense community of microbes around the tree’s roots that clean water in exchange for nutrients, a process known as phytoremediation. Tree leaves also filter air pollution. A 2008 study by researchers at Columbia University found that more trees in urban neighborhoods correlate with a lower incidence of asthma.
In Japan, researchers have long studied what they call “forest bathing.” A walk in the woods, they say, reduces the level of stress chemicals in the body and increases natural killer cells in the immune system, which fight tumors and viruses. Studies in inner cities show that anxiety, depression and even crime are lower in a landscaped environment.
Trees also release vast clouds of beneficial chemicals. On a large scale, some of these aerosols appear to help regulate the climate; others are anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. We need to learn much more about the role these chemicals play in nature. One of these substances, taxane, from the Pacific yew tree, has become a powerful treatment for breast and other cancers. Aspirin’s active ingredient comes from willows.
Trees are greatly underutilized as an eco-technology. “Working trees” could absorb some of the excess phosphorus and nitrogen that run off farm fields and help heal the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. In Africa, millions of acres of parched land have been reclaimed through strategic tree growth.
Trees are also the planet’s heat shield. They keep the concrete and asphalt of cities and suburbs 10 or more degrees cooler and protect our skin from the sun’s harsh UV rays. The Texas Department of Forestry has estimated that the die-off of shade trees will cost Texans hundreds of millions of dollars more for air-conditioning. Trees, of course, sequester carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that makes the planet warmer. A study by the Carnegie Institution for Science also found that water vapor from forests lowers ambient temperatures.
A big question is, which trees should we be planting? Ten years ago, I met a shade tree farmer named David Milarch, a co-founder of the Champion Tree Project who has been cloning some of the world’s oldest and largest trees to protect their genetics, from California redwoods to the oaks of Ireland. “These are the supertrees, and they have stood the test of time,” he says.
Science doesn’t know if these genes will be important on a warmer planet, but an old proverb seems apt. “When is the best time to plant a tree?” The answer: “Twenty years ago. The second-best time? Today.”
Jim Robbins is the author of the forthcoming book “The Man Who Planted Trees.”
TREES are on the front lines of our changing climate. And when the oldest trees in the world suddenly start dying, it’s time to pay attention.
North America’s ancient alpine bristlecone forests are falling victim to a voracious beetle and an Asian fungus. In Texas, a prolonged drought killed more than five million urban shade trees last year and an additional half-billion trees in parks and forests. In the Amazon, two severe droughts have killed billions more.
The common factor has been hotter, drier weather.
We have underestimated the importance of trees. They are not merely pleasant sources of shade but a potentially major answer to some of our most pressing environmental problems. We take them for granted, but they are a near miracle. In a bit of natural alchemy called photosynthesis, for example, trees turn one of the seemingly most insubstantial things of all — sunlight — into food for insects, wildlife and people, and use it to create shade, beauty and wood for fuel, furniture and homes.
For all of that, the unbroken forest that once covered much of the continent is now shot through with holes.
Humans have cut down the biggest and best trees and left the runts behind. What does that mean for the genetic fitness of our forests? No one knows for sure, for trees and forests are poorly understood on almost all levels. “It’s embarrassing how little we know,” one eminent redwood researcher told me.
What we do know, however, suggests that what trees do is essential though often not obvious. Decades ago, Katsuhiko Matsunaga, a marine chemist at Hokkaido University in Japan, discovered that when tree leaves decompose, they leach acids into the ocean that help fertilize plankton. When plankton thrive, so does the rest of the food chain. In a campaign called Forests Are Lovers of the Sea, fishermen have replanted forests along coasts and rivers to bring back fish and oyster stocks. And they have returned.
Trees are nature’s water filters, capable of cleaning up the most toxic wastes, including explosives, solvents and organic wastes, largely through a dense community of microbes around the tree’s roots that clean water in exchange for nutrients, a process known as phytoremediation. Tree leaves also filter air pollution. A 2008 study by researchers at Columbia University found that more trees in urban neighborhoods correlate with a lower incidence of asthma.
In Japan, researchers have long studied what they call “forest bathing.” A walk in the woods, they say, reduces the level of stress chemicals in the body and increases natural killer cells in the immune system, which fight tumors and viruses. Studies in inner cities show that anxiety, depression and even crime are lower in a landscaped environment.
Trees also release vast clouds of beneficial chemicals. On a large scale, some of these aerosols appear to help regulate the climate; others are anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral. We need to learn much more about the role these chemicals play in nature. One of these substances, taxane, from the Pacific yew tree, has become a powerful treatment for breast and other cancers. Aspirin’s active ingredient comes from willows.
Trees are greatly underutilized as an eco-technology. “Working trees” could absorb some of the excess phosphorus and nitrogen that run off farm fields and help heal the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. In Africa, millions of acres of parched land have been reclaimed through strategic tree growth.
Trees are also the planet’s heat shield. They keep the concrete and asphalt of cities and suburbs 10 or more degrees cooler and protect our skin from the sun’s harsh UV rays. The Texas Department of Forestry has estimated that the die-off of shade trees will cost Texans hundreds of millions of dollars more for air-conditioning. Trees, of course, sequester carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that makes the planet warmer. A study by the Carnegie Institution for Science also found that water vapor from forests lowers ambient temperatures.
A big question is, which trees should we be planting? Ten years ago, I met a shade tree farmer named David Milarch, a co-founder of the Champion Tree Project who has been cloning some of the world’s oldest and largest trees to protect their genetics, from California redwoods to the oaks of Ireland. “These are the supertrees, and they have stood the test of time,” he says.
Science doesn’t know if these genes will be important on a warmer planet, but an old proverb seems apt. “When is the best time to plant a tree?” The answer: “Twenty years ago. The second-best time? Today.”
Jim Robbins is the author of the forthcoming book “The Man Who Planted Trees.”
April 15, 2012
The New York Times
By JIM ROBBINS Helena, Mont.
This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only
__________________________________________
The New York Times
By JIM ROBBINS Helena, Mont.
This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only
__________________________________________
July 1, 2012
Source: The New York Times, Sunday Review, p. 5
For your private use, only
The Kindest Cut of Meat Is Ground
By BRIAN HALWEIL and DANIELLE NIERENBERGAS
Americans plan their Independence Day barbecues, they should skip the tony sirloins and chops, and opt for what can be the most sustainable, economical, gastronomically flexible and morally responsible cut of meat: ground.
There are good reasons ground meat shows up in traditional recipes the world over — in meatballs and tortellini, dumplings and samosas, meat pies and stir-fries — and it deserves a respected place at our collective table.
Ground meat is often derided as low-quality, and its image hasn’t been helped by a spate of pink slime exposés. And it’s true that most meat recalls in the United States involve ground meat.
But not all ground meat is created equal. Hamburger made at a large, industrial processing plant is cobbled together from hundreds or thousands of animals, typically raised in feedlots on a corn diet and fed antibiotics. By contrast, small grass-fed beef farmers across the country have an enormous amount of good ground meat to sell.
Yes, it’s a little more expensive, but still well within most Americans’ budgets. It’s typically from a single animal, one raised right, on green grass.
A large chunk of any carcass ultimately ends up as ground meat. After the popular cuts like steaks, chops and roasts are taken out, the rest of the meat is ground — 26 percent of a hog, 38 percent of a beef cow, 41 percent of dairy cows and 46 percent of lambs. (We don’t think of dairy cows as meat, but once their milking days are over, they become burgers.)
Of the 84 billion pounds of meat America produces each year, fully one third, 28 billion pounds, goes through the grinder.
Partly because of this, ground meat from grass-fed animals is relatively inexpensive. While a tenderloin of grass-fed beef might sell for $34 per pound or more, ground meat from the same animal might cost $8.50 per pound. Family restaurants, supermarkets and especially hamburger joints, even the new generation of fancy ones, all know this well, and pass on that savings to diners.
In the same way that nose-to-tail butchery can save a household money, buying ground meat can encourage small-scale, diversified livestock farming, since it helps supplement income from the pricier cuts. At your local farmers’ market, ground meat is a great value and a far more ecologically wise choice than strip steak.
Ground round is a flexible ingredient. In New York, companies like DeBragga and Pat LaFrieda specialize in custom-made ground meat blends that balance fat, muscle and other components for the perfect bite. National brands like Niman Ranch and Organic Prairie offer burgers, hot dogs and sausage made from animals raised on pasture, rather than hormones or antibiotics.
And what if your only local option is a supermarket? No question, much of the meat there will be the factory-farmed variety, but that’s all the more reason to request grass-fed or organic options, preferably raised nearby.
National chains like Whole Foods Market and regional chains like Wegmans in the Northeast or New Seasons Market in the Northwest have their own in-house meat-buying rules, based on ecological and humane standards, that ensure you can trust their ground meat, whatever you are buying.
THOUGH Walmart, the nation’s largest food seller, has unfortunately eliminated butchers, we’ve encountered butchers in chains like Kroger and Safeway who were happy to grind a whole grass-fed cut into hamburger.
That won’t save you money at the supermarket, but it will often stretch further during a party than a steak. Either way, always opt for ground-on-site instead of pre-made frozen patties, which contain all sorts of fillers and additives.
If your supermarket butcher can’t or won’t grind on-site, consider getting your own meat grinder and experimenting. Ground turkey and chicken meatballs are a healthy twist on traditional beef meatballs — and an important market for poultry growers who can’t sell every bird whole — while ground lamb makes a distinctive burger, especially when adorned with mayo and mint.
Meat remains the most energy- and resource-intensive ingredient in our collective diets. All the more reason not to squander any bit that is flavorful, nutritious and eminently edible.
This is also why diners increasingly see ground meat on the menus of the most conscientious chefs in the nation — from the duck rillettes at Higgins Restaurant in Portland, Ore., to the Iowa lamb albondigas at Devotay in Iowa City, from the beef and pork picadillo-stuffed plantains at Palo Santo in Brooklyn to the Bolognese, kielbasa and fontina-stuffed meatballs at Gramercy Tavern in Manhattan.
If you follow their lead and make grass-fed burgers on the Fourth of July, you will be helping farmers and the local economy. And if you weren’t eating them, the meat might have gone to waste.
Brian Halweil is the editor of Edible East End and publisher of Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn. Danielle Nierenberg is the director of Nourishing the Planet.
_______________________________
Source: The New York Times, Sunday Review, p. 5
For your private use, only
The Kindest Cut of Meat Is Ground
By BRIAN HALWEIL and DANIELLE NIERENBERGAS
Americans plan their Independence Day barbecues, they should skip the tony sirloins and chops, and opt for what can be the most sustainable, economical, gastronomically flexible and morally responsible cut of meat: ground.
There are good reasons ground meat shows up in traditional recipes the world over — in meatballs and tortellini, dumplings and samosas, meat pies and stir-fries — and it deserves a respected place at our collective table.
Ground meat is often derided as low-quality, and its image hasn’t been helped by a spate of pink slime exposés. And it’s true that most meat recalls in the United States involve ground meat.
But not all ground meat is created equal. Hamburger made at a large, industrial processing plant is cobbled together from hundreds or thousands of animals, typically raised in feedlots on a corn diet and fed antibiotics. By contrast, small grass-fed beef farmers across the country have an enormous amount of good ground meat to sell.
Yes, it’s a little more expensive, but still well within most Americans’ budgets. It’s typically from a single animal, one raised right, on green grass.
A large chunk of any carcass ultimately ends up as ground meat. After the popular cuts like steaks, chops and roasts are taken out, the rest of the meat is ground — 26 percent of a hog, 38 percent of a beef cow, 41 percent of dairy cows and 46 percent of lambs. (We don’t think of dairy cows as meat, but once their milking days are over, they become burgers.)
Of the 84 billion pounds of meat America produces each year, fully one third, 28 billion pounds, goes through the grinder.
Partly because of this, ground meat from grass-fed animals is relatively inexpensive. While a tenderloin of grass-fed beef might sell for $34 per pound or more, ground meat from the same animal might cost $8.50 per pound. Family restaurants, supermarkets and especially hamburger joints, even the new generation of fancy ones, all know this well, and pass on that savings to diners.
In the same way that nose-to-tail butchery can save a household money, buying ground meat can encourage small-scale, diversified livestock farming, since it helps supplement income from the pricier cuts. At your local farmers’ market, ground meat is a great value and a far more ecologically wise choice than strip steak.
Ground round is a flexible ingredient. In New York, companies like DeBragga and Pat LaFrieda specialize in custom-made ground meat blends that balance fat, muscle and other components for the perfect bite. National brands like Niman Ranch and Organic Prairie offer burgers, hot dogs and sausage made from animals raised on pasture, rather than hormones or antibiotics.
And what if your only local option is a supermarket? No question, much of the meat there will be the factory-farmed variety, but that’s all the more reason to request grass-fed or organic options, preferably raised nearby.
National chains like Whole Foods Market and regional chains like Wegmans in the Northeast or New Seasons Market in the Northwest have their own in-house meat-buying rules, based on ecological and humane standards, that ensure you can trust their ground meat, whatever you are buying.
THOUGH Walmart, the nation’s largest food seller, has unfortunately eliminated butchers, we’ve encountered butchers in chains like Kroger and Safeway who were happy to grind a whole grass-fed cut into hamburger.
That won’t save you money at the supermarket, but it will often stretch further during a party than a steak. Either way, always opt for ground-on-site instead of pre-made frozen patties, which contain all sorts of fillers and additives.
If your supermarket butcher can’t or won’t grind on-site, consider getting your own meat grinder and experimenting. Ground turkey and chicken meatballs are a healthy twist on traditional beef meatballs — and an important market for poultry growers who can’t sell every bird whole — while ground lamb makes a distinctive burger, especially when adorned with mayo and mint.
Meat remains the most energy- and resource-intensive ingredient in our collective diets. All the more reason not to squander any bit that is flavorful, nutritious and eminently edible.
This is also why diners increasingly see ground meat on the menus of the most conscientious chefs in the nation — from the duck rillettes at Higgins Restaurant in Portland, Ore., to the Iowa lamb albondigas at Devotay in Iowa City, from the beef and pork picadillo-stuffed plantains at Palo Santo in Brooklyn to the Bolognese, kielbasa and fontina-stuffed meatballs at Gramercy Tavern in Manhattan.
If you follow their lead and make grass-fed burgers on the Fourth of July, you will be helping farmers and the local economy. And if you weren’t eating them, the meat might have gone to waste.
Brian Halweil is the editor of Edible East End and publisher of Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn. Danielle Nierenberg is the director of Nourishing the Planet.
_______________________________
5 Fatty Foods that Make You Skinny ?
At the end of this article STAF, Inc.'s specialist gives a comment relating to this topic
Source:
By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
For your private use, only
Jul 16, 2012If we were what we ate, then people who ate lots of hot dogs and pork chops would be solid walls of muscle. People who ate lots of pasta would be stringy and fat-free. People who ate lots of pecan pie would be Zooey Deschanel (sweet, but nutty and flaky).
And people who ate a lot of fat would be fat.
What’s that, you say? That last sentence is true? People who eat fat are fat? Well, no, not necessarily. Science shows that eating fat won’t make you fat any more than eating money will make you rich.
Now, eating foods that are packed with the wrong kinds of fat will make you fat. Trans fats found in pie crusts and other baked goods, and saturated fats found in processed and grain-fed meats, add hefty calories while doing mostly harm to your body’s nutritional bottom line. But healthy fats will do the opposite: They can quell your appetite, cutting the number of calories you eat in a day, while improving your heart health and stoking your metabolism.
Delicious, fatty foods that help you lose weight? Where can you sign up? Right here!
#1: Grass-Fed Beef
Yeah, I know: grass-fed beef is a little pricey. But its higher ratio of good-for-you fats make it well worth the cost: A study in Nutrition Journal found that grass-fed meat contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to reduce the risk of heart disease. And when it comes to your waistline, grass-fed beef is naturally leaner and has fewer calories than conventional meat. Consider this: A 7-ounce conventional strip steak, trimmed of fat, will run you 386 calories and 16 grams of fat. But a 7-ounce grass-fed strip steak is only 234 calories and five grams of fat—you’ll save more than 150 calories and your steak will taste better. Ready to take advantage of beef’s weight-loss potential? Pick up the all-new
(click) Grill This, Not That! It’s loaded with delicious recipes that have been specifically designed to save you cash and calories.
#2: Olive Oil
Olive oil is rich in cancer-fighting polyphenols and heart-strengthening monounsaturated fats, and when it comes to looking lean, it’s backed by some pretty strong facts. A recent study from Obesity found that an olive-oil-rich diet resulted in higher levels of adiponectin than did a high-carb or high-protein diet. Adiponectin is a hormone responsible for breaking down fats in the body, and the more you have of it, the lower your BMI tends to be. Reap the benefits by making olive oil your cooking fat of choice and using it in dressings and sauces.
BUST BELLY FAT: Skipping breakfast increases your chances of becoming obese by 4.5 times, making it one of
the (click) 20 Habits that Make You Fat! How many do you need to break?
#3: Coconut
Coconut is high in saturated fat, but more than half of that comes from lauric acid, a unique lipid that battles bacteria and improves cholesterol scores. And get this: A study published in Lipidsfound that dietary supplementation of coconut oil actually reduced abdominal obesity. Of the participants, half were given two tablespoons of coconut oil daily and the other half were given soybean oil, and although both groups experienced overall weight loss, only the coconut oil consumers’ waistlines shrunk. Sprinkle unsweetened flakes over yogurt or use coconut milk in a stir-fry to start whittling your waist.
SANDWICH SABOTEURS: Restaurant sandwiches are prime suppliers of fatty toppings. Watch out for overblown renditions like The Cheesecake Factory’s Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club. Clocking in at an astonishing 1,752 calories, it’s one of
(click) The 25 Worst Sandwiches in America.
#4: Dark Chocolate
Good news for your sweet tooth: Chocolate can help you flatten your belly. Dark chocolate, that is. But to truly take advantage, don’t wait until dessert: A recent study found that when men ate 3.5 ounces of chocolate two hours before a meal, those who had dark chocolate took in 17 percent fewer calories than those that ate milk chocolate. The researchers believe that this is because dark chocolate contains pure cocoa butter, a source of digestion-slowing stearic acid. Milk chocolate’s cocoa butter content, on the other hand, is tempered with added butter fat and, as a result, passes more quickly through your GI tract. Because dark chocolate takes more time to process, it staves off hunger and helps you lose weight.
SWEET SUMMER: Dark chocolate is safe, but there are plenty of sweets to watch out for. Beware of the
(click) 6 Worst Desserts for Your Beach Body.
#5: Almond ButterNumerous studies have indicated that almonds can help you lose weight despite their high fat content. In fact, a study from the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders compared two diets over the course of six months. One group followed a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet (18 percent fat) and the other followed a moderate-fat diet (39 percent fat) in which the extra fat was supplied by almonds. The latter group lost more weight than the low-fat dieters, despite the fact that both groups consumed the same amount of total calories. Furthermore, the almond eaters experienced a 50 percent greater waistline reduction. How is this possible? Almonds contain compounds that limit the amount of fat absorbed by the body, so some passes through undigested. Try stirring almond butter into your oatmeal, spreading it on toast with banana slices, or eating a couple spoonfuls as a snack.
COMMENT to the above 2 articles and to all related topics
By STAF, Inc., Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D, N.D., D.D.
Yes - everything above is true, even the grass-fed meat part.
However, it is better not to eat meat as a regular food. Now and then does not ruin your health. Barbecuing meat is mostly dangerous to your health - cancer causing and small peaces of metal grill goes inside you ripping your intestines.
There are other issues involved relating to the meat, e.g. the correct food combination laws, the digestive facts relating to the meat, and the price YOU pay and the price the earth pays in pollution. There are much cheaper and healthier ways of getting the same or better nutritional values without any negative side effects.
The science shows that there will not be enough water worldwide in perhaps 30 - 50 years to raise cattle and produce meat to the whole world. The cattle raising industry is one of the biggest user of our worldwide water supplies.
We all may have to become, sooner or later, vegetarians. Non-meat diet is not necessary, we humans can have the same nutrients from different plant sources. It is and will be much cheaper and much less water consuming to grow plant based food for all human beings.
Soon the world population will be about 10 billion - to feed us all, we will not have the sources to produce meat - we will have no other choice than turn to the healthier & cheaper plant based nutrition, vegetables & fruit - the healthiest food for all of us. The plant based food has been the original food for all mammals*) as we humans are also.
At the end of this article STAF, Inc.'s specialist gives a comment relating to this topic
Source:
By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
For your private use, only
Jul 16, 2012If we were what we ate, then people who ate lots of hot dogs and pork chops would be solid walls of muscle. People who ate lots of pasta would be stringy and fat-free. People who ate lots of pecan pie would be Zooey Deschanel (sweet, but nutty and flaky).
And people who ate a lot of fat would be fat.
What’s that, you say? That last sentence is true? People who eat fat are fat? Well, no, not necessarily. Science shows that eating fat won’t make you fat any more than eating money will make you rich.
Now, eating foods that are packed with the wrong kinds of fat will make you fat. Trans fats found in pie crusts and other baked goods, and saturated fats found in processed and grain-fed meats, add hefty calories while doing mostly harm to your body’s nutritional bottom line. But healthy fats will do the opposite: They can quell your appetite, cutting the number of calories you eat in a day, while improving your heart health and stoking your metabolism.
Delicious, fatty foods that help you lose weight? Where can you sign up? Right here!
#1: Grass-Fed Beef
Yeah, I know: grass-fed beef is a little pricey. But its higher ratio of good-for-you fats make it well worth the cost: A study in Nutrition Journal found that grass-fed meat contains higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to reduce the risk of heart disease. And when it comes to your waistline, grass-fed beef is naturally leaner and has fewer calories than conventional meat. Consider this: A 7-ounce conventional strip steak, trimmed of fat, will run you 386 calories and 16 grams of fat. But a 7-ounce grass-fed strip steak is only 234 calories and five grams of fat—you’ll save more than 150 calories and your steak will taste better. Ready to take advantage of beef’s weight-loss potential? Pick up the all-new
(click) Grill This, Not That! It’s loaded with delicious recipes that have been specifically designed to save you cash and calories.
#2: Olive Oil
Olive oil is rich in cancer-fighting polyphenols and heart-strengthening monounsaturated fats, and when it comes to looking lean, it’s backed by some pretty strong facts. A recent study from Obesity found that an olive-oil-rich diet resulted in higher levels of adiponectin than did a high-carb or high-protein diet. Adiponectin is a hormone responsible for breaking down fats in the body, and the more you have of it, the lower your BMI tends to be. Reap the benefits by making olive oil your cooking fat of choice and using it in dressings and sauces.
BUST BELLY FAT: Skipping breakfast increases your chances of becoming obese by 4.5 times, making it one of
the (click) 20 Habits that Make You Fat! How many do you need to break?
#3: Coconut
Coconut is high in saturated fat, but more than half of that comes from lauric acid, a unique lipid that battles bacteria and improves cholesterol scores. And get this: A study published in Lipidsfound that dietary supplementation of coconut oil actually reduced abdominal obesity. Of the participants, half were given two tablespoons of coconut oil daily and the other half were given soybean oil, and although both groups experienced overall weight loss, only the coconut oil consumers’ waistlines shrunk. Sprinkle unsweetened flakes over yogurt or use coconut milk in a stir-fry to start whittling your waist.
SANDWICH SABOTEURS: Restaurant sandwiches are prime suppliers of fatty toppings. Watch out for overblown renditions like The Cheesecake Factory’s Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club. Clocking in at an astonishing 1,752 calories, it’s one of
(click) The 25 Worst Sandwiches in America.
#4: Dark Chocolate
Good news for your sweet tooth: Chocolate can help you flatten your belly. Dark chocolate, that is. But to truly take advantage, don’t wait until dessert: A recent study found that when men ate 3.5 ounces of chocolate two hours before a meal, those who had dark chocolate took in 17 percent fewer calories than those that ate milk chocolate. The researchers believe that this is because dark chocolate contains pure cocoa butter, a source of digestion-slowing stearic acid. Milk chocolate’s cocoa butter content, on the other hand, is tempered with added butter fat and, as a result, passes more quickly through your GI tract. Because dark chocolate takes more time to process, it staves off hunger and helps you lose weight.
SWEET SUMMER: Dark chocolate is safe, but there are plenty of sweets to watch out for. Beware of the
(click) 6 Worst Desserts for Your Beach Body.
#5: Almond ButterNumerous studies have indicated that almonds can help you lose weight despite their high fat content. In fact, a study from the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders compared two diets over the course of six months. One group followed a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet (18 percent fat) and the other followed a moderate-fat diet (39 percent fat) in which the extra fat was supplied by almonds. The latter group lost more weight than the low-fat dieters, despite the fact that both groups consumed the same amount of total calories. Furthermore, the almond eaters experienced a 50 percent greater waistline reduction. How is this possible? Almonds contain compounds that limit the amount of fat absorbed by the body, so some passes through undigested. Try stirring almond butter into your oatmeal, spreading it on toast with banana slices, or eating a couple spoonfuls as a snack.
COMMENT to the above 2 articles and to all related topics
By STAF, Inc., Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D, N.D., D.D.
Yes - everything above is true, even the grass-fed meat part.
However, it is better not to eat meat as a regular food. Now and then does not ruin your health. Barbecuing meat is mostly dangerous to your health - cancer causing and small peaces of metal grill goes inside you ripping your intestines.
There are other issues involved relating to the meat, e.g. the correct food combination laws, the digestive facts relating to the meat, and the price YOU pay and the price the earth pays in pollution. There are much cheaper and healthier ways of getting the same or better nutritional values without any negative side effects.
The science shows that there will not be enough water worldwide in perhaps 30 - 50 years to raise cattle and produce meat to the whole world. The cattle raising industry is one of the biggest user of our worldwide water supplies.
We all may have to become, sooner or later, vegetarians. Non-meat diet is not necessary, we humans can have the same nutrients from different plant sources. It is and will be much cheaper and much less water consuming to grow plant based food for all human beings.
Soon the world population will be about 10 billion - to feed us all, we will not have the sources to produce meat - we will have no other choice than turn to the healthier & cheaper plant based nutrition, vegetables & fruit - the healthiest food for all of us. The plant based food has been the original food for all mammals*) as we humans are also.
*) mammals. (click the green words below for further information)
Any of a class (Mammalia) of warm-blooded higher vertebrates (as placentals, marsupials, or monotremes) that nourish their young with milk secreted by mammary glands, have the skin usually more or less covered with hair, and include humans.
— mam·ma·li·an adjective or noun
See mammal defined for English-language learners »
See mammal defined for kids »
Examples of MAMMALS
Human beings, dogs, and cats are all mammals.
Origin of MAMMAL New Latin Mammalia, from Late Latin, neuter plural of mammalis of the breast, from Latin mamma breast First Known Use: 1826
____________________________________________
Any of a class (Mammalia) of warm-blooded higher vertebrates (as placentals, marsupials, or monotremes) that nourish their young with milk secreted by mammary glands, have the skin usually more or less covered with hair, and include humans.
— mam·ma·li·an adjective or noun
See mammal defined for English-language learners »
See mammal defined for kids »
Examples of MAMMALS
Human beings, dogs, and cats are all mammals.
Origin of MAMMAL New Latin Mammalia, from Late Latin, neuter plural of mammalis of the breast, from Latin mamma breast First Known Use: 1826
____________________________________________
July 1, 2012
Opinion
Source: The New York Times, Sunday Review, p. 5
What Really Makes Us Fat
By GARY TAUBESA
Comment by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D. D.D., STAF, Inc.'s founding President
Notice: this NYT article below is an opinion - it has much truth and is worth of your time to read it.
However, here some important facts: (1) the key to becoming fat is to each too much - no matter what, (2) another key is the lacking exercise: sitting most of the time at home, in your car, in your office (sitting is a killer). The easiest, cost-free exercise is to walk 30 - 60 min. a day, walk up the stairs (avoid the elevator), use the public transportation - it makes you walk and creates less pollution, (3) following the correct food combining science "laws" to avoid toxins from accumulating in your immune system, cells, and your whole body, (4) to adapt and fully apply STAF, Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition Program. The program took 25 years international research and testing to create. Dr. Christian is the program's lead author and will introduce it in 2013, after the 2012 election, in D.C. to the U.S. Congress (House & Senate), The W.H. & The President and to all related federal agencies.
Learn to eat correct food - not poisoned fast-food (= "bad-food"). The "bad"-food is not suitable for any human, not even for any animal.
STAF, Inc.'s new program will teach you everything you ever need to know to create, have & maintain a healthy body & healthy mind, to avoid suffering and to have a longer life. The program is also an automatic weight loss program - nothing extra to buy, no additional costs - just follow the clear instructions STAF, Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition Program gives.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan for the new, revolutionary program is Less Suffering – More Life™
See in the Home page in this website the article
#1 ?
QUESTION FOR LIFE
DO YOU WANT HEALTH, HAPPINESS & A LONG LIFE
or
DO YOU CHOOSE SICKNESS, SUFFERING & A SHORTER LIFE
IT IS YOUR OWN CHOICE - ON YOUR FORK & IN YOUR MOUTH
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., STAF, Inc. CEO
The NYT article "What Really Makes Us Fat" starts here - it is an opinion with much truth and is worth of your time
_________
CALORIE is a calorie. This truism has been the foundation of nutritional wisdom and our beliefs about obesity since the 1960s.
What it means is that a calorie of protein will generate the same energy when metabolized in a living organism as a calorie of fat or carbohydrate. When talking about obesity or why we get fat, evoking the phrase “a calorie is a calorie” is almost invariably used to imply that what we eat is relatively unimportant. We get fat because we take in more calories than we expend; we get lean if we do the opposite. Anyone who tells you otherwise, by this logic, is trying to sell you something.
But not everyone buys this calorie argument, and the dispute erupted in full force again last week. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a clinical trial by Dr. David Ludwig of Boston Children’s Hospital and his collaborators. While the media tended to treat the study as another diet trial — what should we eat to maintain weight loss? — it spoke to a far more fundamental issue: What actually causes obesity? Why do we get fat in the first place? Too many calories? Or something else?
The calorie-is-a-calorie notion dates to 1878, when the great German nutritionist Max Rubner established what he called the isodynamic law.
It was applied to obesity in the early 1900s by another German — Carl Von Noorden, who was of two minds on the subject. One of his theories suggested that common obesity was all about calories in minus calories out; another, that it was about how the body partitions those calories, either for energy or into storage.
This has been the core of the controversy ever since, and it’s never gone away. If obesity is a fuel-partitioning problem — a fat-storage defect — then the trigger becomes not the quantity of food available but the quality. Now carbohydrates in the diet become the prime suspects, especially refined and easily digestible carbohydrates (foods that have what’s called a high glycemic index) and sugars.
UNTIL the 1960s, carbohydrates were indeed considered a likely suspect in obesity: “Every woman knows that carbohydrate is fattening,” as two British dietitians began a 1963 British Journal of Nutrition article.
The obvious mechanism: carbohydrates stimulate secretion of the hormone insulin, which works, among other things, to store fat in our fat cells. At the time, though, the conventional wisdom was beginning its shift: obesity was becoming an energy issue.
Carbohydrates, with less than half the calories per gram as fat, were beginning their official transformation into heart-healthy diet foods. One reason we’ve been told since to eat low-fat, carbohydrate-rich diets is this expectation that they’ll keep us thin.
What was done by Dr. Ludwig’s team has never been done before. First they took obese subjects and effectively semi-starved them until they’d lost 10 to 15 percent of their weight. Such weight-reduced subjects are particularly susceptible to gaining the weight back. Their energy expenditure drops precipitously and they burn fewer calories than people who naturally weigh the same. This means they have to continually fight their hunger just to maintain their weight loss. The belief is that weight loss causes “metabolic adaptations,” which make it almost inevitable that the weight will return. Dr. Ludwig’s team then measured how many calories these weight-reduced subjects expended daily, and that’s how many they fed them. But now the subjects were rotated through three very different diets, one month for each. They ate the same amount of calories on all three, equal to what they were expending after their weight loss, but the nutrient composition of the diets was very different.
One diet was low-fat and thus high in carbohydrates. This was the diet we’re all advised to eat: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean sources of protein. One diet had a low glycemic index: fewer carbohydrates in total, and those that were included were slow to be digested — from beans, non-starchy vegetables and other minimally processed sources. The third diet was Atkins, which is very low in carbohydrates and high in fat and protein.
The results were remarkable. Put most simply, the fewer carbohydrates consumed, the more energy these weight-reduced people expended. On the very low-carbohydrate Atkins diet, there was virtually no metabolic adaptation to the weight loss. These subjects expended, on average, only 100 fewer calories a day than they did at their full weights. Eight of the 21 subjects expended more than they did at their full weights — the opposite of the predicted metabolic compensation.
On the very low-carbohydrate diet, Dr. Ludwig’s subjects expended 300 more calories a day than they did on the low-fat diet and 150 calories more than on the low-glycemic-index diet. As Dr. Ludwig explained, when the subjects were eating low-fat diets, they’d have to add an hour of moderate-intensity physical activity each day to expend as much energy as they would effortlessly on the very-low-carb diet. And this while consuming the same amount of calories. If the physical activity made them hungrier — a likely assumption — maintaining weight on the low-fat, high-carb diet would be even harder. Why does this speak to the very cause of obesity? One way to think about this is to consider weight-reduced subjects as “pre-obese.” They’re almost assuredly going to get fatter, and so they can be research stand-ins — perhaps the best we have — for those of us who are merely predisposed to get fat but haven’t done so yet and might take a few years or decades longer to do it.
If we think of Dr. Ludwig’s subjects as pre-obese, then the study tells us that the nutrient composition of the diet can trigger the predisposition to get fat, independent of the calories consumed. The fewer carbohydrates we eat, the more easily we remain lean. The more carbohydrates, the more difficult. In other words, carbohydrates are fattening, and obesity is a fat-storage defect. What matters, then, is the quantity and quality of carbohydrates we consume and their effect on insulin.
From this perspective, the trial suggests that among the bad decisions we can make to maintain our weight is exactly what the government and medical organizations like the American Heart Association have been telling us to do: eat low-fat, carbohydrate-rich diets, even if those diets include whole grains and fruits and vegetables.
A controversial conclusion? Absolutely, and Dr. Ludwig’s results are by no means ironclad. The diets should be fed for far longer than one month, something he hopes to do in a follow-up study. As in any science, these experiments should be replicated by independent investigators. We’ve been arguing about this for over a century. Let’s put it to rest with more good science. The public health implications are enormous.
Gary Taubes is The author of “Why We Get Fat.”
___________________________________
Opinion
Source: The New York Times, Sunday Review, p. 5
What Really Makes Us Fat
By GARY TAUBESA
Comment by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D. D.D., STAF, Inc.'s founding President
Notice: this NYT article below is an opinion - it has much truth and is worth of your time to read it.
However, here some important facts: (1) the key to becoming fat is to each too much - no matter what, (2) another key is the lacking exercise: sitting most of the time at home, in your car, in your office (sitting is a killer). The easiest, cost-free exercise is to walk 30 - 60 min. a day, walk up the stairs (avoid the elevator), use the public transportation - it makes you walk and creates less pollution, (3) following the correct food combining science "laws" to avoid toxins from accumulating in your immune system, cells, and your whole body, (4) to adapt and fully apply STAF, Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition Program. The program took 25 years international research and testing to create. Dr. Christian is the program's lead author and will introduce it in 2013, after the 2012 election, in D.C. to the U.S. Congress (House & Senate), The W.H. & The President and to all related federal agencies.
Learn to eat correct food - not poisoned fast-food (= "bad-food"). The "bad"-food is not suitable for any human, not even for any animal.
STAF, Inc.'s new program will teach you everything you ever need to know to create, have & maintain a healthy body & healthy mind, to avoid suffering and to have a longer life. The program is also an automatic weight loss program - nothing extra to buy, no additional costs - just follow the clear instructions STAF, Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle and Correct Nutrition Program gives.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan for the new, revolutionary program is Less Suffering – More Life™
See in the Home page in this website the article
#1 ?
QUESTION FOR LIFE
DO YOU WANT HEALTH, HAPPINESS & A LONG LIFE
or
DO YOU CHOOSE SICKNESS, SUFFERING & A SHORTER LIFE
IT IS YOUR OWN CHOICE - ON YOUR FORK & IN YOUR MOUTH
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., STAF, Inc. CEO
The NYT article "What Really Makes Us Fat" starts here - it is an opinion with much truth and is worth of your time
_________
CALORIE is a calorie. This truism has been the foundation of nutritional wisdom and our beliefs about obesity since the 1960s.
What it means is that a calorie of protein will generate the same energy when metabolized in a living organism as a calorie of fat or carbohydrate. When talking about obesity or why we get fat, evoking the phrase “a calorie is a calorie” is almost invariably used to imply that what we eat is relatively unimportant. We get fat because we take in more calories than we expend; we get lean if we do the opposite. Anyone who tells you otherwise, by this logic, is trying to sell you something.
But not everyone buys this calorie argument, and the dispute erupted in full force again last week. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a clinical trial by Dr. David Ludwig of Boston Children’s Hospital and his collaborators. While the media tended to treat the study as another diet trial — what should we eat to maintain weight loss? — it spoke to a far more fundamental issue: What actually causes obesity? Why do we get fat in the first place? Too many calories? Or something else?
The calorie-is-a-calorie notion dates to 1878, when the great German nutritionist Max Rubner established what he called the isodynamic law.
It was applied to obesity in the early 1900s by another German — Carl Von Noorden, who was of two minds on the subject. One of his theories suggested that common obesity was all about calories in minus calories out; another, that it was about how the body partitions those calories, either for energy or into storage.
This has been the core of the controversy ever since, and it’s never gone away. If obesity is a fuel-partitioning problem — a fat-storage defect — then the trigger becomes not the quantity of food available but the quality. Now carbohydrates in the diet become the prime suspects, especially refined and easily digestible carbohydrates (foods that have what’s called a high glycemic index) and sugars.
UNTIL the 1960s, carbohydrates were indeed considered a likely suspect in obesity: “Every woman knows that carbohydrate is fattening,” as two British dietitians began a 1963 British Journal of Nutrition article.
The obvious mechanism: carbohydrates stimulate secretion of the hormone insulin, which works, among other things, to store fat in our fat cells. At the time, though, the conventional wisdom was beginning its shift: obesity was becoming an energy issue.
Carbohydrates, with less than half the calories per gram as fat, were beginning their official transformation into heart-healthy diet foods. One reason we’ve been told since to eat low-fat, carbohydrate-rich diets is this expectation that they’ll keep us thin.
What was done by Dr. Ludwig’s team has never been done before. First they took obese subjects and effectively semi-starved them until they’d lost 10 to 15 percent of their weight. Such weight-reduced subjects are particularly susceptible to gaining the weight back. Their energy expenditure drops precipitously and they burn fewer calories than people who naturally weigh the same. This means they have to continually fight their hunger just to maintain their weight loss. The belief is that weight loss causes “metabolic adaptations,” which make it almost inevitable that the weight will return. Dr. Ludwig’s team then measured how many calories these weight-reduced subjects expended daily, and that’s how many they fed them. But now the subjects were rotated through three very different diets, one month for each. They ate the same amount of calories on all three, equal to what they were expending after their weight loss, but the nutrient composition of the diets was very different.
One diet was low-fat and thus high in carbohydrates. This was the diet we’re all advised to eat: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean sources of protein. One diet had a low glycemic index: fewer carbohydrates in total, and those that were included were slow to be digested — from beans, non-starchy vegetables and other minimally processed sources. The third diet was Atkins, which is very low in carbohydrates and high in fat and protein.
The results were remarkable. Put most simply, the fewer carbohydrates consumed, the more energy these weight-reduced people expended. On the very low-carbohydrate Atkins diet, there was virtually no metabolic adaptation to the weight loss. These subjects expended, on average, only 100 fewer calories a day than they did at their full weights. Eight of the 21 subjects expended more than they did at their full weights — the opposite of the predicted metabolic compensation.
On the very low-carbohydrate diet, Dr. Ludwig’s subjects expended 300 more calories a day than they did on the low-fat diet and 150 calories more than on the low-glycemic-index diet. As Dr. Ludwig explained, when the subjects were eating low-fat diets, they’d have to add an hour of moderate-intensity physical activity each day to expend as much energy as they would effortlessly on the very-low-carb diet. And this while consuming the same amount of calories. If the physical activity made them hungrier — a likely assumption — maintaining weight on the low-fat, high-carb diet would be even harder. Why does this speak to the very cause of obesity? One way to think about this is to consider weight-reduced subjects as “pre-obese.” They’re almost assuredly going to get fatter, and so they can be research stand-ins — perhaps the best we have — for those of us who are merely predisposed to get fat but haven’t done so yet and might take a few years or decades longer to do it.
If we think of Dr. Ludwig’s subjects as pre-obese, then the study tells us that the nutrient composition of the diet can trigger the predisposition to get fat, independent of the calories consumed. The fewer carbohydrates we eat, the more easily we remain lean. The more carbohydrates, the more difficult. In other words, carbohydrates are fattening, and obesity is a fat-storage defect. What matters, then, is the quantity and quality of carbohydrates we consume and their effect on insulin.
From this perspective, the trial suggests that among the bad decisions we can make to maintain our weight is exactly what the government and medical organizations like the American Heart Association have been telling us to do: eat low-fat, carbohydrate-rich diets, even if those diets include whole grains and fruits and vegetables.
A controversial conclusion? Absolutely, and Dr. Ludwig’s results are by no means ironclad. The diets should be fed for far longer than one month, something he hopes to do in a follow-up study. As in any science, these experiments should be replicated by independent investigators. We’ve been arguing about this for over a century. Let’s put it to rest with more good science. The public health implications are enormous.
Gary Taubes is The author of “Why We Get Fat.”
___________________________________
Restricted-Calorie Diet May Not Lead to Longevity
8/30/12
Click the green areas for further information
To Merrill Averill and Paul McGothin, two 60-something marketing executives from Ossining, N.Y., a rumbling tummy equates to the fountain of youth. They practice an extreme calorie restriction because they believe that eating less is the secret to living longer. Now a new study published in the online version of the journal Nature casts doubt on that idea.
In the late 1980s, scientists set out to test the theory that dietaryrestriction could extend the life span of long-lived primates, as decades of studies had found it did in mice and other lower organisms. If true, this would strongly imply that the same assumptions could be made about humans.
Two independent teams -- one at the U.S. National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Md., and the other at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center in Madison, Wis., each placed rhesus monkeys on diets that contained 30 percent fewer calories than normal and have periodically provided updates on the health and longevity of the animals.
As the latest Nature dispatch found, the NIA monkeys fed a calorie-restricted diet didn't live any longer than monkeys on a higher-calorie diet. No matter what they ate, maximum lifespan seems to hover around 40 years of age. Half the monkeys that began the study as youngsters were still alive, but the researchers say, based on survival patterns, they predict the remaining calorie-restrictors and controls will all live to be about the same age.
Monkeys that started the diet in their youth did show a trend toward a delay in the onset of age-associated disease. Interestingly, the strict diet appeared to decrease the risk of cancer and possibly diabetes but slightly increased the risk of cardiovascular disease.
"It is likely that calorie restriction alters cellular pathways that contribute to cancer differently than it does those pathways leading to metabolic dysfunction," said Dr. Julie Mattison, an author of the paper. "Given the experimental design, it is possible that pathways leading to cancer are impacted earlier or to a greater extent than others."
And the dieting monkeys also enjoyed improved health. For example, eating a restricted diet made them slimmer than those in the control group, and if they began the diet in middle age (16-23 years old for monkeys) they had lower blood fat and blood sugar levels compared to the nondieters. Male dieters of all ages had lower cholesterol levels than the controls.
Conflicting ResultsThese latest findings are at odds with the WNPRC study in which calorie-restricted monkeys have far outlived the controls. Floyd Chilton, a professor of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University Medical Center, said the study design might account for some of the disparities.
For one thing, the Wisconsin monkeys subsisted on a diet that shared many of the same unhealthy aspects of a typical Western diet, such as a high amount of sugar, whereas the NIA primates were fed a much healthier diet and were also given vitamin supplements.
"The NIA monkeys were already eating so healthy to begin with, the calorie reduction may not have provided much more of a health advantage," Chilton said.
Mattison said this could be a limitation. "Certainly quality of the food and the nutrient composition/ratios could factor into the equation. Because calorie restriction is causing a metabolic stress, it is reasonable to speculate that a nutritionally complete and balanced diet would be better for the organism, regardless of the quantity," she said.
Another difference: The NIA monkeys were given two meals a day on a schedule while the Wisconsin monkeys ate whenever they pleased. Both groups were also genetically quite diverse; since each study included a relatively small number of individuals – 70 divided between calorie restriction and control groups – the genetic variations might have further skewed results.
Making SenseThe caloric restriction theory has been around since the 1930s, when Cornell researchers found it extended the lives of lab mice by about 40 percent. Since then, restricted eating has been found to increase the lifespan in a variety of species from worms to dogs. Researchers assume it works because being in a state of slight hunger acts as a mild but persistent stressor that somehow makes an organism more resistant to the effects of aging. Taking in fewer calories also slows metabolism, which may in turn slow down the aging process.Whatever the mechanisms may be, Chilton says the two primate studies are heroic and should be respected for being the first long-term investigations to provide clues about how humans might respond to eating a sparse diet. Nevertheless, the debate will certainly continue.
"We didn't see the miracle change in longevity we've seen in rodents and other primitive animals, but questions about the effects of calorie restriction on aging are far from answered," he said.
As for Averill and Paul McGothin, they say these recent findings don't shake their faith in calorie restriction in the least. They plan on continuing with the diet and spreading the gospel through their organization, CR Society International.
"At my recent physical exam my doctor told me I am in remarkable shape," McGothin says. "That's all the proof I need."
Source:
By LIZ NEPORENT
This is for your private use, only
__________________________________________
8/30/12
Click the green areas for further information
To Merrill Averill and Paul McGothin, two 60-something marketing executives from Ossining, N.Y., a rumbling tummy equates to the fountain of youth. They practice an extreme calorie restriction because they believe that eating less is the secret to living longer. Now a new study published in the online version of the journal Nature casts doubt on that idea.
In the late 1980s, scientists set out to test the theory that dietaryrestriction could extend the life span of long-lived primates, as decades of studies had found it did in mice and other lower organisms. If true, this would strongly imply that the same assumptions could be made about humans.
Two independent teams -- one at the U.S. National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Md., and the other at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center in Madison, Wis., each placed rhesus monkeys on diets that contained 30 percent fewer calories than normal and have periodically provided updates on the health and longevity of the animals.
As the latest Nature dispatch found, the NIA monkeys fed a calorie-restricted diet didn't live any longer than monkeys on a higher-calorie diet. No matter what they ate, maximum lifespan seems to hover around 40 years of age. Half the monkeys that began the study as youngsters were still alive, but the researchers say, based on survival patterns, they predict the remaining calorie-restrictors and controls will all live to be about the same age.
Monkeys that started the diet in their youth did show a trend toward a delay in the onset of age-associated disease. Interestingly, the strict diet appeared to decrease the risk of cancer and possibly diabetes but slightly increased the risk of cardiovascular disease.
"It is likely that calorie restriction alters cellular pathways that contribute to cancer differently than it does those pathways leading to metabolic dysfunction," said Dr. Julie Mattison, an author of the paper. "Given the experimental design, it is possible that pathways leading to cancer are impacted earlier or to a greater extent than others."
And the dieting monkeys also enjoyed improved health. For example, eating a restricted diet made them slimmer than those in the control group, and if they began the diet in middle age (16-23 years old for monkeys) they had lower blood fat and blood sugar levels compared to the nondieters. Male dieters of all ages had lower cholesterol levels than the controls.
Conflicting ResultsThese latest findings are at odds with the WNPRC study in which calorie-restricted monkeys have far outlived the controls. Floyd Chilton, a professor of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University Medical Center, said the study design might account for some of the disparities.
For one thing, the Wisconsin monkeys subsisted on a diet that shared many of the same unhealthy aspects of a typical Western diet, such as a high amount of sugar, whereas the NIA primates were fed a much healthier diet and were also given vitamin supplements.
"The NIA monkeys were already eating so healthy to begin with, the calorie reduction may not have provided much more of a health advantage," Chilton said.
Mattison said this could be a limitation. "Certainly quality of the food and the nutrient composition/ratios could factor into the equation. Because calorie restriction is causing a metabolic stress, it is reasonable to speculate that a nutritionally complete and balanced diet would be better for the organism, regardless of the quantity," she said.
Another difference: The NIA monkeys were given two meals a day on a schedule while the Wisconsin monkeys ate whenever they pleased. Both groups were also genetically quite diverse; since each study included a relatively small number of individuals – 70 divided between calorie restriction and control groups – the genetic variations might have further skewed results.
Making SenseThe caloric restriction theory has been around since the 1930s, when Cornell researchers found it extended the lives of lab mice by about 40 percent. Since then, restricted eating has been found to increase the lifespan in a variety of species from worms to dogs. Researchers assume it works because being in a state of slight hunger acts as a mild but persistent stressor that somehow makes an organism more resistant to the effects of aging. Taking in fewer calories also slows metabolism, which may in turn slow down the aging process.Whatever the mechanisms may be, Chilton says the two primate studies are heroic and should be respected for being the first long-term investigations to provide clues about how humans might respond to eating a sparse diet. Nevertheless, the debate will certainly continue.
"We didn't see the miracle change in longevity we've seen in rodents and other primitive animals, but questions about the effects of calorie restriction on aging are far from answered," he said.
As for Averill and Paul McGothin, they say these recent findings don't shake their faith in calorie restriction in the least. They plan on continuing with the diet and spreading the gospel through their organization, CR Society International.
"At my recent physical exam my doctor told me I am in remarkable shape," McGothin says. "That's all the proof I need."
Source:
By LIZ NEPORENT
This is for your private use, only
__________________________________________
August 28, 2012
New York State Is Investigating Energy Drink Makers
STAF, Inc.'s COMMENT, by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
Finally - it is time - STAF, Inc. has already for the several past years demanded this investigation to be started.
STAF, Inc.'s opinion, based on our research, is:
it is clear that the energy drinks are not what they promise - they are not healthy, they potentially cause sicknesses.
They give a wrong statement what is healthy and how to have a healthy energy boost.
STAF, Inc. has created a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program as the solution to our nation's rampant overweight, obesity and wide & high sickness level.
In 2013, in a nationwide televised event, STAF, Inc.'s President, Dr. Christian, will introduce the new program in D.C.
to the lawmakers and to the whole nation as the first, real and affordable solution to our nation's health challenges.
_____________________
The article starts here:
The New York attorney general has subpoenaed three large makers of so-called energy drinks as part of an investigation into whether the companies are misleading consumers about how much caffeine the drinks contain and the health risks they could pose.
The attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, is also looking at whether the companies — Monster Beverage, PepsiCo and Living Essentials — violated federal law in promoting the drinks as dietary supplements rather than as foods, which are regulated more strictly.
State authorities are also concerned about whether all of the ingredients that go into the beverages are properly disclosed, according to an official briefed on the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The state investigators are also examining whether some additives, like black tea extract and guarana, may contain additional caffeine that is not reflected when the drinks are labeled.
The subpoenas were issued in July, and the official said more companies could face requests for information as the investigation progresses.
Besides Monster’s drink, the beverages under state scrutiny are AMP from Pepsi and 5-hour Energy drink, which is made by Living Essentials.
Living Essentials reported that a state attorney general inquiry was under way last month during a bond offering, but a spokeswoman declined to comment further on Tuesday. Spokesmen for Monster and Pepsi also declined to discuss the subpoenas.
The investigation was reported on Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal.
In a statement, the American Beverage Association said it could not comment on the details of the investigation by Mr. Schneiderman. The trade association statement noted that ingredients and labeling for energy drinks were regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and that caffeine levels from additives were fully disclosed. It also said that the industry had voluntarily restricted marketing to children and the sale of energy drinks in schools.
In 2010, the F.D.A. issued warning letters to four companies that made energy drinks combining alcohol and caffeine — Charge Beverages, New Century Brewing, Phusion Projects and United Brands — citing a health risk. Despite concerns by public health experts, the F.D.A. has not taken on makers of more traditional energy drinks, which are often carbonated and provide a quick, caffeine-fueled boost.
Energy drinks have surged in popularity in recent years, especially among high school and college students. They have been a source of growth for beverage companies even as demand for more traditional drinks like soda has cooled. Coca-Cola considered a buyout of Monster earlier this year, but with a market capitalization of more than $10 billion, a deal for Monster would have been expensive, and Coke ultimately passed.
Health advocates are concerned about the use of energy drinks among adolescents, particularly when they are consumed alongside alcohol, said Amelia M. Arria, an epidemiologist who serves as director of the Center on Young Adult Health and Development at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.
“A person who co-ingests an energy drink and alcohol doesn’t understand how drunk they are,” Ms. Arria said. “Caffeine keeps you awake so you can keep drinking, and high levels of caffeine can mask intoxication.”
“In my opinion, some of the marketing messages go overboard about the health benefits of these drinks,” Ms. Arria added. “The term ‘energy drink’ is misleading. Energy should come from calories — this is more about stimulation.”
Studies have shown almost 30 percent of college students consume energy drinks regularly, Ms. Arria said. The high concentrations of caffeine they contain can produce cardiovascular complications, especially in young people or those who are sensitive to caffeine, she said.
A November 2011 report by the Drug Abuse Warning Network, produced under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services, showed a tenfold increase in emergency room visits linked to energy drinks from 2005 to 2008.
“Consumption of energy drinks is a rising public health problem because medical and behavioral consequences can result from excessive caffeine intake,” the report concluded. “A growing body of scientific evidence documents harmful effects, particularly for children, adolescents and young adults.”
About half the emergency room trips were made by patients 18 to 25 who had also used alcohol or other drugs, according to the Drug Abuse Warning Network report.
The amount of caffeine differs widely among drinks but can range from about 80 milligrams to more than 500 milligrams. By comparison, a 12-ounce cola contains about 50 milligrams of caffeine, while a 5-ounce coffee has about 100 milligrams.
In its statement, the American Beverage Association said “most mainstream energy drinks contain about half the caffeine of a similar-size cup of coffeehouse coffee. And the caffeine content our members voluntarily display on their packages reflects total caffeine amounts, including those that come from other sources, such as additives.”
Shares of Monster Beverage fell 55 cents, to $59.48, on Tuesday, while Pepsi fell 5 cents, to $73.12. Living Essentials is not publicly traded.
By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ
Source: NYT
_________________________________________
New York State Is Investigating Energy Drink Makers
STAF, Inc.'s COMMENT, by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
Finally - it is time - STAF, Inc. has already for the several past years demanded this investigation to be started.
STAF, Inc.'s opinion, based on our research, is:
it is clear that the energy drinks are not what they promise - they are not healthy, they potentially cause sicknesses.
They give a wrong statement what is healthy and how to have a healthy energy boost.
STAF, Inc. has created a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program as the solution to our nation's rampant overweight, obesity and wide & high sickness level.
In 2013, in a nationwide televised event, STAF, Inc.'s President, Dr. Christian, will introduce the new program in D.C.
to the lawmakers and to the whole nation as the first, real and affordable solution to our nation's health challenges.
_____________________
The article starts here:
The New York attorney general has subpoenaed three large makers of so-called energy drinks as part of an investigation into whether the companies are misleading consumers about how much caffeine the drinks contain and the health risks they could pose.
The attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, is also looking at whether the companies — Monster Beverage, PepsiCo and Living Essentials — violated federal law in promoting the drinks as dietary supplements rather than as foods, which are regulated more strictly.
State authorities are also concerned about whether all of the ingredients that go into the beverages are properly disclosed, according to an official briefed on the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The state investigators are also examining whether some additives, like black tea extract and guarana, may contain additional caffeine that is not reflected when the drinks are labeled.
The subpoenas were issued in July, and the official said more companies could face requests for information as the investigation progresses.
Besides Monster’s drink, the beverages under state scrutiny are AMP from Pepsi and 5-hour Energy drink, which is made by Living Essentials.
Living Essentials reported that a state attorney general inquiry was under way last month during a bond offering, but a spokeswoman declined to comment further on Tuesday. Spokesmen for Monster and Pepsi also declined to discuss the subpoenas.
The investigation was reported on Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal.
In a statement, the American Beverage Association said it could not comment on the details of the investigation by Mr. Schneiderman. The trade association statement noted that ingredients and labeling for energy drinks were regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and that caffeine levels from additives were fully disclosed. It also said that the industry had voluntarily restricted marketing to children and the sale of energy drinks in schools.
In 2010, the F.D.A. issued warning letters to four companies that made energy drinks combining alcohol and caffeine — Charge Beverages, New Century Brewing, Phusion Projects and United Brands — citing a health risk. Despite concerns by public health experts, the F.D.A. has not taken on makers of more traditional energy drinks, which are often carbonated and provide a quick, caffeine-fueled boost.
Energy drinks have surged in popularity in recent years, especially among high school and college students. They have been a source of growth for beverage companies even as demand for more traditional drinks like soda has cooled. Coca-Cola considered a buyout of Monster earlier this year, but with a market capitalization of more than $10 billion, a deal for Monster would have been expensive, and Coke ultimately passed.
Health advocates are concerned about the use of energy drinks among adolescents, particularly when they are consumed alongside alcohol, said Amelia M. Arria, an epidemiologist who serves as director of the Center on Young Adult Health and Development at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.
“A person who co-ingests an energy drink and alcohol doesn’t understand how drunk they are,” Ms. Arria said. “Caffeine keeps you awake so you can keep drinking, and high levels of caffeine can mask intoxication.”
“In my opinion, some of the marketing messages go overboard about the health benefits of these drinks,” Ms. Arria added. “The term ‘energy drink’ is misleading. Energy should come from calories — this is more about stimulation.”
Studies have shown almost 30 percent of college students consume energy drinks regularly, Ms. Arria said. The high concentrations of caffeine they contain can produce cardiovascular complications, especially in young people or those who are sensitive to caffeine, she said.
A November 2011 report by the Drug Abuse Warning Network, produced under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services, showed a tenfold increase in emergency room visits linked to energy drinks from 2005 to 2008.
“Consumption of energy drinks is a rising public health problem because medical and behavioral consequences can result from excessive caffeine intake,” the report concluded. “A growing body of scientific evidence documents harmful effects, particularly for children, adolescents and young adults.”
About half the emergency room trips were made by patients 18 to 25 who had also used alcohol or other drugs, according to the Drug Abuse Warning Network report.
The amount of caffeine differs widely among drinks but can range from about 80 milligrams to more than 500 milligrams. By comparison, a 12-ounce cola contains about 50 milligrams of caffeine, while a 5-ounce coffee has about 100 milligrams.
In its statement, the American Beverage Association said “most mainstream energy drinks contain about half the caffeine of a similar-size cup of coffeehouse coffee. And the caffeine content our members voluntarily display on their packages reflects total caffeine amounts, including those that come from other sources, such as additives.”
Shares of Monster Beverage fell 55 cents, to $59.48, on Tuesday, while Pepsi fell 5 cents, to $73.12. Living Essentials is not publicly traded.
By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ
Source: NYT
_________________________________________
Door to Door in the Heartland, Preaching Healthy Living
Click the green areas for further information
OKLAHOMA CITY — Like a missionary, Michael Bailey, a county health worker, spends his days driving his beat-up Nissan around this city’s poorest neighborhood, spreading the word in barber shops and convenience stores about the benefits of healthy diet and exercise. “Look at the kids,” he said. “Overweight, huffing and wheezing. Their lives will be miserable if this doesn’t change.”
Mr. Bailey believes that food is slowly killing his community here, and signing people up for a program to prevent heart disease is his way of saving souls.
Local governments across the country are creating dozens of such experiments with money from the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act. It is part of a broad national effort set in motion by the law to nudge a health care system geared toward responding to illness to one that tries to stop people from getting sick in the first place. To that end, the law created the $10 billion Prevention and Public Health Fund, the largest-ever federal investment in community prevention.
Supporters say the effort is long overdue in an age where preventable disease is the single largest cause of death. Indeed, unhealthy behaviors, like smoking and poor diet, account for 40 percent of premature deaths in the United States, while poor health care and limited access to the health care system accounted for a tenth of such deaths, according to an analysis of federal data and mortality studies by J. Michael McGinnis, a senior scholar at the Institute of Medicine.
But critics say efforts to influence behavior will have only a modest effect without policy measures like taxes on soda and restrictions on marketing to children to change the food environment.
Oklahoma City, run by a Republican mayor, Mick Cornett, has with little notice won federal prevention money through the new law, a surprising source of financing in this deeply conservative Republican state. The governor, Mary Fallin, turned away $54 million in federal money to help prepare for the new law last year.
Republicans in Congress derided the prevention program as “a slush fund to build sidewalks, jungle gyms and swing sets,” but Mr. Cornett has embraced its approach, turning this city — labeled one of the fattest in America in 2007 by Men’s Fitness magazine — into a laboratory for healthy living. In recent years, he has transformed it with bike lanes, walking paths and an Olympic rowing complex. He started a drive called “This City Is Going on a Diet.” He even accepted an invitation from Michelle Obama, who has made childhoodobesity her signature cause, to attend the 2010 State of the Union address.
“We don’t believe in individual freedom to the extent of letting people make poor health decisions and just wither away without help,” Mr. Cornett said in an interview.
Many scientists doubt such programs actually work. Only a handful of the dozens of published studies on obesity interventions have produced results, and only when participants were intensively engaged, said Tom Baranowski, a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. “Sending newsletters and calling is not enough,” he said.
But some public health experts say that the kinds of things being tried under the law could help bring a cultural shift. The single biggest behavioral success of the last century — the dramatic reduction in the share of Americans who smoke — took 50 years of education, regulation and medical intervention. Likewise, only a mixture of approaches has a chance of eventually reducing rates of obesity, these experts say.
“Over time all of this effort builds up so people come to think about the problem and their own behavior in a different way,” said Bruce Link, a professor of epidemiology and sociology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
In Oklahoma City, county officials have focused on the least healthy ZIP code — 73111 — a sun-seared stretch of one-story bungalows, fast food restaurants and minimarts. Heart disease mortality rates are 10 times as high as in the healthiest neighborhood, which is next to one of the biggest medical complexes in the state, including a teaching hospital with a large share of charity care.
In addition to the heart program, which offers free medicine and checkups in exchange for taking a health class, the area is getting a new health complex with sports fields and walking trails, and a physical education coordinator for city schools. Public messages against sugary drinks are plastered on buses and benches. Health workers will identify the area’s highest-risk patients, connect them with doctors, and follow up with them after checkups, a measure Gary Cox, director of the county health department, said was designed to reduce emergency room visits.
Thousands of fliers for the heart program were mailed out last year, but there were few takers until Mr. Bailey, the health department worker, began persuading people to sign up in the spring. The area is nearly 90 percent black, with a history of racial tensions, and people are suspicious of government programs targeting them.
Terri Long, 51, a cashier at a grocery store, was among Mr. Bailey’s first takers. Without health insurance, she had no way of paying for doctor visits or medicine, and was grateful for the program. She had bypass surgery this winter and realized that unless she changed her habits, she might not live to see the last of her nine grandchildren “walk across the stage.” She says she lost 15 pounds by cutting out her favorite foods: chocolate doughnuts and pork rinds. But she doesn’t know anyone else who has signed up.
“They say, ‘When my time is up, it’s up,’ ” she said as she scanned soda and snacks at the checkout.
Mr. Bailey argues that poverty is a big barrier to prevention. Hand-to-mouth living and the short-term thinking that often goes with it means many people are shopping at gas station minimarts where junk food is the staple. Exhausted mothers may let their children fend for themselves in such stores with food stamp swipe cards.
“If you ask, ‘What would help your health the most?,’ people say, ‘More money,’ ” Mr. Bailey said.
Brandi Jones, the manager at A Family Affair, a soul food restaurant, disagreed.
“With more money, people will just buy more bad food,” she said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got a choice. It’s like drugs — you’ve got to say no.”
But that is hard when bad food is the easiest choice, and some public health experts say that no real progress on obesity is possible unless governments regulate junk food with measures like taxes on sugary drinks or prohibitions on marketing to children. New York City has experimented with such policies, but they have been slow to spread, in part because of lobbying by the food industry. In Oklahoma, even a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars has been elusive. “You have to change the drivers,” said Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, “rather than count on people to resist them.”
Mr. Bailey believes he can help people do just that. He has lost 15 pounds himself since starting his current job. A recent health class he led was part group therapy, part nutrition lesson.
One participant, Tricia Woodward, 65, in a bright yellow dress, said she had given up beef and pork, but conceded that “chicken is holding on hard.” Kim Golson, 44, a driver for the post office who recently lost his left leg to diabetes, held himself up as a warning to the other overweight men. “What you see here is what you’re heading toward,” he said, pointing at his leg, fitted with a prosthetic.
Gwendolyn Wallace, a retiree who lost 12 pounds since the class, said she had been helped by a new walking trail near her house that she still had mostly to herself.
“I watched from my kitchen window as they built that track,” she said. “I thought, it’s a crying shame. I’m going to go out and walk that track. I don’t have an excuse. And you know what? It’s beautiful.”
MORE IN HEALTH (10 OF 31 ARTICLES)Ovarian Cancer Screenings Are Not Effective, Panel SaysRead More »
Source: NYT
By SABRINA TAVERNISE
Click green areas for further information
_________________________________
Harvard Doctor Refutes Milk Recommendations
refute= prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove
Important info
Reduced-fat milk OR any milk —
does it really do a body good?
Not necessarily -- reduced-fat milk is sugary and caloric, according to the results of a study published July 1, 2013
in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. (Jama = Journal of American Medical Association)
One Harvard professor is challenging current recommendations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Academy of Pediatrics that people of all ages drink three servings of reduced-fat milk per day. David Ludwig, PhD, professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, says the low-fat dairy drink is loaded with sugar and calories (for context, 2 percent milk has 122 calories and 12.3 grams of sugar per cup). He also says there are plenty of solid foods that provide adequate amounts of calcium.
“Fat is an essential nutrient that provides many benefits. It slows digestion and provides satiety after a meal,” Ludwig told Yahoo! Shine. “But simply reducing fat doesn’t promote weight loss or improve cardiovascular health, because those calories are typically replaced by refined carbohydrate—just witness the low-fat Twinkie.”
And chocolate milk is even worse. “Reduced-fat chocolate milk has about the same calories as unsweetened whole milk, 3 grams less saturated fat, and 15 grams more sugar,” Ludwig said. “This substitution of sugar for fat lowers nutritional quality, especially for children who are already overloaded on sugar.”
What’s more, he says, people who eat well may not even need the recommended three serving of milk. “We can satisfy all our calcium and other nutrient requirements from a high-quality diet, including green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and perhaps fish,” says Ludwig. “But the marketing of milk has been enormously successful, based on milk sales. And the USDA aims to promote commodities, such as milk. The marketing arm of kale or sardine producers, for example, hasn’t been able to compete.”
Ludwig's paper even suggests that the consumption of any kind of milk may be unnecessary. “From the dawn of our species until the evolutionarily recent domestication of large animals, humans consumed absolutely no dairy milk,” he told Shine. “Even today, a majority of the world’s population drinks little to no animal milk. However, milk and related products can be part of a nutritious diet. But the recommendation for virtually everyone to drink three cups a day is excessive and not evidence based.” He recommends broadening the guidelines to zero to three cups daily, based on people’s individual diets.
A spokesperson for the American Dairy Association and the National Dairy Council told Yahoo! Shine in an email:
"The American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc promotes the USDA guidelines that recommend 3 servings of low fat milk a day. Because 73 percent of the calcium available in the food supply is provided by milk and milk products (source: International Dairy Foods Association), it is difficult to get recommended levels of calcium by consuming non-dairy sources. For instance, you would have to consume 3 cups of cooked kale to equal the amount of calcium in one cup of 2 percent milk. Milk also provides eight other essential nutrients in the diet including vitamins A, D, B12 and protein."
Given the high obesity rate—a new Gallup report found that the rate in the United States is 27.1, up from last year’s 26.2—reduced-fat milk seemed like a smarter solution than its slimmer counterpart, skim (one Harvard study found that it leads to weight gain in girls and fat-free foods generally aren’t as satiating because fat digests slowly, allowing the body to feel full longer). Adults have expanded palates to allow for more varied diets, but what does the research mean for kids?
“The push for kids to drink milk is about making sure they get their recommended amount of calcium. Kids under the age of 2 should drink full-fat milk for brain development and that amount can vary; kids ages 2 to 10 need 800-2,000 milligrams, and adults need 1,200 to 2,000 milligrams,” Lisa Kaufman, a pediatrician at Village Pediatrics in New York City told Yahoo! Shine.
“Many parents would be thrilled if their kids ate lots of leafy greens but most kids won’t, so milk is easy and kids tend to like it, especially in their cereal, until the ages of 5 to 7. After that, they tend to lose the taste for it or are exposed to beverages such as soda and energy drinks,” she said.
“As a pediatrician, I might recommend whole milk—it’s only four percent fat, which may surprise people—or reduced fat milk, but it depends on what else the child is eating,” she says. “Right now,reduced-fat milk is the best option we have.”
Click green for further info
Source:July 1, 2013 the journal JAMA Pediatrics
______________________________________________________________________________
refute= prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove
Important info
Reduced-fat milk OR any milk —
does it really do a body good?
Not necessarily -- reduced-fat milk is sugary and caloric, according to the results of a study published July 1, 2013
in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. (Jama = Journal of American Medical Association)
One Harvard professor is challenging current recommendations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Academy of Pediatrics that people of all ages drink three servings of reduced-fat milk per day. David Ludwig, PhD, professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, says the low-fat dairy drink is loaded with sugar and calories (for context, 2 percent milk has 122 calories and 12.3 grams of sugar per cup). He also says there are plenty of solid foods that provide adequate amounts of calcium.
“Fat is an essential nutrient that provides many benefits. It slows digestion and provides satiety after a meal,” Ludwig told Yahoo! Shine. “But simply reducing fat doesn’t promote weight loss or improve cardiovascular health, because those calories are typically replaced by refined carbohydrate—just witness the low-fat Twinkie.”
And chocolate milk is even worse. “Reduced-fat chocolate milk has about the same calories as unsweetened whole milk, 3 grams less saturated fat, and 15 grams more sugar,” Ludwig said. “This substitution of sugar for fat lowers nutritional quality, especially for children who are already overloaded on sugar.”
What’s more, he says, people who eat well may not even need the recommended three serving of milk. “We can satisfy all our calcium and other nutrient requirements from a high-quality diet, including green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds and perhaps fish,” says Ludwig. “But the marketing of milk has been enormously successful, based on milk sales. And the USDA aims to promote commodities, such as milk. The marketing arm of kale or sardine producers, for example, hasn’t been able to compete.”
Ludwig's paper even suggests that the consumption of any kind of milk may be unnecessary. “From the dawn of our species until the evolutionarily recent domestication of large animals, humans consumed absolutely no dairy milk,” he told Shine. “Even today, a majority of the world’s population drinks little to no animal milk. However, milk and related products can be part of a nutritious diet. But the recommendation for virtually everyone to drink three cups a day is excessive and not evidence based.” He recommends broadening the guidelines to zero to three cups daily, based on people’s individual diets.
A spokesperson for the American Dairy Association and the National Dairy Council told Yahoo! Shine in an email:
"The American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc promotes the USDA guidelines that recommend 3 servings of low fat milk a day. Because 73 percent of the calcium available in the food supply is provided by milk and milk products (source: International Dairy Foods Association), it is difficult to get recommended levels of calcium by consuming non-dairy sources. For instance, you would have to consume 3 cups of cooked kale to equal the amount of calcium in one cup of 2 percent milk. Milk also provides eight other essential nutrients in the diet including vitamins A, D, B12 and protein."
Given the high obesity rate—a new Gallup report found that the rate in the United States is 27.1, up from last year’s 26.2—reduced-fat milk seemed like a smarter solution than its slimmer counterpart, skim (one Harvard study found that it leads to weight gain in girls and fat-free foods generally aren’t as satiating because fat digests slowly, allowing the body to feel full longer). Adults have expanded palates to allow for more varied diets, but what does the research mean for kids?
“The push for kids to drink milk is about making sure they get their recommended amount of calcium. Kids under the age of 2 should drink full-fat milk for brain development and that amount can vary; kids ages 2 to 10 need 800-2,000 milligrams, and adults need 1,200 to 2,000 milligrams,” Lisa Kaufman, a pediatrician at Village Pediatrics in New York City told Yahoo! Shine.
“Many parents would be thrilled if their kids ate lots of leafy greens but most kids won’t, so milk is easy and kids tend to like it, especially in their cereal, until the ages of 5 to 7. After that, they tend to lose the taste for it or are exposed to beverages such as soda and energy drinks,” she said.
“As a pediatrician, I might recommend whole milk—it’s only four percent fat, which may surprise people—or reduced fat milk, but it depends on what else the child is eating,” she says. “Right now,reduced-fat milk is the best option we have.”
Click green for further info
Source:July 1, 2013 the journal JAMA Pediatrics
______________________________________________________________________________
Education: A Predictor of Longer Life - below
STAF,Inc.'s: Comment to this article:
Excellent level of information . Knowledge, yes: applied knowledge, is the key to a long life.
The article below refers to the level and length of our education (High School, College, University) and shows: the broader the education the better choices we make and the longer we stay healthy and the longer we live.
The same principle applies to becoming financially rich. Education & applied knowledge is power.
Education: A Predictor of Longer Life
By Philip Moeller
U.S.News & World Report
This is for your personal use, only
If you want to know how long you will live, you might stop fretting over genetics and family history and instead look at your educational achievements. Education is certainly not the only variable associated with longer lives, but it may be the most powerful.
[See Top 10 U.S. Places for Healthcare.]
Recent study findings published in the journal Health Affairs present a remarkable update to the already considerable research showing education to be a powerful predictor of longer life spans.
"The lifelong relationships of education and its correlates with health and longevity are striking," the article said. "Education exerts its direct beneficial effects on health through the adoption of healthier lifestyles, better ability to cope with stress, and more effective management of chronic diseases. However, the indirect effects of education through access to more privileged social position, better-paying jobs, and higher income are also profound."
While the findings are good news for educated Americans, they also indicate that medical and lifestyle breakthroughs that have triggered the much-publicized longevity revolution are not being enjoyed by less-educated Americans whose lifespans have fallen further behind over time. This trend has implications for the debate about raising the Social Security retirement age. It also adds a compelling mortality tale to the economic costs of the nation's falling educational-achievement levels compared with other nations.
Within U.S. racial groups, educational achievement is associated with significant longevity benefits. But compared across racial groups, the longevity gap is even greater, which indicates continued race-based differences in how long Americans live. The Health Affairs article was co-authored by 15 leading academic experts in aging and longevity. The research was conducted by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society.
[See 10 Things Aging Americans Want.]
"We found that in 2008 U.S. adult men and women with fewer than twelve years of education had life expectancies not much better than those of all adults in the 1950s and 1960s," the article said. "When race and education are combined, the disparity is even more striking."
Within racial and ethnic groups, there was a pronounced longevity benefit when comparing people with 16 or more years of school with those with less than 12 years. Among women, the differences in life expectancy at birth were 10.4 years among whites, 6.5 years among blacks, and 2.9 years for Hispanics. Among men, the gaps were 12.9 years among whites, 9.7 years among blacks, and 5.5 years for Hispanics.
But the differences were more striking across all racial groups. "White U.S. men and women with 16 years or more of schooling had life expectancies far greater than black Americans with fewer than 12 years of education--14.2 years more for white men than black men, and 10.3 years more for white women than black women," the article said.
"These gaps have widened over time and have led to at least two 'Americas,' if not multiple others, in terms of life expectancy, demarcated by level of education and racial-group membership." Compared with similar 1990 measures, by 2008, the gap among men had widened by nearly a year, and among women, by more than two-and-a-half years.
[See Tips on Social Security Spousal Benefits.]
"The current life expectancy at birth for U.S. blacks with fewer than twelve years of education is equivalent to the life expectancy observed in the 1960s and 1970s for all people in the United States, but blacks' longevity has been improving with time," the article said.
That hasn't been the case for whites. "White males with fewer than twelve years of education currently have a life expectancy at birth equivalent to that of all men in the United States born in 1972, while white females with similar education have the life expectancy of all women in the country born in 1964," it added. "And the longevity of these white males and females is growing worse over time."
The impact of education on lifespans is so powerful, the authors said, that improving people's health and lifestyle behaviors alone "are not likely to have a major impact on disparities in longevity." The authors called on policymakers to "implement educational enhancements at young, middle, and older ages for people of all races, to reduce the large gap in health and longevity that persists today."
More From US News & World Report
By Philip Moeller
U.S.News & World Report
This is for your personal use, only
If you want to know how long you will live, you might stop fretting over genetics and family history and instead look at your educational achievements. Education is certainly not the only variable associated with longer lives, but it may be the most powerful.
[See Top 10 U.S. Places for Healthcare.]
Recent study findings published in the journal Health Affairs present a remarkable update to the already considerable research showing education to be a powerful predictor of longer life spans.
"The lifelong relationships of education and its correlates with health and longevity are striking," the article said. "Education exerts its direct beneficial effects on health through the adoption of healthier lifestyles, better ability to cope with stress, and more effective management of chronic diseases. However, the indirect effects of education through access to more privileged social position, better-paying jobs, and higher income are also profound."
While the findings are good news for educated Americans, they also indicate that medical and lifestyle breakthroughs that have triggered the much-publicized longevity revolution are not being enjoyed by less-educated Americans whose lifespans have fallen further behind over time. This trend has implications for the debate about raising the Social Security retirement age. It also adds a compelling mortality tale to the economic costs of the nation's falling educational-achievement levels compared with other nations.
Within U.S. racial groups, educational achievement is associated with significant longevity benefits. But compared across racial groups, the longevity gap is even greater, which indicates continued race-based differences in how long Americans live. The Health Affairs article was co-authored by 15 leading academic experts in aging and longevity. The research was conducted by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society.
[See 10 Things Aging Americans Want.]
"We found that in 2008 U.S. adult men and women with fewer than twelve years of education had life expectancies not much better than those of all adults in the 1950s and 1960s," the article said. "When race and education are combined, the disparity is even more striking."
Within racial and ethnic groups, there was a pronounced longevity benefit when comparing people with 16 or more years of school with those with less than 12 years. Among women, the differences in life expectancy at birth were 10.4 years among whites, 6.5 years among blacks, and 2.9 years for Hispanics. Among men, the gaps were 12.9 years among whites, 9.7 years among blacks, and 5.5 years for Hispanics.
But the differences were more striking across all racial groups. "White U.S. men and women with 16 years or more of schooling had life expectancies far greater than black Americans with fewer than 12 years of education--14.2 years more for white men than black men, and 10.3 years more for white women than black women," the article said.
"These gaps have widened over time and have led to at least two 'Americas,' if not multiple others, in terms of life expectancy, demarcated by level of education and racial-group membership." Compared with similar 1990 measures, by 2008, the gap among men had widened by nearly a year, and among women, by more than two-and-a-half years.
[See Tips on Social Security Spousal Benefits.]
"The current life expectancy at birth for U.S. blacks with fewer than twelve years of education is equivalent to the life expectancy observed in the 1960s and 1970s for all people in the United States, but blacks' longevity has been improving with time," the article said.
That hasn't been the case for whites. "White males with fewer than twelve years of education currently have a life expectancy at birth equivalent to that of all men in the United States born in 1972, while white females with similar education have the life expectancy of all women in the country born in 1964," it added. "And the longevity of these white males and females is growing worse over time."
The impact of education on lifespans is so powerful, the authors said, that improving people's health and lifestyle behaviors alone "are not likely to have a major impact on disparities in longevity." The authors called on policymakers to "implement educational enhancements at young, middle, and older ages for people of all races, to reduce the large gap in health and longevity that persists today."
More From US News & World Report
- Best U.S. States to Live-in 2032
- Updating Your Retirement-Savings Calculations
- Making the Most of a Disappointing Retirement Nest Egg
- _________________________________________
Learning Wine Culture
For added information, click the green areas
Until five years ago, I assumed that wine fanatics were crazy. Sure, I enjoyed wine.
But it was simply a drink—a beverage to enjoy with dinner from time to time.
And then I put my nose in a glass of Syrah from Failla, a boutique winery in Napa Valley, and something clicked. How could such a simple beverage—fermented grape juice—have such a seductive bouquet? And how could it taste so good?
I knew nothing of tasting notes at the time, but when I learned that a well-known wine critic had described the wine as “explosive and wild” and complimented its “aromas of raspberry, game, truffle, smoke and leather, with notes of pepper and beefsteak tomato,” it all made sense.
So I dove into the world of wine: taking classes, reading books, and tasting as much as I could.
Taste and Learn
These days, I’m frequently asked how one should learn about wine. While every approach is helpful, tasting is the most valuable. Even simple questions, like your go-to varietal on an average weeknight, are impossible to answer until you’ve tasted several different wines.
If you prefer white wine, for example, do you seek out ones that are crisp and light, like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc?
Or do you prefer wines that are buttery and ripe, like California Chardonnay?
If you prefer red, do you seek out big, “jammy” wines, like Australian Shiraz, or the more restrained profile of French Pinot Noir?
Once wine becomes a passion, those hard-to-pronounce regions in Europe become much easier to remember—so long as you’ve tasted the wines. Those flaws that sommeliers can spot become obvious to you as well—so long as you’ve tasted enough wine to encounter them.
Tasting can be as simple as heading to your local wine shop when several bottles are open. Getting together with friends and asking each person to bring something different is another way to taste several wines in one sitting.
My favorite tasting for those who are just getting into wine is a bit more formal. I select four varietals—generally Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah—and open two bottles of each; one from the New World and one from the Old World.
The stereotype tells us that New World wines are fruitier than their Old World counterparts. While one can find wines that debunk this stereotype, it’s based in truth. So I purposefully seek out wines that fit the stereotype.
I serve everything blind, pouring the wines from paper bags to mask where they’re from.
Recognizing the differences should be obvious, even to novices.
Intimations of Flavor
The aromatics of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc are extremely intense, typically offering fresh-cut grass, gooseberries, and grapefruit. French Sauvignon Blanc, especially from Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, presents more subtle aromatics, like chalk and white flowers.
Chardonnay provides a similar contrast. While California Chardonnays are characterized by tropical fruits and butter, French Chardonnays are marked by tart fruits, like green apples and lime.
When Pinot Noir comes from warmer regions of California, like Napa Valley and Carneros, it presents aromatics of sweet fruits, such as black cherries. In the French region of Burgundy, Pinot Noir generally offers aromas of tart cherries and earth.
The differences between Syrah can be stunning.
In Australia, winemakers usually produce fruit bombs (think gobs of ripe blackberries and licorice). French Syrah is more restrained, typically marked by blueberries, meat, and pepper.
Neither Old World nor New World is “better” (my preference shifts all the time, depending on my mood), but looking for these differences is extremely educational. And when the paper bag comes off each bottle, it’s fun to see whether or not you correctly guessed the origin of each wine.
Related ArticlesThis is just one concept for a formal tasting. One can just as easily host a “wine on a budget” tasting, selecting several bottles under $10, or a “horizontal” tasting—focusing on one varietal, from one region, from one year, or selecting wines from several producers.
Just remember to keep it fun.
By David White, a wine writer, is the founder and editor of Terroirist.com.
His columns are housed at Wines.com, the fastest growing wine portal on the Internet.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
This is for your private use, only
_________________________
For added information, click the green areas
Until five years ago, I assumed that wine fanatics were crazy. Sure, I enjoyed wine.
But it was simply a drink—a beverage to enjoy with dinner from time to time.
And then I put my nose in a glass of Syrah from Failla, a boutique winery in Napa Valley, and something clicked. How could such a simple beverage—fermented grape juice—have such a seductive bouquet? And how could it taste so good?
I knew nothing of tasting notes at the time, but when I learned that a well-known wine critic had described the wine as “explosive and wild” and complimented its “aromas of raspberry, game, truffle, smoke and leather, with notes of pepper and beefsteak tomato,” it all made sense.
So I dove into the world of wine: taking classes, reading books, and tasting as much as I could.
Taste and Learn
These days, I’m frequently asked how one should learn about wine. While every approach is helpful, tasting is the most valuable. Even simple questions, like your go-to varietal on an average weeknight, are impossible to answer until you’ve tasted several different wines.
If you prefer white wine, for example, do you seek out ones that are crisp and light, like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc?
Or do you prefer wines that are buttery and ripe, like California Chardonnay?
If you prefer red, do you seek out big, “jammy” wines, like Australian Shiraz, or the more restrained profile of French Pinot Noir?
Once wine becomes a passion, those hard-to-pronounce regions in Europe become much easier to remember—so long as you’ve tasted the wines. Those flaws that sommeliers can spot become obvious to you as well—so long as you’ve tasted enough wine to encounter them.
Tasting can be as simple as heading to your local wine shop when several bottles are open. Getting together with friends and asking each person to bring something different is another way to taste several wines in one sitting.
My favorite tasting for those who are just getting into wine is a bit more formal. I select four varietals—generally Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah—and open two bottles of each; one from the New World and one from the Old World.
The stereotype tells us that New World wines are fruitier than their Old World counterparts. While one can find wines that debunk this stereotype, it’s based in truth. So I purposefully seek out wines that fit the stereotype.
I serve everything blind, pouring the wines from paper bags to mask where they’re from.
Recognizing the differences should be obvious, even to novices.
Intimations of Flavor
The aromatics of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc are extremely intense, typically offering fresh-cut grass, gooseberries, and grapefruit. French Sauvignon Blanc, especially from Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, presents more subtle aromatics, like chalk and white flowers.
Chardonnay provides a similar contrast. While California Chardonnays are characterized by tropical fruits and butter, French Chardonnays are marked by tart fruits, like green apples and lime.
When Pinot Noir comes from warmer regions of California, like Napa Valley and Carneros, it presents aromatics of sweet fruits, such as black cherries. In the French region of Burgundy, Pinot Noir generally offers aromas of tart cherries and earth.
The differences between Syrah can be stunning.
In Australia, winemakers usually produce fruit bombs (think gobs of ripe blackberries and licorice). French Syrah is more restrained, typically marked by blueberries, meat, and pepper.
Neither Old World nor New World is “better” (my preference shifts all the time, depending on my mood), but looking for these differences is extremely educational. And when the paper bag comes off each bottle, it’s fun to see whether or not you correctly guessed the origin of each wine.
Related ArticlesThis is just one concept for a formal tasting. One can just as easily host a “wine on a budget” tasting, selecting several bottles under $10, or a “horizontal” tasting—focusing on one varietal, from one region, from one year, or selecting wines from several producers.
Just remember to keep it fun.
By David White, a wine writer, is the founder and editor of Terroirist.com.
His columns are housed at Wines.com, the fastest growing wine portal on the Internet.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
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In STAF, Inc.'s scale 0-10 this article below is 9
People Dying of Diabetes Who Never Knew They Had It, Study Finds
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People who don't know they have Type 1 diabetes may account for a surprising number of deaths from one complication of the condition, a new study says.
Nearly a third of people in Maryland who died over a six-year period from diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition of severe insulin deficiency, had no known history of diabetes, the study of autopsy results found.
While the researchers weren't able to definitively tell whether those who died had Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes,
their high blood sugar levels suggest they probably had Type 1, said study researcher Dr.Zabiullah Ali, the assistant medical examiner for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Maryland.
The finding highlights the need for regular physicals that include checking blood sugar levels, especially if warning signs of diabetes are present, the researchers said.
The study was published in the September issue of the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.
What happens when the body runs out of sugar
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a complication of diabetes that occurs when body cells don't have enough glucose (sugar) to use for energy, so they switch to burning fat instead. (Body cells need insulin in order to take up sugar from the bloodstream; in people with Type 1 diabetes, little or no insulin is produced.)
Breaking down fat for energy produces molecules called ketones, which are acids and can build up in the blood. If ketone levels climb too high, they can poison the body, causing chemical imbalances that can lead to coma, or death.
In the study, Ali and colleagues looked at 20,406 autopsies and found 107 people who had died from diabetic ketoacidosis, although only 92 had data available for further review.
Out of the 92 cases, they found that 60 people were previously diagnosed with diabetes, while 32 were not.
Source:
LiveScience.com
This is for your personal use, only
_______________________________________
People Dying of Diabetes Who Never Knew They Had It, Study Finds
Click green areas for further information
People who don't know they have Type 1 diabetes may account for a surprising number of deaths from one complication of the condition, a new study says.
Nearly a third of people in Maryland who died over a six-year period from diabetic ketoacidosis, a condition of severe insulin deficiency, had no known history of diabetes, the study of autopsy results found.
While the researchers weren't able to definitively tell whether those who died had Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes,
their high blood sugar levels suggest they probably had Type 1, said study researcher Dr.Zabiullah Ali, the assistant medical examiner for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Maryland.
The finding highlights the need for regular physicals that include checking blood sugar levels, especially if warning signs of diabetes are present, the researchers said.
The study was published in the September issue of the American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology.
What happens when the body runs out of sugar
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a complication of diabetes that occurs when body cells don't have enough glucose (sugar) to use for energy, so they switch to burning fat instead. (Body cells need insulin in order to take up sugar from the bloodstream; in people with Type 1 diabetes, little or no insulin is produced.)
Breaking down fat for energy produces molecules called ketones, which are acids and can build up in the blood. If ketone levels climb too high, they can poison the body, causing chemical imbalances that can lead to coma, or death.
In the study, Ali and colleagues looked at 20,406 autopsies and found 107 people who had died from diabetic ketoacidosis, although only 92 had data available for further review.
Out of the 92 cases, they found that 60 people were previously diagnosed with diabetes, while 32 were not.
Source:
LiveScience.com
This is for your personal use, only
_______________________________________
In the STAF, Inc.'s scale 0-10 this article is 9
Comments by STAF, Inc.
What kind of milk do you drink (if you drink milk)?
Is it full of hormones, residues of medications that risk human life.
This article proves that the proper handling of our milk-producing cows demands no use of pharmaceuticals.
Where Cows Are Happy and Food Is Healthy
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By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
YAMHILL, Ore.
FOOD can be depressing. If it’s tasty, it’s carcinogenic. If it’s cheap, animals were tortured.
But this, miraculously, is a happy column about food! It’s about a farmer who names all his 230 milk cows, along with his 200 heifers and calves, and loves them like children.
Let me introduce Bob Bansen, a high school buddy of mine who is a third-generation dairyman raising Jersey cows on lovely green pastures here in Oregon beside the Yamhill River. Bob, 53, a lanky, self-deprecating man with an easy laugh, is an example of a farmer who has figured out how to make a good living running a farm that is efficient but also has soul.
As long as I’ve known him, Bob has had names for every one of his “girls,” as he calls his cows. Walk through the pasture with him, and he’ll introduce you to them.
“I spend every day with these girls,” Bob explained. “I know most of my cows both by the head and by the udder. You learn to recognize them from both directions.”
“This is Hosta,” he began, and then started pointing out the others nearby. “Jill. Sophia. This is Kimona. Edie would be the spotted one lying there. Pesto is the black one standing up. In front of her is Clare. Next to her is Pasta, who is Pesto’s daughter.”
I asked about Jill, and Bob rattled off her specs. She is now producing about eight gallons a day, with particularly high protein and butterfat content. Jill’s mother was Jolly, a favorite of Bob’s. When Jolly grew old and unproductive, he traded her to a small family farm in exchange for a ham so she could live out her retirement with dignity.
When I pushed for Bob’s secret to tell the cows apart, he explained: “They have family resemblances. They look like their mothers.”
Oh, that helps.
As a farmkid myself, growing up with Bob here in the rolling green hills of Yamhill, where the Willamette Valley meets the coastal range, I’ve been saddened to see American farms turn into food factories. Just this year, I’ve written about hens jammed in cages, with dead birds left to rot beside the survivors, and about industrial farms that try to gain a financial edge by pumping chickens full of arsenic, antibiotics, Tylenol and even Prozac.
Yet all is not lost. Family farms can still thrive, while caring for animals and producing safe and healthy food.
For Bob, a crucial step came when he switched to organic production eight years ago. A Stanford study has cast doubt on whether organic food is more nutritious, but it affirms that organic food does contain fewer pesticides and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Bob’s big worry in switching to organic production was whether cows would stay healthy without routine use of antibiotics because pharmaceutical salesmen were always pushing them as essential. Indeed, about 80 percent of antibiotics in the United States go to farm animals — leading to the risk of more antibiotic-resistant microbes, which already cause infections that kill some 100,000 Americans annually.
Bob nervously began to experiment by withholding antibiotics. To his astonishment, the cows didn’t get infections; on the contrary, their health improved. He realized that by inserting antibiotics, he may have been introducing pathogens into the udder. As long as cows are kept clean and are given pasture rather than cooped up in filthy barns, there’s no need to shower them with antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals, he says.
Many cows in America now live out their lives in huge dairy barns, eating grain and hay and pumping out milk. But evidence is growing that cows don’t do well when locked up, so now many dairies are reverting to the traditional approach of sending cows out to pasture on grass.
“Pasture does wonders for cow health,” Bob said. “There’s so much evidence that they are much happier out there. You can extend their lives so much by keeping them off concrete, so the trend is going that way.”
Is it a soggy sentimentality for farmers to want their cows to be happy? Shouldn’t a businessman just worry about the bottom line?
Bob frowned. “For productivity, it’s important to have happy cows,” he said. “If a cow is at her maximum health and her maximum contentedness, she’s profitable. I don’t even really manage my farm so much from a fiscal standpoint as from a cow standpoint, because I know that, if I take care of those cows, the bottom line will take care of itself.”
This isn’t to say that Bob’s farm is a charity hostel. When cows age and their milk production drops, farmers slaughter them. Bob has always found that part of dairying tough, so, increasingly, he uses the older cows to suckle steers. That way the geriatric cows bring in revenue to cover their expenses and their day of reckoning can be postponed — indefinitely, in the case of his favorite cows.
I teased Bob about running a bovine retirement home, and he smiled unapologetically.
“I feel good about it,” he said simply. “They support me as much as I support them, so it’s easy to get attached to them. I want to work hard for them because they’ve taken good care of me.”
Like many farmers, Bob frets about regulations and reporting requirements, but he also sympathizes with recent animal rights laws meant to improve the treatment of livestock and poultry.
“You hate to have it go to legislation, but we need to protect the animals,” he said. “They’re living things, and you have to treat them right.”
Granted, such a humane attitude may be easier to apply to dairying than to poultry. It’s tough for cage-free poultry farms to compete economically with huge industrial operations that raise millions of birds jammed into cages, and healthy food that is good for humans and animals in some cases will cost more.
Moreover, we’re never going to revert to the kind of agriculture that existed a century ago. Bob’s 600 acres used to be farmed by five different families, and that consolidation won’t be undone. But neither is it inevitable that consolidation will continue indefinitely so that America’s farms end up as vast, industrial, soulless food factories.
I loved growing up on a sheep and cherry farm, even if that did mean getting up at 3 a.m. in the winter to check for newborn lambs, and I hope medium-size family farms remain a pillar of rural America. As Bob’s dairy shows, food need not come at the cost of animal or human health and welfare. We need not wince when we contemplate where our food comes from.
The next time you drink an Organic Valley glass of milk, it may have come from one of Bob’s cows. If so, you can bet it was a happy cow. And it has a name.
I invite you to comment on this column on my blog, On the Ground. Please also join me on Facebook and Google+, watch my YouTube videosand follow me on Twitter.
Source: NYT
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Study the next article below relating to the cows and what they can eat scientifically safe
when some cattle feed prices have soared
It has interesting information
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Study the article just next above relating to the cows
The article next above proves that the proper handling of our milk-producing cows demands no use of pharmaceuticals
Sweet times for cows as gummy worms replace costly corn feed
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) - Mike Yoder's herd of dairy cattle are living the sweet life. With corn feed scarcer and costlier than ever, Yoder increasingly is looking for cheaper alternatives -- and this summer he found a good deal on ice cream sprinkles.
"It's a pretty colorful load," said Yoder, who operates about 450 dairy cows on his farm in northern Indiana. "Anything that keeps the feed costs down."
As the worst drought in half a century has ravaged this year's U.S. corn crop and driven corn pricessky high, the market for alternative feed rations for beef and dairy cows has also skyrocketed. Brokers are gathering up discarded food products and putting them out for the highest bid to feed lot operators and dairy producers, who are scrambling to keep their animals fed.
In the mix are cookies, gummy worms, marshmallows, fruit loops, orange peels, even dried cranberries. Cattlemen are feeding virtually anything they can get their hands on that will replace the starchy sugar content traditionally delivered to the animals through corn.
"Everybody is looking for alternatives," said Ki Fanning, a nutritionist with Great Plains Livestock Consulting in Eagle, Nebraska. "It's kind of funny the first time you see it but it works well. The big advantage to that is you can turn something you normally throw away into something that can be consumed. The amazing thing about a ruminant, a cow, you can take those type of ingredients and turn them into food."
PRICING VARIES
Feed is generally the largest single production expense for cattle operators. Whatever is fed needs to supply energy and protein levels that meet the animals' nutritional needs. High prices for soy has operators seeking alternatives for both corn and soy.
Corn alternatives are in particular demand as supplies are so tight that in some areas of the country, feed corn is not available at any price.
Pricing and availability of the many different "co-products" as they are called, varies from place to place, but buyers report savings of 10 percent to 50 percent.
The savings for operators are shrinking, however, as savvy resellers tie pricing for their alternative offerings to the price of corn, which surged to record highs this summer due to drought damage.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said last month the harvest now underway will yield the smallestcorn crop in six years due to the drought that is still gripping more than half of the nation.
"They are using less corn in a number of these rations, but as corn prices go up, prices for really every other co-product go up too," said Greg Lardy, head of the animal sciences department at North Dakota State University.
Operators must be careful to follow detailed nutritional analyses for their animals to make sure they are getting a healthy mix of nutrients, animal nutritionists caution. But ruminant animals such as cattle can safely ingest a wide variety of feedstuffs that chickens and hogs can't.
The candy and cookies are only a small part of a broad mix of alternative feed offerings for cattle. Many operators use distillers grains, a byproduct that comes from the manufacture of ethanol. Other common non-corn alternatives include cottonseed hulls, rice products, potato products, peanut pellet.
Wheat "middlings," a byproduct of milling wheat for flour that contain particles of flour, bran, and wheat germ, also are fed.
And every now and then, there is a little chocolate for the hungry cows.
Hansen Mueller Grain out of Omaha, Nebraska, which markets chocolate bars alongside oats and peanut pellets, said it all comes down to fat, sugar and energy.
"That's all it is," said Bran Dill, a spokesman at Hansen Mueller. Demand is high, he said.
But he also said increasing prices are making alternatives less attractive.
"The price of this stuff has gone up so much it's gotten ridiculous," he said.
Source: Reuter News
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Swiss Cows Send Texts to Announce They’re in Heat
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ZOLLIKOFEN, Switzerland — When Christian Oesch was a boy on his family’s hog farm, cellphones were a thing of the future. Now, Mr. Oesch tends a herd of dairy cattle and carries a smartphone wherever he goes. Occasionally he gets an SMS from one of his cows.
That is because Mr. Oesch, 60, who cares for a herd of 44 Red Holstein and Jersey dairy cows, is helping to test a device that implants sensors in cows to let farmers know when they are in heat. When that is the case, the device sends an SMS to the farmer’s phone. The Swiss do not settle for half measures: the SMS can be in any one of Switzerland’s three main languages — German, French and Italian — plus English or Spanish.
If there is anything to be learned from this project, which will bring the devices to market early next year, it is that Heidi’s world of goats — or cows — placidly grazing in Alpine meadows is gradually becoming the stuff of storybooks.
The electronic heat detector is the brainchild of several professors at a technical college in the nearby Swiss capital of Bern. It fills a market gap, they say, because dairy cows, under growing stress to produce larger quantities of milk, are showing fewer and fewer signs of heat. That makes it harder for Swiss farmers to use traditional visual inspections to know when to bring on the bull or, in about 80 percent of the cases these days, the artificial inseminator.
The sensor implanted in the genitals of Fiona or Bella (favorite names for Swiss cows) measures body heat, then transmits the result to a sensor affixed to the cow’s neck that measures body motion. (Cows in heat become restless.) “The results are combined, using algorithms, and if the cow is in heat an SMS is sent to the farmer,” said Claude Brielmann, a computer specialist who helped design the system. The detector on the cow’s neck is equipped with a SIM card so the farmer can pay for the calls.
“Our recognition rate is about 90 percent,” Mr. Brielmann said.
The device, known as a heat detector, raises concerns among animal rights advocates, not so much because of its intrusiveness in the private parts of the cow — its use involves inserting a thermometer with a tiny transmitter and antenna in the cow’s genitals — but because of what it says about the stressful lives of Swiss cows. It also prompts skepticism among dairy farmers, who are startled by its cost, which is expected to be at least $1,400 per unit.
“Will it bring anything financially?” asked Ulrich Tschanz, 76, who raised Red Holsteins in the neighboring town of Oberlindach, where the clanking of cow bells is everywhere, until he turned over his herd of 40 cows to his son some years ago. “Always keep an eye on your cows, keep an eye on them,” he added. “That’s the best.”
But experts say measures taken to increase milk production — adding proteins, minerals and vitamins to their feed— upset the cows’ metabolism, making the device increasingly necessary. “With greater productivity there is a drop in reproductive activity,” said Samuel Kohler, a veterinarian who is among the developers of the device and now serves on the board of the company, called Anemon, that hopes to sell it. “It happens fairly frequently that you miss the right moment.”
Few people anywhere are as sensitive to animal rights as the Swiss, who have some of the toughest animal rights laws in the world. A comprehensive law enacted four years ago, for instance, obliges dog owners to take a course on the proper treatment of their pet and requires that certain animals deemed social, like guinea pigs or canaries, have one or more companions in captivity. (Even the Swiss have their limits. In 2010, voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposed law that would have appointed free lawyers to represent animals in abuse cases.)
Hansuli Huber, the managing director of the Swiss animal rights agency Tierschutz, said the dignity of the cow was less of an issue with the new device. “There is a certain justification,” he said. Yet he added: “The real problem is the cows’ not showing signs of heat, and this is linked with the demands made on cows to produce ever larger quantities of milk.”
Moreover, he said, cows are also calving less frequently than in the past because of stress. “Now maybe they do so three times in their lifetime,” he said. “While 20 or 30 years ago it used to be perhaps seven times.”
Many Swiss accept this reasoning. “It’s a shame that it’s come to this,” said Harri Hofer, 54, a security specialist, as he did his shopping along Zollikofen’s main street.
With global milk prices slumping, productivity is crucial for Swiss cows, whose owners are feeling the financial pinch. According to the government’s Office for Agriculture in Bern, every year some 2 percent of farms like those around Zollikofen shut down, unable to compete with bigger, more efficient producers abroad.
Dr. Kohler said he did not expect significant opposition to the new device. “It’s not cruelty to animals,” he said. “The cows behave very normally. I don’t see a problem.”
Indeed, Mr. Oesch is very pleased with his results so far, despite some early problems. “The first attempts were not trouble free,” he said. “The problem was with the sensors. They were not sturdy enough.”
Occasionally, the device would send a false signal that a cow was in heat, he said. Other times, it failed to detect when one of the cows was in an amorous mood. This week, he said, he would begin testing newer, sturdier models.
Aside from the cow’s love life, mistakes have a negative impact on a farmer’s pocketbook. Missing the right moment can cost Mr. Oesch, who uses artificial insemination, as much as 300 Swiss francs, or about $320, in unused semen.
Even with such results, farmers like Mr. Tschanz reacted soberly, especially given the steep purchase price of the device.
“Cost is important,” said Martin Baumgartner, 33, who is the fourth generation in his family to tend cows here. Only about 20 of his herd of 100 are now milk cows, while the others are more profitable Simmental and Black Angus beef cows.
His neighbor Urs König, 48, who got out of the dairy business a few years ago to focus on hogs, was equally unromantic. “It’s a cost-benefit question,” he said.
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Source:
NYT
By JOHN TAGLIABUE
October 2, 2012
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In the STAF, Inc.'s scale of 0-10 this is 9/12 - Important article - necessary to study
Water Fluoridation Affects Children’s IQ
By W. Gifford-Jones, M.D
On September 28, 2012
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Why, in 1974, didn’t authorities learn from this terrible tragedy? A 3-year-old Brooklyn boy, during his first dental checkup, had fluoride paste applied to his teeth. He was then handed a glass of water, but the hygienist failed to inform him to swish the solution around in his mouth, and then spit it out.
Instead, he drank the water, and a few hours later he was dead from fluoride poisoning. Fluoride is an acute toxin with a rating higher than lead.
I was severely criticized by dentists when I issued a warning about fluoride five years ago. Now, a report from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), says that the use of fluoride causes a decrease in children’s IQ.
Anna Choi, at the HSPH, reports in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives a study involving children from two nearby communities. Researchers discovered that children in the low-fluoride area had a 28 percent chance of being normal, bright, or of high intelligence.
In the high-fluoride area, the figure was 8 percent. They also found that in the low-fluoride community, 6 percent of children suffered from mental retardation compared to 15 percent in the high-fluoride community.
The HSPH says that there are now 23 human and 100 animal studies that link the use of fluoridated water to brain damage. These findings show an increase of aluminum and beta amyloid plaque in the brain, both associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
There’s also a decrease in acetylcholine receptors, which help to transmit nerve messages. These changes could have an adverse effect on a child’s neurodevelopment.
The sole argument favoring fluoridation is that it reduces tooth decay. But several studies, involving as many as 480,000 children, found no beneficial evidence between fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities. In fact, one study showed tooth decay was greater in the fluoridated area! Moreover, dental health in Europe has improved since 1970 without fluoridation.
So why the United States and Canada continue to add a toxic element to our drinking water is hard to fathom. After all, 98 percent of Europe is fluoride-free. Sweden, Germany, Norway, Holland, Denmark, and France stopped using fluoridation 30 years ago. These countries are hardly backward nations.
In 1980, a New Zealand dentist, an ardent supporter of fluoride therapy, was sent by the government on a tour to study fluoridation. He returned an outspoken critic of the treatment.
In 1999, Dr. Hardy Limeback, professor of dentistry at the University of Toronto and former supporter of fluoridation, reported that fluoride might be destroying our bones, teeth, and overall health. He claimed that children under 3 should never use fluoride toothpaste or drink fluoridated water, and mothers should never use tap water to prepare baby formula.
Fluoride passes through the placental barrier, so it could cause problems in the developing brain.
Most parents are not aware of dental fluorosis, a discoloring of teeth due to excess fluoride. In 1940, this mottling of teeth occurred in 10 percent of children’s teeth. Today, in some areas, it’s as high as 55 percent. One reason is that children’s toothpaste tastes good so they swallow too much of it.
I’m not alone in thinking there is no convincing evidence that water should contain 1.5 parts per million (ppm) fluoride, when our bodies have no use for it and when the risk is greater than the benefit. Toothpaste has up to 1,500 ppm, and treatment in a dentist’s office has a whopping 10,000 to 20,000 ppm!
I believe it’s dangerous for health authorities to brush aside the Harvard study. So-called experts are not always right. As Carl Sagan, the noted astronomer, remarked when discussing authoritarian judgments: “Arguments from authorities do not count. Too many authorities have been mistaken too often.”
This is just my opinion about fluoridation, and I could be wrong. But it appears that since the 3-year-old boy died, experts continue to ignore the dangers.
And I’ve learned to be prepared for criticism that invariably descends on me about this issue.
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Source:
Epoc Times
&
Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. His website is DocGiff.com.
He may be contacted at [email protected]
This article is for your private use, only
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- warning -
FOR DIABETICS & PREGNANT WOMEN
For Every Person
Avoid several common chemicals added in soda and other processed products.
For safety and health, to avoid suffering and an early death: prepare your food in your own kitchen using unprocessed, clean ingredients.
Apply this: "If it came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant, do not eat it."
ALWAYS carefully read & study every label in details - if you do not know what the information means study the info on web. The longer the list of ingredients, the unhealthier and dangerous for your body and your life. The more the list of ingredients has words you do not know what they mean, the unhealthier and dangerous for your body and your life.
An orange, an apple, a carrot is what it says - if the word is " kekfjooweoioej", etc. - do NOT eat it - it kills.
DO not drink any soda - drink clean, clear, fresh water.
All sodas have harmful chemicals to every person, healthy or sick.
AVOID POISONOUS CHEMICALS - SAVE YOUR LIFE
______________________
Anticipating the Next Pandemic
STAF, Inc.'s editors decided to place this Pandemic article in this tab handling overweight & obesity.
When a person is overweight or obese, he/she will belong to the group with a greater risk to catch pandemics and epidemics and any other sickness because the person's immune system is clogged & full of killing poisons from wrong lifestyle and wrong nutrition. The immune system fights diseases and in most cases wins the "war". However, a clogged immune system does not have much power or strength to fight anything - and you land on the brink of your grave - too early.
Your choice: Life or Death - Suffering or Happiness
STAF, Inc.'s guidance in this extensive website & in our Radio/TV Shows
will give you a NEW Life with Happiness
(Radio/TV Show tab in this website has more info)
Apply the information daily in your life - you will save your life.
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
Quotation "If it came from a plant - eat it , if it was made in a plant - it kills"
Quotation "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Quotations by Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. President)
______________________________________________
Anticipating the Next Pandemic
Opinion By DAVID QUAMMEN
Bozeman, Mont.
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Pandemic (adj. & noun) (definition)
1. (of a disease) prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area.
2. general; universal: pandemic fear of atomic war.
Compare:
Epidemic (adj. & noun) (definition) , also Epidemical (adj.)
1. (of a disease) affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent. 2. extremely prevalent; widespread. 3. a temporary prevalence of a disease.
4. a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something: an epidemic of riots.
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BAD news is always interesting, especially when it starts small and threatens to grow large, like the little cloud on the distant horizon, no bigger than “a man’s hand,” that is destined to rise as a thunderhead (1 Kings 18:44). That’s why we read so avidly about the recent outbreaks of Ebola virus disease among villages in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and about West Nile fever in the area around Dallas (where 15 have died of it since July). And that’s why, early this month, heads turned toward Yosemite National Park after the announcement of a third death from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome among recent visitors there.
Humans die in large numbers every day, every hour, from heart failure and automobile crashes and the dreary effects of poverty; but strange new infectious diseases, even when the death tolls are low, call up a more urgent sort of attention. Why?
There’s a tangle of reasons, no doubt, but one is obvious: whenever an outbreak occurs, we all ask ourselves whether it might herald the Next Big One.
What I mean by the Next Big One is a pandemic of some newly emerging or re-emerging infectious disease, a global health catastrophe in which millions die. The influenza epidemic of 1918-19 was a big one, killing about 50 million people worldwide. The Hong Kong flu of 1968-69 was biggish, causing at least a million deaths. AIDS has killed some 30 million and counting. Scientists who study this subject — virologists, molecular geneticists, epidemiologists, disease ecologists — stress its complexity but tend to agree on a few points.
Yes, there probably will be a Next Big One, they say. It will most likely be caused by a virus, not by a bacterium or some other kind of bug. More specifically, we should expect an RNA virus (specifically, one that bears its genome as a single molecular strand), as distinct from a DNA virus (carrying its info on the reliable double helix, less prone to mutation, therefore less variable and adaptable). Finally, this RNA virus will almost certainly be zoonotic — a pathogen that emerges from some nonhuman animal to infect, and spread among, human beings.
The influenzas are zoonoses. They emerge from wild aquatic birds, sometimes with a pig as an intermediary host on the way to humanity. AIDS is a zoonosis; the pandemic strain of H.I.V. emerged about a century ago from a single Cameroonian chimpanzee. Ebola is a zoonosis. The Ebola viruses (there are five known species) abide inconspicuously in some as yet unidentified creature or creatures native to Central African forests, spilling over occasionally to kill gorillas and chimps and people. SARS is a zoonosis that emerged from a Chinese bat, fanned out of Hong Kong to the wider world, threatened to be the Next Big One, and then was stopped — barely — by fast and excellent medical science.
And the hantaviruses, of which there are many known species (Andes virus, Black Creek Canal virus, Muleshoe virus, Seoul virus, Puumala virus and dozens more), come out of rodents. The species of hantavirus at large in Yosemite is called Sin Nombre — “nameless” — virus, and is the same one that erupted famously, and lethally, at the Four Corners in 1993. Its primary host is the deer mouse, one of the most widely distributed and abundant vertebrates in North America. The virus makes its way from dried mouse urine or feces into airborne dust, and from airborne dust into human lungs. If that happens to you, you’re in trouble. There’s no treatment, and the fatality rate for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the infection in severe form, runs at about 40 percent.
You don’t have to go to Yosemite and sleep in a dusty cabin to put yourself close to a hantavirus. Although one expert, recently quoted by Scientific American, called it a “very rare” kind of virus, that view doesn’t square with the studies I’ve read or the testimony of hantavirus researchers I’ve interviewed. The virus seems to be relatively common, at least among deer mice. A 2008 study done at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite found that 24 percent of local deer mice had the antibody for the virus, signaling a past or current infection. One mouse in four is worryingly high. Among these mouse populations nationwide, the prevalence of the antibody seems to vary from as low as zero to as high as 49 percent, or one in two mice.
The question this raises is: Why aren’t more people dying from Sin Nombre virus? The answer seems to be that, although very dangerous when caught, it’s not easy to catch, despite its presence in mouse-infested sheds and trailers and garages and barns across much of America. This is because it doesn’t pass from person to person — only from mouse to mouse, and from mouse excretions to one unlucky person or another, each of whom represents a dead-end host. (The “dead” of that “dead-end” may be figurative or literal.) It’s not a “very rare” virus; it’s a common virus known only rarely to infect humans, and with no ramifying chains of human contagion. So the Next Big One is not likely to be Sin Nombre.
Nor is it likely to be Ebola, which is transmissible from human to human through direct contact with bodily fluids, but can be stopped by preventing such contact. Furthermore, Ebola burns so hotly in its victims, incapacitating and killing so quickly, that it is poorly adapted to achieve global dispersal. Only one human has ever been known to leave Africa with a rampant Ebola virus infection — and that was a Swiss woman, evacuated in 1994 to a hospital in Basel. If you want to be grateful for something today, be grateful for that: Ebola doesn’t fly.
WE should recognize such blessings, and try to focus our deepest concerns on real global dangers. Too often, we’re distracted from good scientific information by yellow journalism and the frisson of melodrama. Ebola is charismatic, the demon that people love to fear. Other lurid candidates, like hantavirus and SARS, also get their share of headlines. When you mention emerging diseases, people’s responses tend to fall at the two ends of a spectrum. Some folks are mesmerized by the dark possibilities and the garish but unrepresentative cases. Others are dismissive, rolling their eyes at the prospect of having to contemplate still another category of dire monition. They want you to cut to the chase. “Are we all gonna die?” they ask. Or they say: “Fine, so what can we do about these bugs?”
Yes, we are all going to die, though most of us not from a strange disease newly emerged from a mouse or a chimp. And there are things we can do: get a flu vaccination; support calls for research; avoid coughing people on airplanes; apply mosquito repellent; wear a mask when you sweep out your old shed; don’t eat any chimpanzee meat from an animal found dead in the forest. But the concrete measures are limited by time, place and circumstance. The broader response is more basic: learn, absorb, understand. Don’t start trying to apply your knowledge until you have some.
Among the other unsettling disease news this summer, you’ve probably seen mention of influenza, that old familiar zoonosis, quite capable of devastation and melodrama all its own. Yes, there’s a new flu bug, a nasty variant of the H1N2 strain, suspected now to be traveling through pigs at state fairs. The influenzas are protean and explosive. Keep your eyes on that one.
Hantavirus in Yosemite is a little cloud that seems likely to stay little. This doesn’t mean that the great dark thunderhead isn’t coming. It just speaks to the need for a bit of informed judgment about which sector of the horizon we should watch.
David Quammen is the author of the forthcoming book “Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic.”
MORE IN OPINION (1 OF 23 ARTICLES) Op-Ed Contributor: When Growth Outpaces Happiness
Read More »
Click the green for further info
Source: NYT
September 23/2012
This article is for your private use, only
___________________________________________________________________
When a person is overweight or obese, he/she will belong to the group with a greater risk to catch pandemics and epidemics and any other sickness because the person's immune system is clogged & full of killing poisons from wrong lifestyle and wrong nutrition. The immune system fights diseases and in most cases wins the "war". However, a clogged immune system does not have much power or strength to fight anything - and you land on the brink of your grave - too early.
Your choice: Life or Death - Suffering or Happiness
STAF, Inc.'s guidance in this extensive website & in our Radio/TV Shows
will give you a NEW Life with Happiness
(Radio/TV Show tab in this website has more info)
Apply the information daily in your life - you will save your life.
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
Quotation "If it came from a plant - eat it , if it was made in a plant - it kills"
Quotation "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Quotations by Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. President)
______________________________________________
Anticipating the Next Pandemic
Opinion By DAVID QUAMMEN
Bozeman, Mont.
Click the green for further info
Pandemic (adj. & noun) (definition)
1. (of a disease) prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area.
2. general; universal: pandemic fear of atomic war.
Compare:
Epidemic (adj. & noun) (definition) , also Epidemical (adj.)
1. (of a disease) affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent. 2. extremely prevalent; widespread. 3. a temporary prevalence of a disease.
4. a rapid spread or increase in the occurrence of something: an epidemic of riots.
_____________________
BAD news is always interesting, especially when it starts small and threatens to grow large, like the little cloud on the distant horizon, no bigger than “a man’s hand,” that is destined to rise as a thunderhead (1 Kings 18:44). That’s why we read so avidly about the recent outbreaks of Ebola virus disease among villages in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and about West Nile fever in the area around Dallas (where 15 have died of it since July). And that’s why, early this month, heads turned toward Yosemite National Park after the announcement of a third death from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome among recent visitors there.
Humans die in large numbers every day, every hour, from heart failure and automobile crashes and the dreary effects of poverty; but strange new infectious diseases, even when the death tolls are low, call up a more urgent sort of attention. Why?
There’s a tangle of reasons, no doubt, but one is obvious: whenever an outbreak occurs, we all ask ourselves whether it might herald the Next Big One.
What I mean by the Next Big One is a pandemic of some newly emerging or re-emerging infectious disease, a global health catastrophe in which millions die. The influenza epidemic of 1918-19 was a big one, killing about 50 million people worldwide. The Hong Kong flu of 1968-69 was biggish, causing at least a million deaths. AIDS has killed some 30 million and counting. Scientists who study this subject — virologists, molecular geneticists, epidemiologists, disease ecologists — stress its complexity but tend to agree on a few points.
Yes, there probably will be a Next Big One, they say. It will most likely be caused by a virus, not by a bacterium or some other kind of bug. More specifically, we should expect an RNA virus (specifically, one that bears its genome as a single molecular strand), as distinct from a DNA virus (carrying its info on the reliable double helix, less prone to mutation, therefore less variable and adaptable). Finally, this RNA virus will almost certainly be zoonotic — a pathogen that emerges from some nonhuman animal to infect, and spread among, human beings.
The influenzas are zoonoses. They emerge from wild aquatic birds, sometimes with a pig as an intermediary host on the way to humanity. AIDS is a zoonosis; the pandemic strain of H.I.V. emerged about a century ago from a single Cameroonian chimpanzee. Ebola is a zoonosis. The Ebola viruses (there are five known species) abide inconspicuously in some as yet unidentified creature or creatures native to Central African forests, spilling over occasionally to kill gorillas and chimps and people. SARS is a zoonosis that emerged from a Chinese bat, fanned out of Hong Kong to the wider world, threatened to be the Next Big One, and then was stopped — barely — by fast and excellent medical science.
And the hantaviruses, of which there are many known species (Andes virus, Black Creek Canal virus, Muleshoe virus, Seoul virus, Puumala virus and dozens more), come out of rodents. The species of hantavirus at large in Yosemite is called Sin Nombre — “nameless” — virus, and is the same one that erupted famously, and lethally, at the Four Corners in 1993. Its primary host is the deer mouse, one of the most widely distributed and abundant vertebrates in North America. The virus makes its way from dried mouse urine or feces into airborne dust, and from airborne dust into human lungs. If that happens to you, you’re in trouble. There’s no treatment, and the fatality rate for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the infection in severe form, runs at about 40 percent.
You don’t have to go to Yosemite and sleep in a dusty cabin to put yourself close to a hantavirus. Although one expert, recently quoted by Scientific American, called it a “very rare” kind of virus, that view doesn’t square with the studies I’ve read or the testimony of hantavirus researchers I’ve interviewed. The virus seems to be relatively common, at least among deer mice. A 2008 study done at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite found that 24 percent of local deer mice had the antibody for the virus, signaling a past or current infection. One mouse in four is worryingly high. Among these mouse populations nationwide, the prevalence of the antibody seems to vary from as low as zero to as high as 49 percent, or one in two mice.
The question this raises is: Why aren’t more people dying from Sin Nombre virus? The answer seems to be that, although very dangerous when caught, it’s not easy to catch, despite its presence in mouse-infested sheds and trailers and garages and barns across much of America. This is because it doesn’t pass from person to person — only from mouse to mouse, and from mouse excretions to one unlucky person or another, each of whom represents a dead-end host. (The “dead” of that “dead-end” may be figurative or literal.) It’s not a “very rare” virus; it’s a common virus known only rarely to infect humans, and with no ramifying chains of human contagion. So the Next Big One is not likely to be Sin Nombre.
Nor is it likely to be Ebola, which is transmissible from human to human through direct contact with bodily fluids, but can be stopped by preventing such contact. Furthermore, Ebola burns so hotly in its victims, incapacitating and killing so quickly, that it is poorly adapted to achieve global dispersal. Only one human has ever been known to leave Africa with a rampant Ebola virus infection — and that was a Swiss woman, evacuated in 1994 to a hospital in Basel. If you want to be grateful for something today, be grateful for that: Ebola doesn’t fly.
WE should recognize such blessings, and try to focus our deepest concerns on real global dangers. Too often, we’re distracted from good scientific information by yellow journalism and the frisson of melodrama. Ebola is charismatic, the demon that people love to fear. Other lurid candidates, like hantavirus and SARS, also get their share of headlines. When you mention emerging diseases, people’s responses tend to fall at the two ends of a spectrum. Some folks are mesmerized by the dark possibilities and the garish but unrepresentative cases. Others are dismissive, rolling their eyes at the prospect of having to contemplate still another category of dire monition. They want you to cut to the chase. “Are we all gonna die?” they ask. Or they say: “Fine, so what can we do about these bugs?”
Yes, we are all going to die, though most of us not from a strange disease newly emerged from a mouse or a chimp. And there are things we can do: get a flu vaccination; support calls for research; avoid coughing people on airplanes; apply mosquito repellent; wear a mask when you sweep out your old shed; don’t eat any chimpanzee meat from an animal found dead in the forest. But the concrete measures are limited by time, place and circumstance. The broader response is more basic: learn, absorb, understand. Don’t start trying to apply your knowledge until you have some.
Among the other unsettling disease news this summer, you’ve probably seen mention of influenza, that old familiar zoonosis, quite capable of devastation and melodrama all its own. Yes, there’s a new flu bug, a nasty variant of the H1N2 strain, suspected now to be traveling through pigs at state fairs. The influenzas are protean and explosive. Keep your eyes on that one.
Hantavirus in Yosemite is a little cloud that seems likely to stay little. This doesn’t mean that the great dark thunderhead isn’t coming. It just speaks to the need for a bit of informed judgment about which sector of the horizon we should watch.
David Quammen is the author of the forthcoming book “Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic.”
MORE IN OPINION (1 OF 23 ARTICLES) Op-Ed Contributor: When Growth Outpaces Happiness
Read More »
Click the green for further info
Source: NYT
September 23/2012
This article is for your private use, only
___________________________________________________________________
Consumer Reports:
The levels of arsenic
in rice and rice products recently uncovered
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September, 2012
What did Consumer Reports found in its study?
Following their investigation of arsenic in juices, Consumer Reports tested 223 samples of rice and rice products across a broad range of food categories, and found varying levels of arsenic in more than 60 rice and rice products. They tested for both levels of inorganic and two forms of organic arsenic. Inorganic arsenic is the form associated with long-term health effects.
Are there limits on how much arsenic can be in food?
Currently, there is no federal limit for arsenic in foods. The FDA is in the process of testing 1,200 rice and rice products by the end of 2012 so they can analyze the results from a variety of rice types and rice-based products as well as based on the geographical regions the rice is grown in. Based on these results, they will make recommendations and take measures for reducing exposure to arsenic.
Do the findings affect different types of rice?
For brands producing both white and brown rice, brown rice was found to have higher levels of arsenic. This may be due to arsenic concentrating in the outer layers of the grain, which are removed for white rice production.
What does arsenic do to your body.
Long-term exposure to high arsenic levels has been associated with cancer and heart disease.
Does this mean that we should stop eating rice?
Are there safer ways to go about incorporating it into our diets?
Consumers should take the following precautions:
Eat a balanced diet that includes a wide variety of foods, including a variety of whole grains.
This ensures adequate intake of nutrients while minimizing the risk of potential harm from any one food.
Rinse raw rice in cold water before cooking.
Click green for further info
More about health , wellbeing , food , arsenic , rice
This article is for your private use, only
Source: Internet/MetroNY
_______________________________
Do not allow your dog eat marijuana - it can kill your fido
‘Stoner dog’ epidemic sees dramatic rise in number of hospitalized pets
Marijuana is toxic in every body - in humans and in animals
Stoner Dog Don't get your dog stoned. Marijuana is toxic in a dog's system, they say, and has even resulted in some canine deaths
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Colorado veterinarians have a message for medical marijuana users: Don't get your dog stoned. Marijuana is toxic in a dog's system, they say, and has even resulted in some canine deaths.
"There are huge spikes in the frequency of marijuana ingestion in places where it's become legal," veterinarian Dr. Debbie Van Pelt told local CBS affiliate WTSP. "They basically have lost a lot of their fine motor control, they have a wide-based stance and they are not sure on their feet."
Before medical marijuana was legalized in Colorado, local vets say they saw only a handful of cases of dogs exposed to the substance per year. But now, those numbers have more than quadrupled.
The vets say most of the dogs are getting high from medical marijuana edibles left out in the open by their owners. Marijuana edibles are cookies, brownies and other foods prepared with a butter laced with THC, the psychoactive ingredient in pot.
And while some pet owners may think it's funny to get their dogs high, the vets say pot is actually toxic to a dog's system. Cats are similarly vulnerable to negative effects from inhaling second-hand marijuana smoke or eating edibles. Cat experts say many owners inaccurately believe that marijuana will have a similar effect on their cats as catnip.
"I just want dogs, kids to be safe. It needs to be treated like any other drug. If you came home with a prescription of Vicodin from your doctor you wouldn't just leave it sitting there," veterinarian Stacy Meola told the station.
In fact, Dr. Meola said that two dogs recently died after ingesting a lethal amount of marijuana. Such deaths are rare, but even in cases in which a dog's life is not threatened, the dog may still be subjected to painful symptoms, including vomiting and even comas.
"We need people to realize it is potentially toxic and potentially fatal to their pets," Van Pelt said.
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Source: Yahoo News
This article is for your private use, only
__________________________________________________________
Older women, don't take
vitamin D for bones
SOURCE: Annals of Internal Medicine, online February 25, 2013
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older women shouldn't take vitamin D and calcium supplements to prevent broken bones, and there's not enough evidence to say whether it would help anyone else either, says a U.S. government-backed panel.
Based on two reviews of past research, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force waded into the debate over the two vitamins that are thought to strengthen bones to prevent against breaks.
"Calcium and vitamin D are important in general health and bone health. For this recommendation, we review data on whether supplements of vitamin D and calcium can prevent fractures in addition to dietary intake," said Dr. Jessica Herzstein, a member of the Task Force.
Approximately 1.5 million Americans suffer from breaks that are tied to brittle bones each year. And about half of all women over 50 years old will end up with a break that's linked to the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis.
That's a major concern, according to the Task Force, because broken bones are linked to chronic pain, disability and increased risk of sickness and early death.
Based on the reviews, the panel found there were no benefits but some risk for post-menopausal women taking low-dose vitamin D and calcium supplements - below 400 international units and 1,000 milligrams, respectively.
Specifically, taking low-dose supplements didn't change the older women's risk for broken bones, but was tied to a small increase in the risk of kidney stones (see Reuters Health article of June 12, 2012 here: http://reut.rs/W760bF
They also found that there is not enough evidence to suggest higher doses of the vitamins would be effective or safer in older women, or that taking any dose of the supplements would help men oryounger women.
For men and younger women, "We're not saying don't take it, we're just saying we don't know enough right now," said Herzstein, who is in charge of employee health at Air Products in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
She added that these recommendations do not apply to people who already have a diagnosis of osteoporosis, a history of fractures or are living in an assisted-living community.
TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR
Herzstein said it's important for people to talk with their doctors about the supplements.
Cara Welch, senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Natural Product Association in Washington, D.C., told Reuters Health she agreed that people should talk to their doctors, but said the group disagrees with the new recommendation.
"We believe this recommendation is out of step with current research, and it really should not affect consumers who are trying to supplement their calcium and vitamin D intake with supplements," Welch said.
According to the most recent data from a national survey of Americans, 56 percent of women over 60 years old take vitamin D supplements, and 60 percent take calcium supplements.
The two vitamins are often sold together and are relatively inexpensive.
The Task Force already recommends women older than 65 years old be screened for the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis, and younger women who have a higher risk of broken bones.
The panel also recommends senior citizens with a history of falls and vitamin D deficiency take supplements to help strengthen muscles and help with balance (see Reuters Health article of May 30, 2012 here: http://reut.rs/V1ARom
Vitamin D has also been researched as a preventive measure against dementia, heart disease and cancer, but with mixed results. Herzstein said the panel will soon be issuing recommendations about the vitamin for some of those diseases.
Marion Nestle, a nutrition researcher from New York University who coauthored a commentary published alongside the recommendations in the Annals of Internal Medicine, said that good studies on vitamin D are hard to do, and any end to the debate over whether to take supplements or not is a long way off.
"These studies are so difficult to do and to interpret that scientific consensus seems impossible to achieve, especially in situations where entire organizations are devoted to convincing people to take high-dose vitamin D," she wrote in an email to Reuters Health.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/Ms1ZbQ Annals of Internal Medicine, online February 25, 2013
______________________________________________________
vitamin D for bones
SOURCE: Annals of Internal Medicine, online February 25, 2013
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older women shouldn't take vitamin D and calcium supplements to prevent broken bones, and there's not enough evidence to say whether it would help anyone else either, says a U.S. government-backed panel.
Based on two reviews of past research, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force waded into the debate over the two vitamins that are thought to strengthen bones to prevent against breaks.
"Calcium and vitamin D are important in general health and bone health. For this recommendation, we review data on whether supplements of vitamin D and calcium can prevent fractures in addition to dietary intake," said Dr. Jessica Herzstein, a member of the Task Force.
Approximately 1.5 million Americans suffer from breaks that are tied to brittle bones each year. And about half of all women over 50 years old will end up with a break that's linked to the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis.
That's a major concern, according to the Task Force, because broken bones are linked to chronic pain, disability and increased risk of sickness and early death.
Based on the reviews, the panel found there were no benefits but some risk for post-menopausal women taking low-dose vitamin D and calcium supplements - below 400 international units and 1,000 milligrams, respectively.
Specifically, taking low-dose supplements didn't change the older women's risk for broken bones, but was tied to a small increase in the risk of kidney stones (see Reuters Health article of June 12, 2012 here: http://reut.rs/W760bF
They also found that there is not enough evidence to suggest higher doses of the vitamins would be effective or safer in older women, or that taking any dose of the supplements would help men oryounger women.
For men and younger women, "We're not saying don't take it, we're just saying we don't know enough right now," said Herzstein, who is in charge of employee health at Air Products in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
She added that these recommendations do not apply to people who already have a diagnosis of osteoporosis, a history of fractures or are living in an assisted-living community.
TALK WITH YOUR DOCTOR
Herzstein said it's important for people to talk with their doctors about the supplements.
Cara Welch, senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs for the Natural Product Association in Washington, D.C., told Reuters Health she agreed that people should talk to their doctors, but said the group disagrees with the new recommendation.
"We believe this recommendation is out of step with current research, and it really should not affect consumers who are trying to supplement their calcium and vitamin D intake with supplements," Welch said.
According to the most recent data from a national survey of Americans, 56 percent of women over 60 years old take vitamin D supplements, and 60 percent take calcium supplements.
The two vitamins are often sold together and are relatively inexpensive.
The Task Force already recommends women older than 65 years old be screened for the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis, and younger women who have a higher risk of broken bones.
The panel also recommends senior citizens with a history of falls and vitamin D deficiency take supplements to help strengthen muscles and help with balance (see Reuters Health article of May 30, 2012 here: http://reut.rs/V1ARom
Vitamin D has also been researched as a preventive measure against dementia, heart disease and cancer, but with mixed results. Herzstein said the panel will soon be issuing recommendations about the vitamin for some of those diseases.
Marion Nestle, a nutrition researcher from New York University who coauthored a commentary published alongside the recommendations in the Annals of Internal Medicine, said that good studies on vitamin D are hard to do, and any end to the debate over whether to take supplements or not is a long way off.
"These studies are so difficult to do and to interpret that scientific consensus seems impossible to achieve, especially in situations where entire organizations are devoted to convincing people to take high-dose vitamin D," she wrote in an email to Reuters Health.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/Ms1ZbQ Annals of Internal Medicine, online February 25, 2013
______________________________________________________
In STAF, Inc.'s scale of 0 - 10 this article is 9 for it info for potentially preventable eye sicknesses
Coffee Linked to Vision Loss - Harvard Study
Click green for further info
A new 2012 Harvard study has discovered a high incidence of vision problems among men and women who drank three or more cups of coffee a day. The research, published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, linked heavy consumption of caffeinated coffee with increased likelihood of developing exfoliation glaucoma, an eye disorder that affects about 10 percent of adults over age 50 and can lead to vision loss or blindness.
Specifically, the researchers reported that adults who drank three or cups of coffee daily were 34 percent more likely to develop exfoliation glaucoma, compared to those who abstained from coffee. Women with a family history of glaucoma were at the highest risk, with their threat of exfoliation glaucoma soaring by 66 percent if they quaffed three or more cups of java per day.
Here’s a closer look at the study and what it means for coffee-lovers.
Coffee: The Original Wonder Drug?
What is exfoliation glaucoma?
Glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the world, affects 60 million people. It is a group of painless diseases that can damage the optic nerve, if untreated. Typically, this damage results from increased pressure within the eye, usually due to fluid buildup.
Think of the eye as a sink in which the faucet is always running and the drain is always open. A tiny gland behind the iris produces fluid to nourish the cornea and lens, then the fluid flows out of the eye through spongy tissue called the trabecular network, explains the Glaucoma Foundation.
Exfoliation glaucoma, sometimes called “exfoliation syndrome,” is marked by tiny, dandruff-like flakes building up on the lens of the eye. The flakes are rubbed off as the lens of the iris (colored part of the eye) moves, causing the spongy tissue that normally serves as the eye’s drain to get clogged. The result is increased pressure, sometimes very high pressure, inside the eye. The cause of exfoliation glaucoma is unknown, but genetics appear to play a role.
5 Secrets to Preserving Your Eyesight
How was the study conducted?
The Harvard study was the first to link heavy coffee consumption and glaucoma risk in Americans by analyzing data from nearly 79,000 women in the well-known Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and more than 42,000 men in the Health Professionals Followup Study (HPFS).
The researchers looked at men and women ages 40 or older who did not have glaucoma at the start of the study, and had received eye exams from 1980 (for women in the NHS) or 1986 (for men in the HPFS) to 2008. The study looked at health questionnaires the participants filled out about consumption of caffeinated drinks, including coffee, and their medical records (to identify cases of exfoliation glaucoma).
The analysis showed a significant rise in incidences of exfoliation glaucoma among people who drank three or more cups of coffee, but no link between drinking other caffeinated beverages, such as soda or tea.
(Do not drink any soda for any reason - drink plain , pure water.)
The Scandinavian Link
"Scandinavian populations have the highest frequencies of exfoliation syndrome and glaucoma," author Jae Hee Kang, ScD, of Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, told Science Daily.
"Because Scandinavian populations also have the highest consumption of caffeinated coffee in the world and our research group has previously found that greater caffeinated coffee intake was associated with increased risk of primary open-angle glaucoma [another form of the disease], we conducted this study to evaluate whether the risk of exfoliation glaucoma…may be different by coffee consumption,” Kang added.
Watch Out For These 8 Dangerous Ingredients
Should you cut down on coffee? As reported previously, coffee has a number of health perks, including reducing risk for superbug infections, diabetes, strokes, and breast and prostate cancer. Kang emphasizes that further study is necessary to find direct evidence that heavy consumption of caffeinated coffee is indeed a risk factor for exfoliation glaucoma.
“If [the findings are] confirmed,” she told, “those at risk of exfoliation glaucoma—particularly those with a family history of glaucoma—would be recommended to limit their intake [of coffee] to less than three cups per day.”
Several eye experts say that they’re not cutting down on java—at least not yet, because this type of study is not designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Therefore, variables other than drinking large amounts of caffeinated coffee may explain the apparent association with glaucoma.
10 Ways to Beat Fatigue That Are Safer than Caffeine
Who is at risk for glaucoma? Because glaucoma is painless, many people don’t know they have it until irreversible vision impairment occurs. To detect it in the early, treatable stages, the Mayo Clinic recommends getting a comprehensive eye exam every three to five years starting at 40 and annually starting at 60.
Screening is particularly crucial if you have any of these risk factors, says the Glaucoma Foundation:
- Being over 60. You are six times more likely to develop glaucoma if you’re older than 60.
- Family history. Having close relatives with glaucoma multiples your risk by four to nine times.
- Steroid medication use. One study found that heavy use of inhaled steroids for asthma boosted glaucoma risk by 40 percent.
- Ethnicity. African-Americans are six to eight times more likely to develop glaucoma than Caucasians. People of Hispanic ancestry are also at higher risk.
- Eye injury. Blunt injuries that “bruise” the eye can lead to glaucoma, either soon after the injury or years later. Use protective eyewear for activities that may cause eye injury, such as sports like boxing or baseball, or using power tools.
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Video: When it's Important to Avoid Caffeine
_________________________________
Four links below for finding more information
- Ocular Pathology: Exfoliation Syndromewww.missionforvisionusa.org/anatomy/.../exfoliation-syndrome.html
Jan 27, 2008 – Definition: Exfoliation syndrome is characterized by the pathologic deposition of grey white flakey and fibrillary extracellular material on anterior ... - Pseudoexfoliation syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoexfoliation_syndrome
Pseudoexfoliation syndrome, (other names: Exfoliation glaucoma, .... can not seewhat is causing the blockage; with PEX, however, the flakes are believed to be ... - Definition of Pseudoexfoliation syndrome - MedTermswww.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=33194
Online Medical Dictionary and glossary with medical definitions. - Exfoliation syndrome.www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11166342
by R Ritch - 2001 - Cited by 332 - Related articles
Exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is an age-related disease in which abnormal fibrillar ... the early stages of beginning exfoliation have not been well defined. Next to ... - Glaucoma : University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Centerwww.kellogg.umich.edu/patientcare/conditions/glaucoma.htm – Glaucoma definition, description of symptoms, and information on ...Exfoliation syndrome is a common form of open-angle glaucoma that ...
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Collins World English Dictionary
exfoliate (ɛksˈfəʊlɪˌeɪt) — vb1.( tr ) to wash (a part of the body) with a granular cosmeticpreparation in order to remove dead cells from the skin'ssurface2.(of bark, skin, etc) to peel off in (layers, flakes, or scales)3.( intr ) (of rocks or minerals) to shed the thin outermost layerbecause of weathering or heating4.(of some minerals, esp mica) to split or cause to split into thinflakes: a factory to exfoliate vermiculite [C17: from Late Latin exfoliāre to strip off leaves, from Latinfolium leaf] exfoli'ation — n ex'foliative — adj
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________________________________________
The biggest health stories of 2012
Click green titles for further info
Food that can shorten your lifespan
A huge study found that eating one common protein
leads to a 13% higher risk of death
The 2012 has been a busy and occasionally dramatic year in the world of health. In addition to the usual crop of research news, food recalls, and celebrity headlines, 2012 saw a landmark court ruling on health care, controversy over everything from supersize sodas to cancer philanthropy, and the saga of a young woman from Georgia who lost three of her limbs to bacteria but won the nation's heart with her optimism and pluck.
So grab a cup of coffee—according to a major study released in May, it might just prolong your life (as opposed to eating red meat, which may have the opposite effect on longevity)—and click through our recap of the biggest health stories from the past year.
We've heard many times before that too much red meat is bad for us, but this study of more than 100,000 people still got the nation's attention. For the first time, researchers estimated the effect of red meat on a person's lifespan—and the news wasn't good.
On average, each additional serving of saturated fat-filled red meat was associated with a 13% higher risk of dying during the 28-year study. Processed meat products such as hot dogs, bacon, and salami were especially hazardous. The antidote? Eating more fish, poultry, whole grains, and low-fat dairy may lower your risk of dying prematurely, the study found.
Celebrity chef Paula Deen, famous for the fat-laden dishes she serves up on the Food Network, kicked off the year by announcing she had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years earlier.
Deen endured some criticism for keeping her diagnosis private while continuing to push buttery, high-calorie fare (being overweight is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes). Even more unseemly, she timed her announcement to coincide with the launch of a promotional campaign for the diabetes drug Victoza.
With this speed bump behind her, Deen is now concocting lighter versions of her signature recipes and says she has lost 30 pounds.
In January, TV cameras descended on the tiny town of Le Roy, N.Y., after more than a dozen girls and at least one boy at the local high school suddenly became afflicted with twitches, spasms, and uncontrollable outbursts reminiscent *)
Tourette's syndrome (= A neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics and vocalizations and often the compulsive utterance of obscenities).*) = (= of remindful = awakening memories of something similar; suggestive (usually followed by of )
No one—not even Erin Brockovich, who came to investigate at the request of one of the mothers—could figure out what caused the symptoms. Environmental toxins, perhaps? Psychological stress manifesting as physical symptoms? Even "mass psychogenic illness"—better known as mass hysteria? The root cause remains a mystery, but the students gradually recovered with the help of antidepressants, antibiotics, and therapy.
After years of public outcry about the poor nutritional quality of public-school lunches, Michelle Obama and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled the first revisions to the National School Lunch Program in 15 years. Now on the menu: fruits and veggies every day, skim milk, more whole grains, less fat and sodium, and portions tailored to a child's age.
Not everyone was happy with the change, however. Some students, angry at the smaller portions and blander food, staged school-lunch boycotts and registered their displeasure online in Facebook groups and YouTube videos.
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, which has become one of the world's largest and most visible breast cancer charities thanks to its road races and pink ribbons, set off an uproar when it announced in January that it would no longer fund mammograms and other prevention services run by Planned Parenthood.
Critics of the move accused the foundation of caving to political pressure from groups opposed to abortion (one of the many services Planned Parenthood provides). Although the foundation's leaders denied this, the controversy and widespread outrage led them to reverse their decision within a matter of days.
In June, in one of its biggest rulings in years, the U.S. Supreme Court surprised many observers when it upheld the constitutionality of the highly controversial Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—better known as "Obamacare."
As a result, the provision requiring all Americans to obtain health insurance or face a fine—the so-called individual mandate—will go into effect as planned on January 1, 2014. Other pieces of the law are already in place, including those that allow young adults to stay on a parent's health plan until age 26 and that prohibit insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.
One of this year's saddest stories—Aimee Copeland's battle with necrotizing fasciitis, a.k.a. flesh-eating bacteria—turned into one of the most heartwarming.
The saga began when the 24-year-old received a deep cut on her leg after falling from a homemade zip line. The cut opened the door to bacteria, and within days Copeland's leg had been amputated, her major organs had failed, and she was put on life support. She ultimately lost both of her hands and her other foot.
Yet throughout this ordeal Copeland's remarkably upbeat attitude was an inspiration to many. "I love life," she told Katie Couric in September. "It's a beautiful thing... even more so now."
In September, at the behest of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the New York City Board of Health approved a controversial measure prohibiting all sales of sugary drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces. Industry associations and many concerned citizens cried foul, calling the measure a violation of consumer freedom.
The soda ban—the first of its kind in the nation—is merely the latest Bloomberg-led public health initiative to address the city's obesity problem. (Half of all New Yorkers are overweight or obese.) The city has already banned trans fats from restaurant food and requires chain restaurants to disclose calorie counts on their menus.
Is coffee good for our health? Although the research on America's favorite morning beverage has been mixed overall, coffee drinkers received a big boost when the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published the largest-ever study on the topic in May.
A daily cup (or cups) of coffee, the study found, appears to be harmless and may even lower the risk of dying from chronic diseases such as diabetes. People who drank six or more cups of coffee per day were up to 15% less likely than non-coffee drinkers to die during the study, and even a one-cup-a-day habit was associated with a 5% to 6% lower risk.
This year nearly three dozen people have died in a headline-grabbing outbreak of meningitis, an inflammation of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord. In early October, federal health officials traced the outbreak to contaminated steroid injections from the New England Compounding Center, a pharmacy operation in Framingham, Mass., that produced custom drug mixtures.
The injections, routinely used to relieve neck or back pain, turned out to contain the fungus Exserohilum rostratum, a common mold that wasn't previously known to make people sick. Some 14,000 people received the potentially tainted injections, and nearly 500 have fallen ill.
In October, cycling hero Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and received a lifetime ban from Olympic sports after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency detailed his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Armstrong's fall from grace was a shock to his fans, but it also caused waves in the world of cancer charities. After the allegations were made public, Armstrong—a testicular cancer survivor—cut all ties with Livestrong, the foundation he helped create in 1997 to improve the lives of other cancer survivors. Both the disgraced cyclist and the organization feared the scandal and Armstrong's continued involvement in the foundation would dampen fundraising.
In a year that saw its share of food recalls, a series of salmonella scares were among the worst. This fall, peanut butter contaminated with the bacteria sickened 41 people in 20 states, prompting the Food and Drug Administration to recall 100 or so peanut-based products from big-name retailers including Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, and Target.
Peanuts weren't the only salmonella-tainted food. Recalls also targeted mangoes (127 people sickened in 15 states), ground beef (46 people in six states) and cantaloupe (261 people in 24 states). Though all four outbreaks led to hospitalizations, only three people died, all of them from consuming contaminated cantaloupe.
Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts announced on the show in June that she had been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare disorder, also known as pre-leukemia, in which the bone marrow can no longer produce mature blood cells. The condition can be a consequence of chemotherapy, which Roberts underwent five years ago to treat breast cancer.
In September, Roberts, 52, underwent a bone-marrow transplant with cells donated by her sister. Not long after, she felt well enough to call in to GMA and chat with stand-in host Oprah Winfrey. "I can't wait to come back," she told Winfrey.
In July, pharmaceutical titan GlaxoSmithKline pleaded guilty to promoting drugs for unauthorized uses, agreeing in the process to pay an unprecedented $3 billion fine to settle the fraud charges.
The U.S. Department of Justice had accused the company of marketing the antidepressant Paxil to children and the antidepressant Wellbutrin for weight loss and sexual dysfunction, though the drugs are not approved for these indications. In addition, the government cited Glaxo for failing to report safety data on its blockbuster diabetes drug Avandia, which is no longer on the market.
"This historic action is a clear warning to any company that chooses to break the law," Deputy Attorney General James Cole said at the time.
At 34,000 cases and counting, 2012 is shaping up to be a record year for whooping cough (or pertussis). So far 16 people have died, mostly babies under the age of three months. Washington State has been among the hardest hit, with about 4,500 reported cases in 2012—a seven-fold increase from 2010.
Experts attribute the troubling trend to the waning effectiveness of the pertussis vaccine over time. Health officials advise that children get the recommended five doses (starting at two months of age) and that adolescents and adults receive the appropriate booster shots, such as the so-called Tdap vaccine.
Finally, some good news on the Alzheimer's front: Researchers reported in July that they had identified a rare gene mutation that protects against this devastating dementia. The variant was found in the APP gene, which has previously been linked with a number of mutations that can increase the risk of Alzheimer's.
In this case, however, the mutation appears to prevent the brain-withering build-up of beta amyloid protein that characterizes Alzheimer's. Although the discovery doesn't herald a cure or a treatment yet, it's a notable breakthrough that points the way forward and strengthens the view that Alzheimer's is indeed caused by amyloid accumulation in the brain.
The October suicide of Canadian teenager Amanda Todd, and the ensuing media attention, turned the spotlight once again onto the tragic mental-health consequences of bullying. Todd, 15, endured one torment after another over the years—including cyberbullying and a physical assault at school—and posted a final, heart-wrenching cry for help on YouTube a month before taking her own life.
Todd's is merely the latest high-profile suicide linked to bullying. Coincidentally, just weeks after her death, a nationwide study of young people in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine reported that being victimized by peers more than doubled the odds of suicidal thoughts.
This has been the worst year for mosquito-borne West Nile virus since 2003, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 5,000 cases, including 228 deaths, had been reported as of November, and about half of the cases involved brain complications such as meningitis or encephalitis.
Texas was the hardest hit state, reporting more than a third of all cases; Dallas County instituted aerial insecticide spraying for the first time in half a century. The West Nile tally can vary widely from year to year. In 2011, there were only 712 cases, versus 6,830 in 2003.
This fall, a series of tests conducted by Consumer Reports uncovered alarmingly high levels of arsenic in many rice products, including cereals fed to infants and children, organic products, and brown rice. Arsenic can cause bladder, lung cancer, and skin cancer, and can also up the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Arsenic was found in all 233 rice samples tested, and some baby cereals contained five times as much as comparable non-rice products (such as those made with oatmeal). Consumer Reports, which has also found elevated arsenic levels in apple and grape juice, is calling for stricter federal standards on the chemical.
In June, the FDA approved the first prescription weight-loss drug in 13 years: lorcaserin, also known by its brand name, Belviq. The agency had denied the drug back in 2010 due to concerns over possible side effects (including heart problems), but after reviewing additional safety data decided the drug's benefits outweighed the potential risks.
Less than a month later, the FDA approved a second weight-loss drug, Qsymia. Although there are some lingering safety concerns with Qsymia, too, these two drugs are expected to provide doctors a new way to fight the country's stubborn obesity epidemic.
More helpful info from Yahoo! Health:
More from Health.com:
More from Health.com:
Click green for further info:
Getting Cultured with Probiotics
As you gear up for flu and cold season, and start arming yourself for the onslaughts of the New Year, you might want to add probiotics to your To-Do list. These favorable bacteria that live inside us are showing up in medical research for their role in treatments for a wide range of conditions, from colic to high cholesterol.
What are they? Put simply, a probiotic is a bacterium that delivers a health benefit. One of the most clinically studied areas in the field is the role of probiotics in addressing gastrointestinal problems: These friendly bugs keep the bowel walls healthy, block out unhealthy bacteria, and process indigestible fibers. They keep your lower intestines toned and healthy, which keeps your bowels moving regularly. Probiotics also play a role in the production of vitamins B6, B12, and K, all of which help the body to absorb important minerals such as iron, calcium, and magnesium. Overall, probiotics boost immunity and fend off disease-causing bacteria in the gut.
In the news
Here’s just a smattering of the research findings out there that are shedding light on the benefits of probiotics.
__________________________________________________________
Click green titles for further info
Food that can shorten your lifespan
A huge study found that eating one common protein
leads to a 13% higher risk of death
The 2012 has been a busy and occasionally dramatic year in the world of health. In addition to the usual crop of research news, food recalls, and celebrity headlines, 2012 saw a landmark court ruling on health care, controversy over everything from supersize sodas to cancer philanthropy, and the saga of a young woman from Georgia who lost three of her limbs to bacteria but won the nation's heart with her optimism and pluck.
So grab a cup of coffee—according to a major study released in May, it might just prolong your life (as opposed to eating red meat, which may have the opposite effect on longevity)—and click through our recap of the biggest health stories from the past year.
We've heard many times before that too much red meat is bad for us, but this study of more than 100,000 people still got the nation's attention. For the first time, researchers estimated the effect of red meat on a person's lifespan—and the news wasn't good.
On average, each additional serving of saturated fat-filled red meat was associated with a 13% higher risk of dying during the 28-year study. Processed meat products such as hot dogs, bacon, and salami were especially hazardous. The antidote? Eating more fish, poultry, whole grains, and low-fat dairy may lower your risk of dying prematurely, the study found.
Celebrity chef Paula Deen, famous for the fat-laden dishes she serves up on the Food Network, kicked off the year by announcing she had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes three years earlier.
Deen endured some criticism for keeping her diagnosis private while continuing to push buttery, high-calorie fare (being overweight is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes). Even more unseemly, she timed her announcement to coincide with the launch of a promotional campaign for the diabetes drug Victoza.
With this speed bump behind her, Deen is now concocting lighter versions of her signature recipes and says she has lost 30 pounds.
In January, TV cameras descended on the tiny town of Le Roy, N.Y., after more than a dozen girls and at least one boy at the local high school suddenly became afflicted with twitches, spasms, and uncontrollable outbursts reminiscent *)
Tourette's syndrome (= A neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics and vocalizations and often the compulsive utterance of obscenities).*) = (= of remindful = awakening memories of something similar; suggestive (usually followed by of )
No one—not even Erin Brockovich, who came to investigate at the request of one of the mothers—could figure out what caused the symptoms. Environmental toxins, perhaps? Psychological stress manifesting as physical symptoms? Even "mass psychogenic illness"—better known as mass hysteria? The root cause remains a mystery, but the students gradually recovered with the help of antidepressants, antibiotics, and therapy.
After years of public outcry about the poor nutritional quality of public-school lunches, Michelle Obama and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) unveiled the first revisions to the National School Lunch Program in 15 years. Now on the menu: fruits and veggies every day, skim milk, more whole grains, less fat and sodium, and portions tailored to a child's age.
Not everyone was happy with the change, however. Some students, angry at the smaller portions and blander food, staged school-lunch boycotts and registered their displeasure online in Facebook groups and YouTube videos.
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, which has become one of the world's largest and most visible breast cancer charities thanks to its road races and pink ribbons, set off an uproar when it announced in January that it would no longer fund mammograms and other prevention services run by Planned Parenthood.
Critics of the move accused the foundation of caving to political pressure from groups opposed to abortion (one of the many services Planned Parenthood provides). Although the foundation's leaders denied this, the controversy and widespread outrage led them to reverse their decision within a matter of days.
In June, in one of its biggest rulings in years, the U.S. Supreme Court surprised many observers when it upheld the constitutionality of the highly controversial Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—better known as "Obamacare."
As a result, the provision requiring all Americans to obtain health insurance or face a fine—the so-called individual mandate—will go into effect as planned on January 1, 2014. Other pieces of the law are already in place, including those that allow young adults to stay on a parent's health plan until age 26 and that prohibit insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.
One of this year's saddest stories—Aimee Copeland's battle with necrotizing fasciitis, a.k.a. flesh-eating bacteria—turned into one of the most heartwarming.
The saga began when the 24-year-old received a deep cut on her leg after falling from a homemade zip line. The cut opened the door to bacteria, and within days Copeland's leg had been amputated, her major organs had failed, and she was put on life support. She ultimately lost both of her hands and her other foot.
Yet throughout this ordeal Copeland's remarkably upbeat attitude was an inspiration to many. "I love life," she told Katie Couric in September. "It's a beautiful thing... even more so now."
In September, at the behest of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the New York City Board of Health approved a controversial measure prohibiting all sales of sugary drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces. Industry associations and many concerned citizens cried foul, calling the measure a violation of consumer freedom.
The soda ban—the first of its kind in the nation—is merely the latest Bloomberg-led public health initiative to address the city's obesity problem. (Half of all New Yorkers are overweight or obese.) The city has already banned trans fats from restaurant food and requires chain restaurants to disclose calorie counts on their menus.
Is coffee good for our health? Although the research on America's favorite morning beverage has been mixed overall, coffee drinkers received a big boost when the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published the largest-ever study on the topic in May.
A daily cup (or cups) of coffee, the study found, appears to be harmless and may even lower the risk of dying from chronic diseases such as diabetes. People who drank six or more cups of coffee per day were up to 15% less likely than non-coffee drinkers to die during the study, and even a one-cup-a-day habit was associated with a 5% to 6% lower risk.
This year nearly three dozen people have died in a headline-grabbing outbreak of meningitis, an inflammation of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord. In early October, federal health officials traced the outbreak to contaminated steroid injections from the New England Compounding Center, a pharmacy operation in Framingham, Mass., that produced custom drug mixtures.
The injections, routinely used to relieve neck or back pain, turned out to contain the fungus Exserohilum rostratum, a common mold that wasn't previously known to make people sick. Some 14,000 people received the potentially tainted injections, and nearly 500 have fallen ill.
In October, cycling hero Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and received a lifetime ban from Olympic sports after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency detailed his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Armstrong's fall from grace was a shock to his fans, but it also caused waves in the world of cancer charities. After the allegations were made public, Armstrong—a testicular cancer survivor—cut all ties with Livestrong, the foundation he helped create in 1997 to improve the lives of other cancer survivors. Both the disgraced cyclist and the organization feared the scandal and Armstrong's continued involvement in the foundation would dampen fundraising.
In a year that saw its share of food recalls, a series of salmonella scares were among the worst. This fall, peanut butter contaminated with the bacteria sickened 41 people in 20 states, prompting the Food and Drug Administration to recall 100 or so peanut-based products from big-name retailers including Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, and Target.
Peanuts weren't the only salmonella-tainted food. Recalls also targeted mangoes (127 people sickened in 15 states), ground beef (46 people in six states) and cantaloupe (261 people in 24 states). Though all four outbreaks led to hospitalizations, only three people died, all of them from consuming contaminated cantaloupe.
Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts announced on the show in June that she had been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare disorder, also known as pre-leukemia, in which the bone marrow can no longer produce mature blood cells. The condition can be a consequence of chemotherapy, which Roberts underwent five years ago to treat breast cancer.
In September, Roberts, 52, underwent a bone-marrow transplant with cells donated by her sister. Not long after, she felt well enough to call in to GMA and chat with stand-in host Oprah Winfrey. "I can't wait to come back," she told Winfrey.
In July, pharmaceutical titan GlaxoSmithKline pleaded guilty to promoting drugs for unauthorized uses, agreeing in the process to pay an unprecedented $3 billion fine to settle the fraud charges.
The U.S. Department of Justice had accused the company of marketing the antidepressant Paxil to children and the antidepressant Wellbutrin for weight loss and sexual dysfunction, though the drugs are not approved for these indications. In addition, the government cited Glaxo for failing to report safety data on its blockbuster diabetes drug Avandia, which is no longer on the market.
"This historic action is a clear warning to any company that chooses to break the law," Deputy Attorney General James Cole said at the time.
At 34,000 cases and counting, 2012 is shaping up to be a record year for whooping cough (or pertussis). So far 16 people have died, mostly babies under the age of three months. Washington State has been among the hardest hit, with about 4,500 reported cases in 2012—a seven-fold increase from 2010.
Experts attribute the troubling trend to the waning effectiveness of the pertussis vaccine over time. Health officials advise that children get the recommended five doses (starting at two months of age) and that adolescents and adults receive the appropriate booster shots, such as the so-called Tdap vaccine.
Finally, some good news on the Alzheimer's front: Researchers reported in July that they had identified a rare gene mutation that protects against this devastating dementia. The variant was found in the APP gene, which has previously been linked with a number of mutations that can increase the risk of Alzheimer's.
In this case, however, the mutation appears to prevent the brain-withering build-up of beta amyloid protein that characterizes Alzheimer's. Although the discovery doesn't herald a cure or a treatment yet, it's a notable breakthrough that points the way forward and strengthens the view that Alzheimer's is indeed caused by amyloid accumulation in the brain.
The October suicide of Canadian teenager Amanda Todd, and the ensuing media attention, turned the spotlight once again onto the tragic mental-health consequences of bullying. Todd, 15, endured one torment after another over the years—including cyberbullying and a physical assault at school—and posted a final, heart-wrenching cry for help on YouTube a month before taking her own life.
Todd's is merely the latest high-profile suicide linked to bullying. Coincidentally, just weeks after her death, a nationwide study of young people in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine reported that being victimized by peers more than doubled the odds of suicidal thoughts.
This has been the worst year for mosquito-borne West Nile virus since 2003, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 5,000 cases, including 228 deaths, had been reported as of November, and about half of the cases involved brain complications such as meningitis or encephalitis.
Texas was the hardest hit state, reporting more than a third of all cases; Dallas County instituted aerial insecticide spraying for the first time in half a century. The West Nile tally can vary widely from year to year. In 2011, there were only 712 cases, versus 6,830 in 2003.
This fall, a series of tests conducted by Consumer Reports uncovered alarmingly high levels of arsenic in many rice products, including cereals fed to infants and children, organic products, and brown rice. Arsenic can cause bladder, lung cancer, and skin cancer, and can also up the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Arsenic was found in all 233 rice samples tested, and some baby cereals contained five times as much as comparable non-rice products (such as those made with oatmeal). Consumer Reports, which has also found elevated arsenic levels in apple and grape juice, is calling for stricter federal standards on the chemical.
In June, the FDA approved the first prescription weight-loss drug in 13 years: lorcaserin, also known by its brand name, Belviq. The agency had denied the drug back in 2010 due to concerns over possible side effects (including heart problems), but after reviewing additional safety data decided the drug's benefits outweighed the potential risks.
Less than a month later, the FDA approved a second weight-loss drug, Qsymia. Although there are some lingering safety concerns with Qsymia, too, these two drugs are expected to provide doctors a new way to fight the country's stubborn obesity epidemic.
More helpful info from Yahoo! Health:
- HIV/AIDS: What You Need to Know in 2013
- What Causes Cancer?
- Medicare Comparison Tool
- Knee Pain Assessment
- How the Back Ages
More from Health.com:
- 50 Holiday Foods You Shouldn't Eat
- Shocking Celebrity Weight Changes
- The Healthiest Gifts of 2012
- Top 10 Healthiest New Year's Resolutions
- 25 Ways to Fight Holiday Stress
More from Health.com:
Click green for further info:
- 50 Holiday Foods You Shouldn't Eat
- Shocking Celebrity Weight Changes
- The Healthiest Gifts of 2012
- Top 10 Healthiest New Year's Resolutions
- 25 Ways to Fight Holiday Stress
- Foods that fight colds
- Healthy heart snacks
- Benefits of probiotics - According to one definition offered by an expert committee convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, probiotics are live (click green) microorganisms that may confer a health benefit on the host
- Probiotic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probiotic
Probiotics may beneficially affect the host by augmenting its intestinal microbial population beyond the amount already existing, thus possibly inhibiting ...
History - Preliminary research and ... - Factors affecting viability in ... - Side effects
Getting Cultured with Probiotics
As you gear up for flu and cold season, and start arming yourself for the onslaughts of the New Year, you might want to add probiotics to your To-Do list. These favorable bacteria that live inside us are showing up in medical research for their role in treatments for a wide range of conditions, from colic to high cholesterol.
What are they? Put simply, a probiotic is a bacterium that delivers a health benefit. One of the most clinically studied areas in the field is the role of probiotics in addressing gastrointestinal problems: These friendly bugs keep the bowel walls healthy, block out unhealthy bacteria, and process indigestible fibers. They keep your lower intestines toned and healthy, which keeps your bowels moving regularly. Probiotics also play a role in the production of vitamins B6, B12, and K, all of which help the body to absorb important minerals such as iron, calcium, and magnesium. Overall, probiotics boost immunity and fend off disease-causing bacteria in the gut.
In the news
Here’s just a smattering of the research findings out there that are shedding light on the benefits of probiotics.
- A research report presented at the American Heart Association meeting in October showed that 2 daily doses of a probiotic named Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 lowered LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by almost 12 percent, and reduced the number of oxidized cholesterol molecules (contributors to the hardening of one’s arteries) in the bloodstream.
- The November 2012 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition contained an article by researchers at the University School of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey that revealed that a combination of 2 probiotics, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp lactis (BB-12), reduces the severity and duration of the common cold.
- In a Swedish study, workers who routinely took probiotics were 42 percent less likely to take sick leave for upper-respiratory or gastrointestinal diseases.
__________________________________________________________
Drinks that Ward Off Sickness
ward = noun. guardianship - verb. guard - protect - watch - safeguard
Unless you're Rudolph, sporting a red nose for the winter probably isn't the look you're going for. And given all the sneezing, wheezing, and coughing that come with a seasonal cold or flu, that look can be, well, downright frightful. So wouldn't it be nice to skip the whole thing altogether?
(1) a cup of hot water with fresh lemon and ginger
To get your day off on the right foot, Dr. Eliaz suggests starting simple. "One of my top recommendations for immunity and overall health is to start your morning with a cup of hot water with fresh lemon and ginger," he says. Don't be deceived by the simplicity: Grating one teaspoon of fresh ginger into 8 to 12 ounces of water and adding the juice of 1 to 2 lemon slices offers up a hefty dose of antioxidants, vitamin C, and other immunity-boosting compounds. "It warms, activates, and cleanses your entire system," he says.
(2) A traditional Indian tea, your standard chai is a blend of black or green tea, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, clove, and fennel.
All these herbs add up to a whole lot of beneficial compounds that enhance immune cells, energize cellular mitochondria for greater energy and vitality, directly fight bacteria and viruses in the body, and reduce chronic inflammation, says Dr. Eliaz. Phew! One word of warning: make sure that your chai is unsweetened for maximum benefit. "Even natural sugars spike blood glucose which suppresses immunity," he says.
a blend of black or green tea, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, clove, and fennel
(3) Smoothies can be nothing more than glorified milkshakes, but with the right ingredients, they can become powerful medicine. "Choose low-sugar fruits such as apples, bananas, and especially berries, which have powerful polyphenol compounds offering immunity benefits," says Dr. Eliaz. For a protein punch, try un-denatured whey, he says. "It's shown to increase immunity and support detoxification by increasing a key antioxidant, glutathione." Omega-3 fats found in flax and chia seeds nourish immune cells and restore vital energy. Give this boosting blend a try:
Blueberry Chia Smoothie
- 2 & 1/2 cups almond, coconut or rice milk
- 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 scoop of concentrated, non-denatured whey powder
- 1/4 cup soaked chia seeds
- 1/2 banana
- 1 ounce coconut kiefer
(4) Up for something a bit fruitier? Vitamin C powder can increase white blood cells and reduce inflammation, says Dr. Eliaz. And berry powders, frozen pulp, or extracts can pack in even more antioxidants and nutrients. Another booster: Adaptogenic herbs, such as astragalus, which can help offset the effects of stress and support long-term immunity, he says. Give this smoothie a whirl: Super-C Smoothie with Astragalus
- 2 & 1/2 cups almond, coconut or rice milk
- 1 packet frozen acai berry pulp
- 500 mg vitamin C powder (available at health food stores)
- 1 scoop concentrated, non-denatured whey powder
- 500 mg astragalus extract or powder
- 1/2 banana
(4) Matcha is a powdered form of green tea, and has the same immune-pumping ingredients but in 10 times the concentration. The antioxidants and medicinal compounds in matcha tea can help you fight off viruses and bacteria, and even abnormal cells, says Dr. Eliaz. "They also help reduce inflammation, support cardiovascular health, improve energy and focus, and balance hormones," he says. You can find matcha at health food stores and specialty tea stores.
(5) "Studies show that mushrooms increase the production and activity of white blood cells, making them more aggressive—this is a good thing when you have an infection," says Douglas Schar, DipPhyt, MCPP, MNIMH, director of the Institute of Herbal Medicine in Washington, DC. You can make the most of mushroom power with a powdered blend of medicinal mushrooms mixed with hot water. Dr. Eliaz suggests MycoPhyto Complex powder, which is made with six species of medicinal mushrooms grown with immune-enhancing herbs.
(6) If you like a little kick to your sips, healthy fizzy drinks can help keep you hydrated while giving you an added dose of vitamins and minerals. One tasty option, Airborne Plus Energy, offers up immune-supporting vitamins A, C and E and zinc, as well as health-boosting herbs like ginger and echinacea.
(7) Sure they look sketchy, but green juices and juice powders can provide a healthy dose of nutrient-dense greens, including wheat and barley grass and even micro-algae like spirulina and chlorella. "Greens help to alkalize your system which creates an inhospitable environment for germs and abnormal cells," says Dr. Eliaz. Another perk: Drinking your greens can help detoxify your body, he says. Opt for a green juice with a diverse selection of organic ingredients and added probiotics, such as Vitality SuperGreen by Body Ecology, which has a blend of cereal grasses, micro-algae, green veggies, and probiotics.
(8) Good news, wine lovers! The antioxidants in red wine may help keep you healthy. A 2010 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that among 4,000 Spanish adults, those who drank more than 14 weekly glasses of wine for a year were 40% less likely to come down with a common cold. Why? Antioxidants are believed to fight infection and protect cells against the effects of free radicals. But like all good things, the key is, of course, moderation. "Too much will cancel the benefits, because the alcohol and sugars strain the liver and reduce immunity," says Dr. Eliaz.
(9)
Your mom knew what she was talking about when she made you drink tea at the first sign of a cold: Hot drinks stimulate digestion, ease cold and flu symptoms, and give your immune system the extra kick it needs to fight germs. In fact, people who drank five cups a day of black tea for two weeks had 10 times more virus-fighting cells in their blood than people who drank a placebo hot drink, finds a Harvard study. Sweeten your immune-revving cup with honey, which offers its own health-boosting antioxidants. The darker the honey, the more antioxidants, so opt for varieties like buckwheat to get the best kick.
More from Prevention:
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- 5 Easy Ways To Prevent A Cold
- 5 Steps To A Perfect Cup Of Tea
- 10 Crazy Ways To Sweeten Without Sugar
- 6 Sneaky Signs You Drink Too Much
- Download Organic Fruits and Veggies Shopping Guide
Studies Question Value of Going Organic
STAF, Inc.'s comment on this article below, by Dr. Christian von Christopher, Ph.D., STAF, Inc. President
The recent studies have showed that the difference in any organic or non-organic is not substantial.
The organics market has grown from $3.7 billion in 1997 to $26.7 billion in 2012
However, multiple research projects also show that there are less toxic ingredients in any organic food - notice: also organic has toxicity because the ground anywhere is hardly not fully clean.
If you can afford organic food, use it only assuming you find fresh-looking items. Often the organic stays longer in the store shelves and gets "droopy" - no good - has less nutrients as it stays on the shelves, because the majority of the customers do not buy organic.
STAF, Inc.'s opinion that it is safe enough the eat non-organic food to save substantially in expenses.
The higher price may not fully show the best value when it comes the cleanness and the nutrients when compared with the non-organic.
Go ahead, eat good non-organic and invest the price difference in good, reliable investments to become a millionaire.
Studies Question Value of Going Organic,
Show Consumers' Green Goals Fading
Click the green for further info
Date: September, 2012
NEW YORK (MainStreet)
—The organic foods market is abuzz, and not in a good way, over a study released by Stanford University last week that asked if “paying a premium” for quality organic food stuffs was really “worth it.”
Unfortunately for the organics market, the answer from Stanford researchers was “not really.”
"Despite the widespread perception that organically produced foods are more nutritious than conventional alternatives, we did not find robust evidence to support this perception," the study says.
The study goes on to note that the organics market has grown from $3.7 billion in 1997 to $26.7 billion today, with consumers saying they want to live a so-called “green lifestyle” no matter what research studies say – at least for now, and with financial limitations in place.
Another study, this one released Monday by GfK Green Gauge, says green culture has gone “mainstream” in recent years but finds some limits. “At a time of slow economic recovery, paying significantly more to be environmentally friendly simply doesn’t compute for most people,” the study says.
“Green awareness is indeed pervasive – but consumers can perceive ‘green’ claims as a negative in some contexts,” said Timothy Kenyon, director for GfK’s Green Gauge survey. “For example, while terms like organic and recyclable have strong positive resonance, they are often associated with higher prices.”
The GfK study indicates consumers are striving to achieve some balance in living the green lifestyle. They want to embrace the culture, but won’t open their pocketbooks too much to meet their organic living goals.
From the study:
Click green for further info
This article is for your personal use, only
____________
Click the link below to study further
GfK Roper Greengaugewww.gfkamerica.com/practice_areas/...greengauge/index.en.html
Introducing GfK Roper Green Gauge® Global — the only study providing global marketers an in-depth look into green consumer trends, attitudes and ...fK Roper .
__________________________________
The recent studies have showed that the difference in any organic or non-organic is not substantial.
The organics market has grown from $3.7 billion in 1997 to $26.7 billion in 2012
However, multiple research projects also show that there are less toxic ingredients in any organic food - notice: also organic has toxicity because the ground anywhere is hardly not fully clean.
If you can afford organic food, use it only assuming you find fresh-looking items. Often the organic stays longer in the store shelves and gets "droopy" - no good - has less nutrients as it stays on the shelves, because the majority of the customers do not buy organic.
STAF, Inc.'s opinion that it is safe enough the eat non-organic food to save substantially in expenses.
The higher price may not fully show the best value when it comes the cleanness and the nutrients when compared with the non-organic.
Go ahead, eat good non-organic and invest the price difference in good, reliable investments to become a millionaire.
Studies Question Value of Going Organic,
Show Consumers' Green Goals Fading
Click the green for further info
Date: September, 2012
NEW YORK (MainStreet)
—The organic foods market is abuzz, and not in a good way, over a study released by Stanford University last week that asked if “paying a premium” for quality organic food stuffs was really “worth it.”
Unfortunately for the organics market, the answer from Stanford researchers was “not really.”
"Despite the widespread perception that organically produced foods are more nutritious than conventional alternatives, we did not find robust evidence to support this perception," the study says.
The study goes on to note that the organics market has grown from $3.7 billion in 1997 to $26.7 billion today, with consumers saying they want to live a so-called “green lifestyle” no matter what research studies say – at least for now, and with financial limitations in place.
Another study, this one released Monday by GfK Green Gauge, says green culture has gone “mainstream” in recent years but finds some limits. “At a time of slow economic recovery, paying significantly more to be environmentally friendly simply doesn’t compute for most people,” the study says.
“Green awareness is indeed pervasive – but consumers can perceive ‘green’ claims as a negative in some contexts,” said Timothy Kenyon, director for GfK’s Green Gauge survey. “For example, while terms like organic and recyclable have strong positive resonance, they are often associated with higher prices.”
The GfK study indicates consumers are striving to achieve some balance in living the green lifestyle. They want to embrace the culture, but won’t open their pocketbooks too much to meet their organic living goals.
From the study:
- 73% of American adults have bought an organic product in the past year, including foodstuff, household supplies and clothing.
- 93% say they have taken steps to “conserve energy” during the past year, and 77% telling GfK researchers they have “done something” to conserve water.
- 29% of study respondents are turning to mobile phone apps to improve their green lifestyles, especially for help in finding public transportation and using home energy monitors.
Click green for further info
This article is for your personal use, only
____________
Click the link below to study further
GfK Roper Greengaugewww.gfkamerica.com/practice_areas/...greengauge/index.en.html
Introducing GfK Roper Green Gauge® Global — the only study providing global marketers an in-depth look into green consumer trends, attitudes and ...fK Roper .
__________________________________
In Staf. Inc.'s 0-10 scale this is 9-1/2 - the information in the article below is important - it is valid today for your health
Vegetarianism the Only Way to Go in 2050
Click the green parts for further information
Vegetarianism will likely be the only option for most of the world’s population by the year 2050, due to dwindling water and land resources, according to a recent report published by Swedish water scientists.
As the world’s population burgeons to around 9 billion in the next 40 years, there will not be enough resources or space to raise livestock to produce meat and dairy products. The current production and eating habits would end up creating a disastrous food shortage for the world, the Stockholm International Water Institute, or SIWI, said in its report.
The report said that currently “nearly one billion people still suffer from hunger and malnourishment” even though there is more food than ever before, highlighting the waste and inefficiency of current modes of production.
It stressed that with severe agricultural challenges and water management issues, the world’s leaders need to “think differently” and focus on innovative ways to handle the problem.
The scientists noted that addressing hunger and feeding the world’s people is an immensely complicated situation, but said it boils down mainly to energy and water, which as they noted, need to be regarded as finite and not as free resources for the world’s food production.
Droughts in northern Africa have created a food shortage for millions of people in the region, while droughts in the United States are also set to drive the world’s food prices up by the end of the end of the year and next year.
“The analysis showed that there will not be enough water available on current croplands to produce food for the expected population in 2050 if we follow current trends and changes towards diets common in Western nations,” which have populations that eat high quantities of meat, SIWI’s report said.
“There will, however, be just enough water” for people to comprise 5 percent of their diet with animal-based foods, including meat and dairy, the report’s authors added. Currently, humans get around 20 percent of their calories from animal-based protein.
Even if the world switches over to a primarily plant-based diet, it is still unclear if that will be enough to avert a catastrophic food shortage.
SIWI stressed that governments must deal with the waste of food and improve upon the food-production system that is currently implemented.
The U.N. released a report in June that said agriculture consumes 70 percent of the world’s freshwater supply, most of which is from meat and dairy production, which also consumes 38 percent of the world’s land use, and produces 19 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases.
The SIWI’s report was released ahead of the annual conference held in Stockholm this week, where over 2,500 delegates, NGO groups, scientists, and others converge to discuss matters related to water scarcity and management.rtages
In a recent report, aid agency Oxfam said that the world’s poorest people will face an unmitigated disaster over skyrocketing food prices because the food system is flawed.
“Policy-makers have taken cheap food for granted for nearly 30 years. Those days are gone,” it said and added that governments must end “the obscene waste of food including burning it as biodiesel in our trucks and cars.”
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
Tags: agriculture global population meat water supplies
Related Articles
- Meat Eaters Deny Mental Qualities in Animals
- Worst Drought in a Millennium Creates Severe Food Shortness __________________________________________________________
This article below is about the ecology of our earth
- one important topic among many other topics -
how we destroy our earth and how it can be saved
A must to study information - will open eyes - it did ours
In STAF, Inc.'s scale 1 - 10 this article is 10 3 i's: inspiring - important - info
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Study: Americans Waste 40 Percent of Their Food
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Americans throw away as much as 40 percent of their food per year; the equivalent of around $165 billion, according to a study released Tuesday.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental advocacy group, said in its study that the average American family of four throws away the equivalent of $2,275 annually in food.
The study also found that in American landfills, food is the single largest component, while there has been a 50 percent increase in U.S. food waste since the 1970s.
The NRDC - Natural Resources Defense Council noted that if there were only a 15 percent reduction in the amount of food thrown away, then there would be enough to feed approximately 25 million Americans per year.
“As a country, we’re essentially tossing every other piece of food that crosses our path—that’s money and precious resources down the drain,” said Dana Gunders with the NRDC in a press release.
With drought affecting much of the country as well as corn and soybean crops, “now is the time to embrace all the tremendous untapped opportunities to get more out of our food system,” she added. “We can do better.”
Related Articles
- Waste Not, Want Not (click)
- Optimizing the City’s Food System: Panel (click)
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter. (click)
URL to article: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/study-americans-waste-40-percent-of-their-food-282374.html
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___________________________________
Oceans may explain slowdown in climate change: study
Date: March, 2013
OSLO (Reuters) - Climate change could get worse quickly if huge amounts of extra heat absorbed by the oceans are released back into the air, scientists said after unveiling new research showing that oceans have helped mitigate the effects of warming since 2000.
Heat-trapping gases are being emitted into the atmosphere faster than ever, and the 10 hottest years since records began have all taken place since 1998. But the rate at which the earth's surface is heating up has slowed somewhat since 2000, causing scientists to search for an explanation for the pause.
Experts in France and Spain said on Sunday that the oceans took up more warmth from the air around 2000. That would help explain the slowdown in surface warming but would also suggest that the pause may be only temporary and brief.
"Most of this excess energy was absorbed in the top 700 meters (2,300 ft) of the ocean at the onset of the warming pause, 65 percent of it in the tropical Pacific and Atlantic oceans," they wrote in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Lead author Virginie Guemas of the Catalan Institute of Climate Sciences in Barcelona said the hidden heat may return to the atmosphere in the next decade, stoking warming again.
"If it is only related to natural variability then the rate of warming will increase soon," she told Reuters.
Caroline Katsman of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, an expert who was not involved in the latest study, said heat absorbed by the ocean will come back into the atmosphere if it is part of an ocean cycle such as the "El Nino" warming and "La Nina" cooling events in the Pacific.
She said the study broadly confirmed earlier research by her institute but that it was unlikely to be the full explanation of the warming pause at the surface, since it only applied to the onset of the slowdown around 2000.
THRESHOLD
The pace of climate change has big economic implications since almost 200 governments agreed in 2010 to limit surface warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) above pre-industrial levels, mainly by shifting from fossil fuels.
Surface temperatures have already risen by 0.8 C. Two degrees is widely seen as a threshold for dangerous changes such as more droughts, mudslides, floods and rising sea levels.
Some governments, and skeptics that man-made climate change is a big problem, argue that the slowdown in the rising trend shows less urgency to act. Governments have agreed to work out, by the end of 2015, a global deal to combat climate change.
Last year was ninth warmest since records began in the 1850s, according to the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization, and 2010 was the warmest, just ahead of 1998. Apart from 1998, the 10 hottest years have all been since 2000.
Guemas's study, twinning observations and computer models, showed that natural La Nina weather events in the Pacific around the year 2000 brought cool waters to the surface that absorbed more heat from the air. In another set of natural variations, the Atlantic also soaked up more heat.
"Global warming is continuing but it's being manifested in somewhat different ways," said Kevin Trenberth, of the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research. Warming can go, for instance, to the air, water, land or to melting ice and snow.
Warmth is spreading to ever deeper ocean levels, he said, adding that pauses in surface warming could last 15-20 years.
"Recent warming rates of the waters below 700 meters appear to be unprecedented," he and colleagues wrote in a study last month in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
The U.N. panel of climate scientists says it is at least 90 percent certain that human activities - rather than natural variations in the climate - are the main cause of warming in recent decades.
Source: EPA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, March 2013
____________________________________________________________
This article below is about the ecology of our earth
- one important topic among many other topics -
how we destroy our earth and how it can be saved
In STAF, Inc.'s scale 0-10 this is a full 10 (very rare)
A must to study information - will open eyes - it did ours
Why the Beaver Should Thank the Wolf
This topic handled in STAF, Inc.'s Radio Show DrDrCanYouHelpMe on 10/3/12 - Listen to the recording
The original Radio Show recordings 24/7 on the internet - link to the Show website in tab: Radio & TV Shows
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September, 2012
Based on the book by Mary Ellen Hannibal - the author of “The Spine of the Continent” - (Read the book - it is worth it)
In September, 2012, a group of environmental nonprofits said they would challenge the federal government’s removal of Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Wyoming. Since there are only about 328 wolves in a state with a historic blood thirst for the hides of these top predators, the nonprofits are probably right that lacking protection, Wyoming wolves are toast.
Many Americans, even as they view the extermination of a species as morally anathema, struggle to grasp the tangible effects of the loss of wolves. It turns out that, far from being freeloaders on the top of the food chain, wolves have a powerful effect on the well-being of the ecosystems around them — from the survival of trees and riverbank vegetation to, perhaps surprisingly, the health of the populations of their prey.
An example of this can be found in Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park, where wolves were virtually wiped out in the 1920s and reintroduced in the ’90s. Since the wolves have come back, scientists have noted an unexpected improvement in many of the park’s degraded stream areas.
Stands of aspen and other native vegetation, once decimated by overgrazing, are now growing up along the banks. This may have something to do with changing fire patterns, but it is also probably because elk and other browsing animals behave differently when wolves are around. Instead of eating greenery down to the soil, they take a bite or two, look up to check for threats, and keep moving. The greenery can grow tall enough to reproduce.
Beavers, despite being on the wolf’s menu, also benefit when their predators are around. The healthy vegetation encouraged by the presence of wolves provides food and shelter to beavers. Beavers in turn go on to create dams that help keep rivers clean and lessen the effects of drought. Beaver activity also spreads a welcome mat for thronging biodiversity. Bugs, amphibians, fish, birds and small mammals find the water around dams to be an ideal habitat.
So the beavers keep the rivers from drying up while, at the same time, healthy vegetation keeps the rivers from flooding, and all this biological interaction helps maintain rich soil that better sequesters carbon — that stuff we want to get out of the atmosphere and back into the ground. In other words, by helping to maintain a healthy ecosystem, wolves are connected to climate change: without them, these landscapes would be more vulnerable to the effects of those big weather events we will increasingly experience as the planet warms.
Scientists call this sequence of impacts down the food chain a “trophic cascade.” The wolf is connected to the elk is connected to the aspen is connected to the beaver. Keeping these connections going ensures healthy, functioning ecosystems, which in turn support human life.
Another example is the effect of sea otters on kelp, which provides food and shelter for a host of species. Like the aspen for the elk, kelp is a favorite food of sea urchins. By hunting sea urchins, otters protect the vitality of the kelp and actually boost overall biodiversity. Without them, the ecosystem tends to collapse; the coastal reefs become barren, and soon not much lives there.
Unfortunately, sea otters are in the cross hairs of a conflict equivalent to the “wolf wars.” Some communities in southeast Alaska want to allow the hunting of sea otters in order to decrease their numbers and protect fisheries. But the rationale that eliminating the predator increases the prey is shortsighted and ignores larger food-web dynamics. A degraded ecosystem will be far less productive over all.
Having fewer fish wouldn’t just hurt fishermen: it would also endanger the other end of the trophic scale — the phytoplankton that turn sunshine into plant material, and as every student of photosynthesis knows, create oxygen and sequester carbon. In lakes, predator fish keep the smaller fish from eating all the phytoplankton, thus sustaining the lake’s rate of carbon uptake.
Around the planet, large predators are becoming extinct at faster rates than other species. And losing top predators has an outsize effect on the rate of loss of many other species below them on the food chain as well as on the plant life that is so important to the balance of our ecosystems.
So what can be done? For one thing, we have begun to realize that parks like Yellowstone are not the most effective means of conservation. Putting a boundary around an expanse of wilderness is an intuitive idea not borne out by the science. Many top predators must travel enormous distances to find mates and keep populations from becoming inbred. No national park is big enough for wolves, for example. Instead, conservation must be done on a continental scale. We can still erect our human boundaries — around cities and towns, mines and oil fields — but in order to sustain a healthy ecosystem, we need to build in connections so that top predators can move from one wild place to another.
Many biologists have warned that we are approaching another mass extinction. The wolf is still endangered and should be protected in its own right. But we should also recognize that bringing all the planet’s threatened and endangered species back to healthy numbers — as well as mitigating the effects of climate change — means keeping top predators around.
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By MARY ELLEN HANNIBAL - San Francisco
Mary Ellen Hannibal is the author of “The Spine of the Continent.”
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MORE IN OPINION (1 OF 21 ARTICLES
Op-Ed Contributor: A Glimmer in the Vast Wasteland
Read More »
This article is for your private use, only
See the next article below: another example of a sea animal guarding the earth's healthy ecology
_________________________________
Why Is It Illegal To Ride a Manatee?
Riding a dolphin also violates federal law
Click green for further info
What is a manatee? See the link below at the end of this article for detailed info and a picture
Anyone looking for cheap thrills and a quick brush with nature should reconsider thoughts of riding a manatee. As a Florida woman is learning, multiple federal and state laws can be swiftly wielded in defense of the vulnerable sea cow.
Ana Gloria Garcia Gutierrez, 52, accused of riding a manatee in a waterway in Pinellas County over the weekend, turned herself in after authorities on her trail released photos that appear to show her mid-ride.
The Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act outlaws riding or touching the slow-moving marine mammals. And while Gutierrez wasn't immediately charged, her alleged crime is punishable by a $500 fine or a jail term of up to 60 days, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
There was no immediate indication that federal charges would be pressed, but Gutierrez's alleged offense also would violate the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the U.S. Endangered Species Act, under which she could be subject to thousands of dollars in additional fines for harassing a protected species.
Such penalties may seem outsized for a joy ride on a thick-skinned manatee, which was not thought to have been physically injured in the encounter. But authorities' refusal to regard Gutierrez's alleged crime as harmless whimsy is perhaps acknowledgement that human interactions with manatees are precisely what threaten to end the endangered animal's existence.
The same easygoing and curious nature that would likely predispose a manatee to taking on a human passenger seems to contribute to the species' vulnerability to being mowed down by passing speed boats.
Manatee Mystery: Why Can't They Avoid Speedboats?
About 87 Florida manatees are killed by humans every year, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, most of them dying in boat collisions. And with an estimated Florida population of 3,800 manatees, 87 is a grave number.
Coastal development, which has altered and destroyed manatee habitat, also threatens the species.
Swimmers seeking a visceral interaction with a non-manatee marine mammal, take note: Riding a dolphin — the gazelle to the manatee's cow — also violates federal law.
Click green for further info
Source: Yahoo Science News
Click the green for manatee info
Manatee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manatee
Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three ...
Dugong - West Indian manatee - Amazonian manatee - Dwarf manatee
This article is for your private use, only
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________
Why Is It Illegal To Ride a Manatee?
Riding a dolphin also violates federal law
Click green for further info
What is a manatee? See the link below at the end of this article for detailed info and a picture
Anyone looking for cheap thrills and a quick brush with nature should reconsider thoughts of riding a manatee. As a Florida woman is learning, multiple federal and state laws can be swiftly wielded in defense of the vulnerable sea cow.
Ana Gloria Garcia Gutierrez, 52, accused of riding a manatee in a waterway in Pinellas County over the weekend, turned herself in after authorities on her trail released photos that appear to show her mid-ride.
The Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act outlaws riding or touching the slow-moving marine mammals. And while Gutierrez wasn't immediately charged, her alleged crime is punishable by a $500 fine or a jail term of up to 60 days, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
There was no immediate indication that federal charges would be pressed, but Gutierrez's alleged offense also would violate the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the U.S. Endangered Species Act, under which she could be subject to thousands of dollars in additional fines for harassing a protected species.
Such penalties may seem outsized for a joy ride on a thick-skinned manatee, which was not thought to have been physically injured in the encounter. But authorities' refusal to regard Gutierrez's alleged crime as harmless whimsy is perhaps acknowledgement that human interactions with manatees are precisely what threaten to end the endangered animal's existence.
The same easygoing and curious nature that would likely predispose a manatee to taking on a human passenger seems to contribute to the species' vulnerability to being mowed down by passing speed boats.
Manatee Mystery: Why Can't They Avoid Speedboats?
About 87 Florida manatees are killed by humans every year, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, most of them dying in boat collisions. And with an estimated Florida population of 3,800 manatees, 87 is a grave number.
Coastal development, which has altered and destroyed manatee habitat, also threatens the species.
Swimmers seeking a visceral interaction with a non-manatee marine mammal, take note: Riding a dolphin — the gazelle to the manatee's cow — also violates federal law.
Click green for further info
Source: Yahoo Science News
- Marine Marvels: Spectacular Photos of Sea Creatures
- Humans' Taste for Dolphins & Manatees on the Rise
- Lumbering Sea Cows Were Once Plentiful and Diverse
Click the green for manatee info
Manatee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manatee
Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three ...
Dugong - West Indian manatee - Amazonian manatee - Dwarf manatee
This article is for your private use, only
_________________________________________________________
Seals take scientists to Antarctic's ocean floor
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Elephant seals wearing head sensors and swimming deep beneath Antarctic ice have helped scientists better understand how the ocean's coldest, deepest waters are formed, providing vital clues to understanding its role in the world's climate.
The tagged seals, along with sophisticated satellite data and moorings in ocean canyons, all played a role in providing data from the extreme Antarctic environment, where observations are very rare and ships could not go, said researchers at the Antarctic Climate & Ecosystem CRC in Tasmania.
Scientists have long known of the existence of "Antarctic bottom water," a dense, deep layer of water near the ocean floor that has a significant impact on the movement of the world's oceans.
Three areas where this water is formed were known of, and the existence of a fourth suspected for decades, but the area was far too inaccessible, until now, thanks to the seals.
"The seals went to an area of the coastline that no ship was ever going to get to," said Guy Williams, ACE CRC Sea Ice specialist and co-author of the study.
"This is a particular form of Antarctic water called Antarctic bottom water production, one of the engines that drives ocean circulation," he told Reuters. "What we've done is found another piston in that engine."
Southern Ocean Elephant seals are the largest of all seals, with males growing up to six meters (20 feet) long and weighing up to 4,000 kilograms (8,800 lbs).
[Slideshow: Stunning underwater phenomenon captured] Click green to see the slides
Twenty of the seals were deployed from Davis Station in east Antarctica in 2011 with a sensor, weighing about 100 to 200 grams, on their head. Each of the sensors had a small satellite relay which transmitted data on a daily basis during the five to 10 minute intervals when the seals surfaced.
"We get four dives worth of data a day but they're actually doing up to 60 dives," he said.
"The elephant seals ... went to the very source and found this very cold, very saline dense water in the middle of winter beneath a polynya*), which is what we call an ice factory around the coast of Antarctica," Williams added.
Previous studies have shown that there are 50-year-long trends in the properties of the Antarctic bottom water, and Williams said the latest study will help better assess those changes, perhaps providing clues for climate change modeling.
"Several of the seals foraged on the continental slope as far down as 1,800 meters (1.1 miles), punching through into a layer of this dense water cascading down the abyss," he said in a statement. "They gave us very rare and valuable wintertime measurements of this process."
*) click: Polynya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynya
A polynya (common US spelling) or polynia (common UK spelling) is an area of open water surrounded by sea ice. It is now used as geographical term for an ...
Formation - Ecology - Arctic navigation - See also
Source: Internet
_____________________________________________________
Poll: Science doubters say world is warming
Dated: December 14, 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) — A growing majority of Americans think global warming is occurring, that it will become a serious problem and that the U.S. government should do something about it, a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds.
Even most people who say they don't trust scientists on the environment say temperatures are rising.
The poll found 4 out of every 5 Americans said climate change will be a serious problem for the United States if nothing is done about it. That's up from 73 percent when the same question was asked in 2009.
And 57 percent of Americans say the U.S. government should do a great deal or quite a bit about the problem. That's up from 52 percent in 2009. Only 22 percent of those surveyed think little or nothing should be done, a figure that dropped from 25 percent.
Overall, 78 percent of those surveyed said they believe temperatures are rising, up from 75 percent three years earlier. In general, U.S. belief in global warming, according to AP-GfK and other polls, has fluctuated over the years but has stayed between about 70 and 85 percent.
The biggest change in the polling is among people who trust scientists only a little or not at all. About 1 in 3 of the people surveyed fell into that category.
Within that highly skeptical group, 61 percent now say temperatures have been rising over the past 100 years. That's a substantial increase from 2009, when the AP-GfK poll found that only 47 percent of those with little or no trust in scientists believed the world was getting warmer.
This is an important development because, often in the past, opinion about climate change doesn't move much in core groups — like those who deny it exists and those who firmly believe it's an alarming problem, said Jon Krosnick, a Stanford University social psychologist and pollster. Krosnick, who consulted with The Associated Press on the poll questions, said the changes the poll shows aren't in the hard-core "anti-warming" deniers, but in the next group, who had serious doubts.
"They don't believe what the scientists say, they believe what the thermometers say," Krosnick said. "Events are helping these people see what scientists thought they had been seeing all along."
Phil Adams, a retired freelance photographer from Washington, N.C., said he was "fairly cynical" about scientists and their theories. But he believes very much in climate change because of what he's seen with his own eyes.
"Having lived for 67 years, we consistently see more and more changes based upon the fact that the weather is warmer," he said. "The seasons are more severe. The climate is definitely getting warmer."
"Storms seem to be more severe," he added. Nearly half, 49 percent, of those surveyed called global warming not just serious but "very serious," up from 42 percent in 2009. More than half, 57 percent, of those surveyed thought the U.S. government should do a great deal or quite a bit about global warming, up from 52 percent three years earlier.
But only 45 percent of those surveyed think President Barack Obama will take major action to fight climate change in his second term, slightly more than the 41 percent who don't think he will act.
Overall, the 78 percent who think temperatures are rising is not the highest percentage of Americans who have believed in climate change, according to AP polling. In 2006, less than a year after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, 85 percent thought temperatures were rising. The lowest point in the past 15 years for belief in warming was in December 2009, after some snowy winters and in the middle of an uproar about climate scientists' emails that later independent investigations found showed no manipulation of data.
Broken down by political party, 83 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of Republicans say the world is getting warmer. And 77 percent of independents say temperatures are rising. Among scientists who write about the issue in peer-reviewed literature, the belief in global warming is about 97 percent, according to a 2010 scientific study.
About 1 in 4 people surveyed think that efforts to curb global warming would hurt the American economy, a figure down slightly from 27 percent in 2009 when the economy was in worse shape. Just under half, 46 percent, think such action would help the U.S. economy, about the same as said so three years ago.
The AP-GfK poll was conducted Nov. 29-Dec. 3 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. It involved landline and cellphone interviews with 1,002 adults nationwide. Results for the full sample have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points; the margin of error is larger for subgroups.
The latest AP-GfK poll jibes with other surveys and more in-depth research on global warming, said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of Yale University's Project on Climate Change Communication. He took no part in the poll.
When climate change belief was at its lowest, concerns about the economy were heightened and the country had gone through some incredible snowstorms and that may have chipped away at some belief in global warming, Leiserowitz said. Now the economy is better and the weather is warmer and worse in ways that seem easier to connect to climate change, he said.
"One extreme event after another after another," Leiserowitz said. "People have noticed. ... They're connecting the dots between climate change and this long bout of extreme weather themselves."
Thomas Coffey, 77, of Houston, said you can't help but notice it.
"We use to have mild temperatures in the fall going into winter months. Now, we have summer temperatures going into winter," Coffey said. "The whole Earth is getting warmer and when it gets warmer, the ice cap is going to melt and the ocean is going to rise."
He also said that's what he thinks is causing recent extreme weather.
"That's why you see New York and New Jersey," he said, referring to Superstorm Sandy and its devastation in late October. "When you have a flood like that, flooding tunnels like that. And look at how long the tunnel has been there."
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U.S. Unprepared for Electromagnetic Storm
Important information
- at the STAF, Inc.'s scale 0 - 10 of importance this is 9-1/2 -
Power Failure: An Attack US Unprepared For
U.S. Unprepared for Electromagnetic
Storm
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October 4, 2012
Abbreviations and their meaning used in this article:
(1) (EMP) electromagnetic pulse , (2) (HEMP) high-altitude EMP, (3) (DHS) The Department of Homeland Security ,
(4) (CME) coronal mass ejection, (5) the Carrington Event, The solar storm of 1859, also known as the 1859 Solar Superstorm, or the Carrington Event, was a powerful solar storm in 1859 during solar cycle 10. It produced the largest known solar flare, which was observed and recorded by Richard C. Carrington.
Additional info: Solar storm of 1859 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen. wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859
____________
A single electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack could affect the entire United States. Power would go out, financial infrastructure would be lost, electronics would be fried. Cars, trains, and airplanes would be useless hunks of metal. If energy, pumps, and transportation were knocked out, food and water would become a dwindling commodity.
An EMP capable of causing damage of this magnitude could come from either a nuclear weapon detonated 15 miles above the earth’s surface or from solar weather as the sun approaches its solar maximum.
Despite the risk, the United States remains unprepared. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working with other government departments to raise awareness about the threat, according to Brandon Wales, director of the DHS Infrastructure Threat and Risk Analysis Center, who testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security on Sept. 12.
A nuclear weapon detonated above the earth’s surface, also known as a high-altitude EMP (HEMP), could “blanket the entire continental United States,” and “A concern is the growing number of nation-states that in the past have sponsored terrorism and are now developing capabilities that could be used in a HEMP attack,” Wales said, according to a transcript.
He added that a coronal mass ejection (CME) plasma hurricane, which can come from solar activity, “could create low-frequency EMP similar to a megaton-class nuclear HEMP detonation over the United States, which could disrupt or damage the power grid, undersea cables, and other critical infrastructures.”
Solar storms that could have caused significant EMP damage have occurred in the past, but unlike today, reliance on technology was not widespread enough to cause much harm.
The largest known solar storm took place during a solar maximum in 1859, known as the Carrington Event. The sun is again entering its solar maximum of around that same size, National Geographic reported, citing NASA. Similar solar activity is expected within the next two years.
“In 1859, such reports were mostly curiosities. But if something similar happened today, the world’s high-tech infrastructure could grind to a halt,” states the March 2, 2011, National Geographic report.
According to Wales, the DHS is working closely with information provided by the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack. The commission has released three comprehensive reports since 2002, which look at the vulnerabilities of the United States to an EMP.
The commission’s last report was released in April 2008, and states, “Because of the ubiquitous dependence of U.S. society on the electrical power system, its vulnerability to an EMP attack, coupled with the EMP’s particular damage mechanisms, creates the possibility of long-term, catastrophic consequences.”
It states that an EMP attack could “leave significant parts of the electrical infrastructure out of service for periods measured in months to a year or more.”
The loss of the electrical infrastructure is more serious than just losing computers and cellphones. The most fundamental threat would be to water and food supplies.
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Food infrastructure in the United States is heavily dependent upon modern technology. Farming requires technology, as do transportation and refrigeration. The commission states, “It is highly possible that the recovery time would be very slow and the amount of human suffering great, including loss of life.”
The water infrastructure faces a similar threat, since it is reliant on treatment plants, pumps, and other systems. The commission said that, “Faced with the failure of the water infrastructure in a single large city, [federal, state, and local emergency services] would be hard-pressed to provide the population with the minimum water requirements necessary to sustain life over a time frame longer than a few days.”
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Source:
Epoch Times, 10/4/12
By Joshua Philipp
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Study further through the web links below:
- Earthbound Solar Flares (x 2) Strongest of 2012 ~ (UPDATED 3*9 ...newearthdaily.com/earthbound-solar-flares-x-2-strongest-of-2012/
The first big solar storm was also the most powerful one, ranking as an X5.4-class flare... Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, who prepared the CME's ... quiettime as these solar incidents can certainly affect all facets of our lives ~ from ...Crowning, Birth & Maturation: The Dawn of a New Epoch & the 'Evoluminous ... - Streamlining Solar Storm - New Earth Dailynewearthdaily.com/streamlining-solar-storm/
We shared about the incoming earth facing solar CME a couple of days ago ~ here is the ... to a forecast track prepared by analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab. ...Crowning, Birth & Maturation: The Dawn of a New Epoch & the 'Evoluminous ... the exact Full Moon will take place on Friday early morning EST time ______________________________________
IMPORTANT ARTICLE RELATING TO HEALTHY ECOLOGY
Next below - in STAF, Inc.'s scale 0-10 this article is 9/12 in importance
October 28, 2012
From Calm Leadership, Lasting Change
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SHE was a slight, soft-spoken woman who preferred walking the Maine shoreline to stalking the corridors of power. And yet Rachel Carson, the author of “Silent Spring,” played a central role in starting the environmental movement, by forcing government and business to confront the dangers of pesticides.
Carson was a scientist with a lyrical bent, who saw it as her mission to share her observations with a wider audience. In the course of her work, she also felt called upon to become a leader — and was no less powerful for being a reluctant one.
As a professor at Harvard Business School, I encountered the great depth of her work when I was creating a course on the history of leadership. I was amazed to learn she wrote “Silent Spring” as she battled breast cancer and cared for a young child. After the book was published, 50 years ago last month, she faced an outburst of public reaction and a backlash from chemical companies. Yet throughout her personal and public struggles, she was an informed spokeswoman for environmental responsibility.
She was a classic introvert who exhibited few of the typical qualities associated with leadership, like charisma and aggressiveness. But as people like Susan Cain, author of “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” have pointed out, leadership can come in less obvious forms.
Carson’s life shows that individual agency, fueled by resolution and hard work, has the power to change the world. In this election year, when so much influence seems concentrated in “super PACs,” lobbying groups and other moneyed interests, her story is a reminder that one person’s quiet leadership can make a difference.
The natural world had fascinated Carson since she was a young girl growing up near Pittsburgh. At the Pennsylvania College for Women, later Chatham College, she majored in biology and earned her master’s degree in zoology at Johns Hopkins.
In the 1930s, there were few professional opportunities for women in the sciences. But in 1935, she found a job writing radio scripts about the ocean for what would become the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Within four years, she was editor in chief of all the agency’s publications, a position that connected her with researchers, conservationists and government officials.
Her work at the agency fed her larger calling as a writer. Throughout the 1930s and ’40s, she wrote freelance articles about the natural world for Colliers, the Atlantic Monthly and other magazines. In 1941, she published her first book, “Under the Sea-Wind,” a narrative account of the birds and sea creatures of North America’s eastern shores.
Carson wrote within the crevices of a busy life, and often with serious health problems. In 1950, she had surgery to remove a tumorfrom her left breast. The next year, she published “The Sea Around Us,” a wide-ranging history of the ocean. It was an instant best seller. Readers responded to her graceful prose and marshaling of scientific facts, as well as to her long-term perspective. The book’s success enabled her to leave her position at the wildlife agency and devote herself to writing.
IN early 1958, she began working intently on “Silent Spring” while serving as both a breadwinner and a caregiver. The previous year, her niece died after an illness and she adopted her 5-year-old grandnephew. Unmarried and living in Silver Spring, Md., she also cared for and financially supported her ailing mother.
For the next four years, she gave all the time and energy she could spare to researching and writing “Silent Spring.” A diligent investigator, she reached out to a network of scientists, physicians, librarians, conservationists and government officials. She found colleagues, clerks, whistle-blowers and others who had studied pesticide use and were willing to share their knowledge.
With an assistant’s help, she spent weeks in the research libraries of Washington. Many of her contacts generated even more leads.
Carson was particularly interested in possible connections between cancer and human exposure to pesticides. In late 1959, she wrote this to Paul Brooks, her editor at Houghton Mifflin: “In the beginning I felt the link between pesticides and cancer was tenuous and at best circumstantial; now I feel it is very strong indeed.”
Her research, she wrote, “has taken very deep digging into the realms of physiology and biochemistry and genetics, to say nothing of chemistry. But I now feel that a lot of isolated pieces of the jigsaw puzzle have suddenly fallen into place,” she said, as quoted in“Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature,” a book by Linda Lear.
In late 1958, Carson’s mother died. And the next summer, her grandnephew’s illness slowed her work. By late 1959, she knew that the book would take longer than she originally planned. Yet she remained confident, writing to her editor that she was building her work “on an unshakable foundation.”
As she researched her book, Carson knew she was playing with fire. Still, she realized she had to bring her findings to a large audience. “Knowing what I do,” she wrote to a close friend in 1958, “there would be no future peace for me if I kept silent.”
In early 1960, medical problems interrupted Carson’s work again. She learned that she had an ulcer, and she developed pneumonia. In early April, she had surgery in Washington to remove two tumors in her left breast. One was apparently benign, she told a friend. The other was “suspicious enough to require a radical mastectomy.” Her doctors stopped short of diagnosing cancer and recommended no further treatment.
She went home to recover from the surgery and slowly resumed work. In November, Carson discovered a mass in her left chest. This led her to seek a second opinion at the Cleveland Clinic.
There, she learned that she had cancer, and that it had metastasized to her lymph nodes. In early 1961, she began radiation treatment, which sapped her strength. A staph infection, a flare-up of her ulcer and the onset of phlebitis in her legs added to her problems, leaving her too debilitated to work. At times, she despaired over “the complete and devastating wreckage” of her writing schedule and the “nearly complete loss of any creative feeling or desire.”
Throughout, she was determined to keep her medical condition private, fearful that readers would question the objectivity of her findings, particularly her chapters about links between pesticides and cancer.
By late spring, Carson returned to her book. She made progress for six months, until an eye inflammation left her virtually sightless for several weeks. Her assistant read chapters aloud to her for correction, but she was intensely frustrated. “Such a catalog of illnesses!” she confided to a friend. “If one were superstitious it would be easy to believe in some malevolent force at work, determined by some means to keep the book from being finished.”
EARLY in 1962, Carson sent most of the manuscript to her publisher and The New Yorker. The end in sight, she took stock of her motivation for the book. As quoted in Ms. Lear’s book, she wrote to the conservationist and author Lois Crisler: “The beauty of the living world I was trying to save has always been uppermost in my mind — that, and anger at the senseless, brutish things that were being done.”
Carson’s grace and fervor struck a powerful chord in June when The New Yorker began serializing “Silent Spring.” In a focused, persuasive way, she had thrown down a moral gauntlet, asking readers to reconsider the consequences of rapid technological progress. “How could intelligent beings,” she asked early in the book, “seek to control a few unwanted species by a method that contaminated the entire environment and brought the threat of disease and death even to their own kind?”
She argued that synthetic pesticides like DDT and heptachlor were being applied in profligate quantities without regard to their effect on human health, animals and the environment. She predicted grave consequences for man and the larger natural world if their use continued to grow. (The title “Silent Spring” refers to a future season when singing birds and other animals have been wiped out by insecticides.)
The book, combined with the New Yorker serialization, created a sensation. In summer 1962, President John F. Kennedy, citing the book, appointed a committee to study pesticide use. During the next two years, various government units called for increased oversight of and reductions of pesticides.
Small wonder that chemical makers counterattacked. A biochemist with American Cyanamid called Carson “a fanatic defender of the cult of the balance of nature.” Invoking cold-war language, the general counsel for another chemical company suggested that Carson was a front for “sinister influences” intent on restricting pesticide use in order to reduce American food supplies to the levels of the Eastern bloc.
In the 18 months after “Silent Spring” was published, Carson worked to outrun the aggressive cancer attacking her body. She guarded her strength, choosing to make public appearances where she believed she could make the most difference. She offered Congressional testimony on pesticide use and made a rare television appearance with Eric Sevareid of CBS. But in 1964, the disease and its complications caught up. She died on April 14 at age 56.
In the late 1960s, events including a California oil spill, a chemical fire on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland and civic protest about napalm and Agent Orange, used in the Vietnam War, underscored her warnings that efforts to control nature threatened man’s survival. The first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970, reflected mounting public concern.
Later that year, the Environmental Protection Agency began operations; in 1972, DDT was banned from use in the United States. The Clean Water Act was passed in 1972 and the Endangered Species Act in 1973. Looking back at such events, scientists like Paul Ehrlich and E. O. Wilson have credited “Silent Spring” with a pivotal role in starting the modern environmental movement.
RACHEL CARSON’S story offers many leadership lessons, including the importance of persistence in pursuing an objective. When I discuss her with business executives, many are struck by her ability to stay focused on goals in the face of obstacles including severe illness.
Another lesson involves the importance of doing thorough research and taking the long view. A sense of context based on hard facts, along with a knowledge of history, is essential to understanding what’s at stake in difficult and uncertain situations. It also confers a sense of authority on the person who has acquired this knowledge.
A third insight concerns the juggling of personal demands and professional ambitions. Carson understood the challenge — and satisfaction — of dealing with our obligations to others even as we follow our professional drive. And she saw that this can rarely be navigated smoothly. For her, and for many executives with whom I have worked, times of great productivity were followed by fallow periods when ambitions had to be put aside for personal reasons.
There continues to be debate about the use of DDT and its relation to Carson’s conclusions. Regardless, her story underscores the power of calling others to thoughtful action. At a time when Americans’ confidence in their business and government leaders is low, her journey offers a forceful example of one person’s ability to incite positive change.
MORE IN BUSINESS DAY (1 OF 21 ARTICLES)
DealBook: On Wall Street, Time to Mend Fences With Obama
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Next below - in STAF, Inc.'s scale 0-10 this article is 9/12 in importance
October 28, 2012
From Calm Leadership, Lasting Change
Click green for further info
SHE was a slight, soft-spoken woman who preferred walking the Maine shoreline to stalking the corridors of power. And yet Rachel Carson, the author of “Silent Spring,” played a central role in starting the environmental movement, by forcing government and business to confront the dangers of pesticides.
Carson was a scientist with a lyrical bent, who saw it as her mission to share her observations with a wider audience. In the course of her work, she also felt called upon to become a leader — and was no less powerful for being a reluctant one.
As a professor at Harvard Business School, I encountered the great depth of her work when I was creating a course on the history of leadership. I was amazed to learn she wrote “Silent Spring” as she battled breast cancer and cared for a young child. After the book was published, 50 years ago last month, she faced an outburst of public reaction and a backlash from chemical companies. Yet throughout her personal and public struggles, she was an informed spokeswoman for environmental responsibility.
She was a classic introvert who exhibited few of the typical qualities associated with leadership, like charisma and aggressiveness. But as people like Susan Cain, author of “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” have pointed out, leadership can come in less obvious forms.
Carson’s life shows that individual agency, fueled by resolution and hard work, has the power to change the world. In this election year, when so much influence seems concentrated in “super PACs,” lobbying groups and other moneyed interests, her story is a reminder that one person’s quiet leadership can make a difference.
The natural world had fascinated Carson since she was a young girl growing up near Pittsburgh. At the Pennsylvania College for Women, later Chatham College, she majored in biology and earned her master’s degree in zoology at Johns Hopkins.
In the 1930s, there were few professional opportunities for women in the sciences. But in 1935, she found a job writing radio scripts about the ocean for what would become the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Within four years, she was editor in chief of all the agency’s publications, a position that connected her with researchers, conservationists and government officials.
Her work at the agency fed her larger calling as a writer. Throughout the 1930s and ’40s, she wrote freelance articles about the natural world for Colliers, the Atlantic Monthly and other magazines. In 1941, she published her first book, “Under the Sea-Wind,” a narrative account of the birds and sea creatures of North America’s eastern shores.
Carson wrote within the crevices of a busy life, and often with serious health problems. In 1950, she had surgery to remove a tumorfrom her left breast. The next year, she published “The Sea Around Us,” a wide-ranging history of the ocean. It was an instant best seller. Readers responded to her graceful prose and marshaling of scientific facts, as well as to her long-term perspective. The book’s success enabled her to leave her position at the wildlife agency and devote herself to writing.
IN early 1958, she began working intently on “Silent Spring” while serving as both a breadwinner and a caregiver. The previous year, her niece died after an illness and she adopted her 5-year-old grandnephew. Unmarried and living in Silver Spring, Md., she also cared for and financially supported her ailing mother.
For the next four years, she gave all the time and energy she could spare to researching and writing “Silent Spring.” A diligent investigator, she reached out to a network of scientists, physicians, librarians, conservationists and government officials. She found colleagues, clerks, whistle-blowers and others who had studied pesticide use and were willing to share their knowledge.
With an assistant’s help, she spent weeks in the research libraries of Washington. Many of her contacts generated even more leads.
Carson was particularly interested in possible connections between cancer and human exposure to pesticides. In late 1959, she wrote this to Paul Brooks, her editor at Houghton Mifflin: “In the beginning I felt the link between pesticides and cancer was tenuous and at best circumstantial; now I feel it is very strong indeed.”
Her research, she wrote, “has taken very deep digging into the realms of physiology and biochemistry and genetics, to say nothing of chemistry. But I now feel that a lot of isolated pieces of the jigsaw puzzle have suddenly fallen into place,” she said, as quoted in“Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature,” a book by Linda Lear.
In late 1958, Carson’s mother died. And the next summer, her grandnephew’s illness slowed her work. By late 1959, she knew that the book would take longer than she originally planned. Yet she remained confident, writing to her editor that she was building her work “on an unshakable foundation.”
As she researched her book, Carson knew she was playing with fire. Still, she realized she had to bring her findings to a large audience. “Knowing what I do,” she wrote to a close friend in 1958, “there would be no future peace for me if I kept silent.”
In early 1960, medical problems interrupted Carson’s work again. She learned that she had an ulcer, and she developed pneumonia. In early April, she had surgery in Washington to remove two tumors in her left breast. One was apparently benign, she told a friend. The other was “suspicious enough to require a radical mastectomy.” Her doctors stopped short of diagnosing cancer and recommended no further treatment.
She went home to recover from the surgery and slowly resumed work. In November, Carson discovered a mass in her left chest. This led her to seek a second opinion at the Cleveland Clinic.
There, she learned that she had cancer, and that it had metastasized to her lymph nodes. In early 1961, she began radiation treatment, which sapped her strength. A staph infection, a flare-up of her ulcer and the onset of phlebitis in her legs added to her problems, leaving her too debilitated to work. At times, she despaired over “the complete and devastating wreckage” of her writing schedule and the “nearly complete loss of any creative feeling or desire.”
Throughout, she was determined to keep her medical condition private, fearful that readers would question the objectivity of her findings, particularly her chapters about links between pesticides and cancer.
By late spring, Carson returned to her book. She made progress for six months, until an eye inflammation left her virtually sightless for several weeks. Her assistant read chapters aloud to her for correction, but she was intensely frustrated. “Such a catalog of illnesses!” she confided to a friend. “If one were superstitious it would be easy to believe in some malevolent force at work, determined by some means to keep the book from being finished.”
EARLY in 1962, Carson sent most of the manuscript to her publisher and The New Yorker. The end in sight, she took stock of her motivation for the book. As quoted in Ms. Lear’s book, she wrote to the conservationist and author Lois Crisler: “The beauty of the living world I was trying to save has always been uppermost in my mind — that, and anger at the senseless, brutish things that were being done.”
Carson’s grace and fervor struck a powerful chord in June when The New Yorker began serializing “Silent Spring.” In a focused, persuasive way, she had thrown down a moral gauntlet, asking readers to reconsider the consequences of rapid technological progress. “How could intelligent beings,” she asked early in the book, “seek to control a few unwanted species by a method that contaminated the entire environment and brought the threat of disease and death even to their own kind?”
She argued that synthetic pesticides like DDT and heptachlor were being applied in profligate quantities without regard to their effect on human health, animals and the environment. She predicted grave consequences for man and the larger natural world if their use continued to grow. (The title “Silent Spring” refers to a future season when singing birds and other animals have been wiped out by insecticides.)
The book, combined with the New Yorker serialization, created a sensation. In summer 1962, President John F. Kennedy, citing the book, appointed a committee to study pesticide use. During the next two years, various government units called for increased oversight of and reductions of pesticides.
Small wonder that chemical makers counterattacked. A biochemist with American Cyanamid called Carson “a fanatic defender of the cult of the balance of nature.” Invoking cold-war language, the general counsel for another chemical company suggested that Carson was a front for “sinister influences” intent on restricting pesticide use in order to reduce American food supplies to the levels of the Eastern bloc.
In the 18 months after “Silent Spring” was published, Carson worked to outrun the aggressive cancer attacking her body. She guarded her strength, choosing to make public appearances where she believed she could make the most difference. She offered Congressional testimony on pesticide use and made a rare television appearance with Eric Sevareid of CBS. But in 1964, the disease and its complications caught up. She died on April 14 at age 56.
In the late 1960s, events including a California oil spill, a chemical fire on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland and civic protest about napalm and Agent Orange, used in the Vietnam War, underscored her warnings that efforts to control nature threatened man’s survival. The first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970, reflected mounting public concern.
Later that year, the Environmental Protection Agency began operations; in 1972, DDT was banned from use in the United States. The Clean Water Act was passed in 1972 and the Endangered Species Act in 1973. Looking back at such events, scientists like Paul Ehrlich and E. O. Wilson have credited “Silent Spring” with a pivotal role in starting the modern environmental movement.
RACHEL CARSON’S story offers many leadership lessons, including the importance of persistence in pursuing an objective. When I discuss her with business executives, many are struck by her ability to stay focused on goals in the face of obstacles including severe illness.
Another lesson involves the importance of doing thorough research and taking the long view. A sense of context based on hard facts, along with a knowledge of history, is essential to understanding what’s at stake in difficult and uncertain situations. It also confers a sense of authority on the person who has acquired this knowledge.
A third insight concerns the juggling of personal demands and professional ambitions. Carson understood the challenge — and satisfaction — of dealing with our obligations to others even as we follow our professional drive. And she saw that this can rarely be navigated smoothly. For her, and for many executives with whom I have worked, times of great productivity were followed by fallow periods when ambitions had to be put aside for personal reasons.
There continues to be debate about the use of DDT and its relation to Carson’s conclusions. Regardless, her story underscores the power of calling others to thoughtful action. At a time when Americans’ confidence in their business and government leaders is low, her journey offers a forceful example of one person’s ability to incite positive change.
MORE IN BUSINESS DAY (1 OF 21 ARTICLES)
DealBook: On Wall Street, Time to Mend Fences With Obama
Read More »
Click green for further info
This article is for your private use, only
_______________________________________________________
In STAF, Inc.'s scale 0 - 10 this article is 9 +
Fish sold in New York is routinely mislabeled: study
The situation is everywhere the same as in New York - be aware of it
Mislabeled seafood can present a public health concern because many hazards are species specific, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spokeswoman said. Allergic reactions and food-borne illnesses are some of the possible health hazards, the spokeswoman said.
NEW YORK (Reuters), 12/11/2012 - Nearly three in five New York City grocery stores and restaurants that sell seafood have mislabeled part of their stock, substituting varieties that could cause health problems, according to a new study.
Some 39 percent of the fish obtained for the study by the ocean conservation group Oceana was inaccurately identified, Oceana said. Sometimes cheap fish is substituted for more expensive varieties or plentiful species for scarce ones.
Forensic DNA analysis revealed 58 percent of 81 New York retailers and eateries sampled incorrectly labeled the seafood they sold, according to the study released Tuesday.
"It's unacceptable that New York seafood lovers are being duped more than one-third of the time when purchasing certain types of fish," Kimberly Warner, a senior scientist at Oceana and an author of the study, said in a news release.
In some instances, consumers unknowingly purchased fish that could pose health risks.
Blueline tilefish masqueraded as halibut and red snapper. The FDA urges pregnant women, nursing mothers and small children to avoid tilefish given its high mercury content.
All but one of the 17 white tuna samples obtained from sushi restaurants turned out to be escolar*), a fish whose diarrhea-inducing properties earned it the nickname the "ex-lax fish."
Study the escolar info in the following Wikipedia link - a must-to-know information - health hazard
*) Escolar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escolar
The escolar, Lepidocybium flavobrunneum, a species of fish in the family Gempylidae, is found in deep (200–885 m) tropical and temperate waters around the ...
Biology - Health effects - Mislabeling - Regulation and banning
Mislabeled seafood can present a public health concern because many hazards are species specific, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spokeswoman said in an email. Allergic reactions and food-borne illnesses are some of the possible health hazards, the spokeswoman said.
New York's rate of seafood mislabeling was higher than Miami's (31 percent) but lower than that of Boston (48 percent) and Los Angeles (55 percent), according to recent Oceana investigations.
What distinguishes New York's seafood marketplace from those of the other American cities Oceana tested is the presence of smaller, independent food stores, 40 percent of which sold mislabeled fish, Warner said in an interview. In contrast, only 12 percent of seafood bought at national chain grocery stores in New York were labeled incorrectly.
The problem is not new. A study appearing in a 1992 issue of Consumer Reports found about a third of the seafood sampled in New York, Chicago, and San Jose was incorrectly labeled.
Nor is seafood mislabeling an issue that has gone unreported. The discovery in August 2011 that Zabar's, a gourmet food store on Manhattan, had been passing off crawfish as lobster in its lobster salad for at least 15 years was the subject of multiple, high-profile media stories.
This article is for your private use, only
Source: FDA
_________________________________
Fish sold in New York is routinely mislabeled: study
The situation is everywhere the same as in New York - be aware of it
Mislabeled seafood can present a public health concern because many hazards are species specific, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spokeswoman said. Allergic reactions and food-borne illnesses are some of the possible health hazards, the spokeswoman said.
NEW YORK (Reuters), 12/11/2012 - Nearly three in five New York City grocery stores and restaurants that sell seafood have mislabeled part of their stock, substituting varieties that could cause health problems, according to a new study.
Some 39 percent of the fish obtained for the study by the ocean conservation group Oceana was inaccurately identified, Oceana said. Sometimes cheap fish is substituted for more expensive varieties or plentiful species for scarce ones.
Forensic DNA analysis revealed 58 percent of 81 New York retailers and eateries sampled incorrectly labeled the seafood they sold, according to the study released Tuesday.
"It's unacceptable that New York seafood lovers are being duped more than one-third of the time when purchasing certain types of fish," Kimberly Warner, a senior scientist at Oceana and an author of the study, said in a news release.
In some instances, consumers unknowingly purchased fish that could pose health risks.
Blueline tilefish masqueraded as halibut and red snapper. The FDA urges pregnant women, nursing mothers and small children to avoid tilefish given its high mercury content.
All but one of the 17 white tuna samples obtained from sushi restaurants turned out to be escolar*), a fish whose diarrhea-inducing properties earned it the nickname the "ex-lax fish."
Study the escolar info in the following Wikipedia link - a must-to-know information - health hazard
*) Escolar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escolar
The escolar, Lepidocybium flavobrunneum, a species of fish in the family Gempylidae, is found in deep (200–885 m) tropical and temperate waters around the ...
Biology - Health effects - Mislabeling - Regulation and banning
Mislabeled seafood can present a public health concern because many hazards are species specific, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spokeswoman said in an email. Allergic reactions and food-borne illnesses are some of the possible health hazards, the spokeswoman said.
New York's rate of seafood mislabeling was higher than Miami's (31 percent) but lower than that of Boston (48 percent) and Los Angeles (55 percent), according to recent Oceana investigations.
What distinguishes New York's seafood marketplace from those of the other American cities Oceana tested is the presence of smaller, independent food stores, 40 percent of which sold mislabeled fish, Warner said in an interview. In contrast, only 12 percent of seafood bought at national chain grocery stores in New York were labeled incorrectly.
The problem is not new. A study appearing in a 1992 issue of Consumer Reports found about a third of the seafood sampled in New York, Chicago, and San Jose was incorrectly labeled.
Nor is seafood mislabeling an issue that has gone unreported. The discovery in August 2011 that Zabar's, a gourmet food store on Manhattan, had been passing off crawfish as lobster in its lobster salad for at least 15 years was the subject of multiple, high-profile media stories.
This article is for your private use, only
Source: FDA
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Who Has the Guts for Gluten?
Date: February 23, 2013
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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Celiac disease* is a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten, which is primarily found in bread, pasta, cookies, pizza crust and many other foods containing wheat, barley or rye. People with celiac disease who eat foods containing gluten experience an immune reaction in their small intestines, causing damage to the inner surface of the small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients.
Celiac disease can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea. Eventually, the decreased absorption of nutrients (malabsorption) that occurs with celiac disease can cause vitamin deficiencies that deprive your brain, peripheral nervous system, bones, liver and other organs of vital nourishment.
No treatment can cure celiac disease. However, you can effectively manage celiac disease by changing your diet.*) etymology: ce·li·ac also coe·li·ac (sl-k) adj. Of or relating to the abdomen or abdominal cavity.
[Latin coeliacus, from Greek koiliakos, from koili, abdomen, from koilos) ____________
Click green for further info
The article title + the text below - source: NYT 2/24/13
WE know that the proteins called gluten, found in wheat and other grains, provoke (click green: celiac disease.
And we know how to treat the illness: a (click the green: gluten-free diet. But the rapidly increasing prevalence of celiac disease, which has quadrupled in the United States in just 50 years, is still mystifying.
Scientists are pursuing some intriguing possibilities. One is that breast-feeding may protect against the disease. Another is that we have neglected the teeming ecosystem of microbes in the gut — bacteria that may determine whether the immune system treats gluten as food or as a deadly invader.
Celiac disease is generally considered an autoimmune disorder. The name celiac derives from the Greek word for “hollow,” as in bowels. Gluten proteins in wheat, barley and rye prompt the body to turn on itself and attack the small intestine. Complications range from diarrhea and anemia to osteoporosis and, in extreme cases, lymphoma. Some important exceptions notwithstanding, the prevalence of celiac disease is estimated to range between 0.6 and 1 percent of the world’s population.
Nearly everyone with celiac disease has one of two versions of a cellular receptor called the human leukocyte antigen, or H.L.A. These receptors, the thinking goes, naturally increase carriers’ immune response to gluten.
This detailed understanding makes celiac disease unique among autoimmune disorders. Two factors — one a protein, another genetic — are clearly defined; and in most cases, eliminating gluten from the patient’s diet turns off the disease.
Yet the more scientists study celiac disease, the more some crucial component appears in need of identification. Roughly 30 percent of people with European ancestry carry predisposing genes, for example. Yet more than 95 percent of the carriers tolerate gluten just fine. So while these genes (plus gluten) are necessary to produce the disease, they’re evidently insufficient to cause it.
Animal studies have reinforced that impression. In mice engineered to express those H.L.A.’s, tolerance to gluten must be deliberately “broken.” Without an immunological trigger of some kind, the rodents happily tolerate the protein.
A recent study, which analyzed blood serum from more than 3,500 Americans who were followed since 1974, suggested that such a trigger could strike adults at any time. By 1989, the prevalence of celiac disease in this cohort had doubled.
“You’re talking about an autoimmune disease in which we thought we had all the dots connected,” says Alessio Fasano, head of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children in Boston, and the senior author of the study. “Then we start to accumulate evidence that there was something else.”
Identifying that “something else” has gained some urgency. In the United States, improved diagnosis doesn’t seem to explain the rising prevalence. Scientists use the presence of certain self-directed antibodies to predict celiac disease. They have analyzed serum stored since the mid-20th century and compared it to serum from Americans today. Today’s serum is more than four times as likely to carry those antibodies.
BLAME for the increase of celiac disease sometimes falls on gluten-rich, modern wheat varietals; increased consumption of wheat, and the ubiquity of gluten in processed foods.
Yet the epidemiology of celiac disease doesn’t always support this idea. One comparative study involving some 5,500 subjects yielded a prevalence of roughly one in 100 among Finnish children, but using the same diagnostic methods, just one in 500 among their Russian counterparts.
Differing wheat consumption patterns can’t explain this disparity. If anything, Russians consume more wheat than Finns, and of similar varieties.
Neither can genetics. Although now bisected by the Finno-Russian border, Karelia, as the study region is known, was historically a single province. The two study populations are culturally, linguistically and genetically related. The predisposing gene variants are similarly prevalent in both groups.
Maybe more telling, this disparity holds for other autoimmune and allergic diseases. Finland ranks first in the world for Type 1 autoimmunediabetes. But among Russian Karelians, the disease is nearly six times less frequent. Antibodies indicative of autoimmune thyroiditis are alsoless prevalent, and the risk of developing allergies, as gauged by skin-prick tests, is one-fourth as common.
What’s the Russians’ secret?
“It’s a remote territory of Russia,” says Heikki Hyoty, a scientist at the University of Tampere in Finland. “They live like Finns 50 years ago.”
At the time of this research, roughly a decade ago, Russia’s per-capita income was one-fifteenth of Finland’s. Analysis of house dust and potable water suggests that the Russian Karelians encountered a greater variety and quantity of microbes, including many that were absent in Finland.
Not surprisingly, they also suffered from more fecal-oral infections. For example, three of four Russian Karelian children harbored Helicobacter pylori, a corkscrew-shaped bacterium, while just one in 20 Finnish children did. The bacterium can cause ulcers and stomach cancer, but mounting evidence suggests that it may also protect against asthma.
Professor Hyoty suspects that Russian Karelians’ microbial wealth protects them from autoimmune and allergic diseases by, essentially, strengthening the arm of the immune system that guards against such illnesses.
Meanwhile, Yolanda Sanz, a researcher at the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology in Valencia, Spain, makes a compelling case for the importance of intestinal microbes.
Years ago, Dr. Sanz noted that a group of bacteria native to the intestine known as bifidobacteria were relatively depleted in children with celiac disease compared with healthy controls. Other microbes, including native E. coli strains, were overly abundant and oddly virulent.
How to determine cause or consequence?
In a test tube, she found that those E. coli amplified the inflammatory response of human intestinal cells to gluten. But bifidobacteria switched the response from inflammation to tolerance.
In rats, the E. coli again intensified inflammation to gluten, prompting what’s sometimes called a “leaky gut” — the milieu suspected of contributing to celiac disease. Conversely, bifidobacteria protected the intestinal barrier. Microbes, it seemed, could influence the immune response to gluten.
Bifidobacteria occur naturally in breast milk, which, along with protective antibodies and immune-signaling proteins, conveys hundreds of prebiotic sugars. These sugars selectively feed certain microbes in the infant gut, particularly bifidobacteria. Breast-fed infants tend to harbor more bifidobacteria than formula-fed ones.
All of which may explain a curious historical phenomenon — an “epidemic” of celiac disease that struck Sweden some 30 years ago. Anneli Ivarsson, a pediatrician at Umea University, recalled a sudden wave of “terribly sick” infants.
Sleuthing revealed that, just before the spike, official guidelines on infant feeding had changed. In an effort to prevent celiac disease, paradoxically, parents were instructed to delay the introduction of gluten until their babies were six months old. That also happened to be when many Swedish mothers weaned their children. Coincidentally, companies had increased the amount of gluten in baby food.
This confluence produced an unwitting “experiment with a whole population,” says Dr. Ivarsson — a large quantity of gluten introduced suddenly after weaning. Among Swedes born between 1984 and 1996, the prevalence of celiac disease tripled to 3 percent. The epidemic ebbed only when authorities again revised infant-feeding guidelines: keep breast-feeding, they urged, while simultaneously introducing small amounts of gluten. Food manufacturers also reduced the gluten content of infant foodstuffs. Dr. Ivarsson found that, during the epidemic, the longer children breast-fed after their first exposure to gluten, the more protected they were.
Not all subsequent studies have found nursing protective, but partly as a result of Sweden’s experience, the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that infants start consuming gluten while still breast-feeding.
Research by Dr. Sanz of Spain again illuminates how this may work. Some years back, she began following a cohort of 164 newborns with celiac disease in the immediate family. By four months, children with celiac-associated genotypes — 117 of them — had accrued a microbial community with fewer bifidobacteria compared to those without. If bifidobacteria help us tolerate gluten, these children appeared to be edging toward intolerance.
There was one notable exception: Breast-feeding “normalized” the microbes of at-risk children somewhat, boosting bifidobacterial counts.
Dr. Fasano of Boston has made another potentially important find. He followed 47 at-risk newborns, regularly collecting microbes from 16 of them, which he analyzed after two years. Like Dr. Sanz, he found these genetically at-risk children to accumulate a relatively impoverished, unstable microbial community.
But it’s a secondary observation that has Dr. Fasano particularly excited. Two of these children developed autoimmune disease: one celiac disease, another Type 1 diabetes, which shares genetic susceptibility with celiac disease. In both cases, a decline of lactobacilli preceded disease onset.
Assuming that the pattern holds in larger studies, “imagine what would be the unbelievable consequences of this finding,” he says. “Keep the lactobacilli high enough in the guts of these kids, and you prevent autoimmunity.”
The caveats here are numerous: the tiny sample size in Dr. Fasano’s study; Dr. Sanz hasn’t yet revealed who actually developed celiac disease in her cohort; and even if these microbial shifts reliably precede disease onset — as they do in larger studies on allergic disease — they’re still bedeviled by the old “chicken or the egg” question: Which comes first, the aberrant microbial community, or the aberrant immune response?
Bana Jabri, director of research at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, notes that immune disturbances change the microbial ecosystem. But here’s the catch: Even if the chicken comes first, she says, the egg can contribute. Rodent experiments show that intestinal inflammation can select for unfriendly bacteria that further inflame. “You can have a positive feedback loop,” she says.
SO your microbes change you, but your genes also shape your microbes — as do environment, breast milk, diet and antibiotics, among many other factors.
Such complexity both confounds notions of one-way causality and suggests different paths to the same disease. “You have the same endpoint,” Dr. Jabri says, “but how you get there may be variable.”
The intricacies don’t stop there.
Not all breast milk is the same. It varies according to diet and other factors. One study found that milk from overweight mothers had fewer of those bifidobacteria than milk from thinner mothers. Another observed that breast milk from farming mothers, who inhabit a microbially enriched environment, carried more anti-inflammatory proteins compared with urban mothers’ milk. “All these things are going to matter,” Dr. Jabri says. And they’re all potential nudge points in the quest to prevent disease.
The tangled web of possibilities should not, however, distract us from the facts on the ground. In a far-flung corner of Europe, people develop celiac disease and other autoimmune diseases as infrequently as Americans and Finns did a half-century ago. The same genes exposed to the same quantity of gluten do not, in that environment, produce the same frequency of disease.
“We could probably prevent celiac disease if we just give the same environment to the Finnish children as they have in Karelia,” says Dr. Hyoty. “But there’s no way to do it now, except to move the babies there.”
Moises Velasquez-Manoff is the author of “An Epidemic of Absence: A New Way of Understanding Allergies and Autoimmune Diseases.”
MORE IN OPINION (1 OF 24 ARTICLES) Op-Ed Contributor: (click: Rape on the Reservation Read More »
Click green for further info
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Below articles with important information
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Excellent information
18 Foods that Boost Your Metabolism
and give plenty of nutrients
How much protein do you need? New research suggests that many of us may need more protein than we realize. The current RDA is 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight, but several studies have found that 1 to 1.2 g may be more protective against age-related muscle loss.
Use this 3-step formula below from Caroline Apovian, MD, to determine the minimum amount of protein you should eat daily to offset muscle loss--and protect your metabolism--while you lose weight.
STEP 1 Estimate your ideal weight. "If you're a woman, start with 100 pounds for the first 5 feet in height, and add 5 pounds for every extra inch," says Dr. Apovian. "For men, it's 106 pounds for 5 feet in height, plus 6 pounds for every additional inch. However, if your ideal weight is less than 120 pounds, don't eat less than 82 g of protein daily."
STEP 2 Ideal Weight (in lb) ÷ 2.2 = Ideal Weight (in kg)
STEP 3 Ideal Weight (in kg) × 1.5 = Daily Protein Goal (in g)
Now that you know how much you need, check out these metabolism-boosting protein-packed foods!
PLUS: For ultimate results, pair these foods with the Workout That Revs Your Metabolism.
Avocado
Protein content: 2 g per half avocado
The protein in this fruit contains all 9 essential amino acids, plus heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Cheese and milk
Protein content: 6-7 g per oz; 9-10 g per 1 cup
Go for low-fat options-they generally contain more protein than fattier alternatives.
Tempeh = An Indonesian dish made by deep-frying fermented soybeans
Protein content: 15 g per 1/2 cup
Its nougatlike texture makes tempeh a smart stand-in for meat. Sauté, or crumble cooked tempeh over salads.
Asparagus
Protein content: 4 g per 1 cup (chopped)
This tasty veggie is a nutrient powerhouse. Enjoy it steamed or grilled, or toss chopped spears into salads.
RELATED: Check out these 25 Best Diet Tips of All Time for painless ideas that really work.
Legumes
Protein content: 7-9 g per 1/2 cup (cooked)
Pair dried beans (think black beans, chickpeas, and lentils) with rice or quinoa for a complete-protein meal.
Greek-style yogurt
Protein content: 18 g per 6 oz
This thick and creamy treat packs nearly twice as much protein as other dairy sources; it's great with fruit.
Tree Nuts
Protein content: 4-6 g per 2 Tbsp
A small handful of walnuts or almonds is great as a snack, mixed into yogurt or oatmeal, or on a salad.
Edamame = A dish of green soybeans (= not ripe) boiled or steamed in their pods
Protein content: 8.5 g per 1/2 cup (shelled)
A single serving packs nearly every trace mineral your body needs, including iron, magnesium, and zinc.
Try This: 28-Day Transformation Meal Plan
Whey protein = The watery part of milk that remains after the formation of curds. Synonyms: serum
curd = (1) A soft, white substance formed when milk sours, used as the basis for cheese, (2) A fatty substance found between the flakes of poached salmon. Synonyms: cottage cheese
Protein content: 24 g per 1 oz
Add a scoop to smoothies or water for a quick protein hit. Avoiding animal products? Try soy protein powder.
Spinach
Protein content: 5 g per 1 cup (cooked)
Of all the leafy greens, spinach boasts the highest protein content. Try it sautéed with a bit of garlic.
Tofu = curd made from mashed soybeansProtein content: 12 g per 3 oz
Made from soybeans, this low-cal, versatile protein will take on any flavor, from Asian to barbecue.
Fish and shellfish
Protein content: 28 g per 4 oz
Whether it's salmon, mackerel, sardines halibut, or tuna, seafood is a great catch. Aim for 3 to 5 servings a week.
BEWARE: Not all fish are healthy. Here are click: 12 Fish You Should Never, Ever Eat. Eat only fish that has (1) scales & (2) a backbone (when swimming alive)
Pseudograins
Protein content: 5-9 g per 1 cup (cooked)
These hearty, grainlike seeds (quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat) have more protein than traditional grains.
Eggs
Protein content: 12 g per 2 eggs; 14 g per 4 egg whites
However you prepare them, eggs and egg whites are smart fuel for muscles.
Poultry and pork
Protein content: 28 g per 4 oz
Family favorites like skinless chicken and pork make it easy to score plenty of protein at each meal.
PLUS: Learn how to Stop Yo-Yo Dieting for Good
Hemp seeds
Protein content: 10 g per 2 Tbsp
Great for soups and salads, these seeds have 8 of the 9 essential amino acids that build muscle.
Cottage cheese
Protein content: 14 g per 1/2 cup
Eating a scoop doesn't mean you're on a diet--it means you're muscle savvy. Try adding it to smoothies.
Beef
Protein content: 28 g per 4 oz
Look for the absolute leanest cuts, like round roast or top sirloin. Try bison for a leaner red-meat alternative.
Source:
More from Prevention: 52 Foods With Superpowers
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The Benefits of Nut Butter
WARNING
FIRST be sure that you or your child or someone else is NOT allergic to nuts, tree nuts, almonds, peanuts, any nuts, chocolate or to any ingredients you see below in the recipes.
Nut butters have become popular in the health world in recent years-and for good reason! Nut butter is a great source of healthy fats, which are important for regulating your energy, mood, and even your weight. However, some nut butters also deliver a more unexpected benefit: They're great for your bones! Let's take a look at two of the most popular nut butters--almond butter and peanut butter. Between the two, which one should you choose for better bone health?
The Winner: Almond Butter!
Almond butter wins by a landslide in this one. Compared with peanut butter, it contains more calcium, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus, which are all important minerals for building and maintaining strong bones. Check out the comparison below (per two tablespoons of both almond and peanut butter):
Mineral Almond Butter
Calcium86.4 mg (8% DV)
Magnesium97 mg (24% DV)
Manganese0.8 mg (38% DV)
Phosphorus167.4 mg (16% DV)
Mineral Peanut Butter
Calcium 13.8 mg (1% DV)
Magnesium 49.3 mg (12% DV)
Manganese 0.5 mg (23% DV)
Phosphorus 115 mg (11% DV)
Prepare yourself all your nut butters. Look at the recipes in the internet.
Below one recipe
Commercial nut butters can be contaminated - do not buy any
One example:
click green: You heard about the nut butter recall due to the potential salmonella contamination.
About 30 people in 19 states had fallen ill from eating contaminated nut butters. If you're a nut butter lover, be sure to check your cabinets! Throw out old ones and do not buy commercial nut butters.
In addition to peanut butter--the original target of the recall--almond butter, cashew butter, and tahini are on the list, which includes products from Trader Joe's, Archer Farms (Target), Earth Balance, and Sunland Organic.
This isn't the first time this healthy food has been the subject of a recall.
Homemade Nut Butter:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 2 cups of nuts or seeds (your choice) on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning, until nuts are fragrant. Cool slightly, then place the nuts or seeds into a food processor fitted with the metal "S" blade and process until a smooth paste forms. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt per cup of nuts or seeds if you’d like (this enhances the flavor; omit if you’re watching your salt intake).
Kept in an air-tight container in the fridge, your homemade butter will last for weeks!
Check out these, click green
Homemade Almond Butter
Homemade Peanut Butter
Mixed Nut Butter
Hazelnut and Almond Butter
Search for more on the internet
_______________________________________________
WARNING
FIRST be sure that you or your child or someone else is NOT allergic to nuts, tree nuts, almonds, peanuts, any nuts, chocolate or to any ingredients you see below in the recipes.
Nut butters have become popular in the health world in recent years-and for good reason! Nut butter is a great source of healthy fats, which are important for regulating your energy, mood, and even your weight. However, some nut butters also deliver a more unexpected benefit: They're great for your bones! Let's take a look at two of the most popular nut butters--almond butter and peanut butter. Between the two, which one should you choose for better bone health?
The Winner: Almond Butter!
Almond butter wins by a landslide in this one. Compared with peanut butter, it contains more calcium, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus, which are all important minerals for building and maintaining strong bones. Check out the comparison below (per two tablespoons of both almond and peanut butter):
Mineral Almond Butter
Calcium86.4 mg (8% DV)
Magnesium97 mg (24% DV)
Manganese0.8 mg (38% DV)
Phosphorus167.4 mg (16% DV)
Mineral Peanut Butter
Calcium 13.8 mg (1% DV)
Magnesium 49.3 mg (12% DV)
Manganese 0.5 mg (23% DV)
Phosphorus 115 mg (11% DV)
Prepare yourself all your nut butters. Look at the recipes in the internet.
Below one recipe
Commercial nut butters can be contaminated - do not buy any
One example:
click green: You heard about the nut butter recall due to the potential salmonella contamination.
About 30 people in 19 states had fallen ill from eating contaminated nut butters. If you're a nut butter lover, be sure to check your cabinets! Throw out old ones and do not buy commercial nut butters.
In addition to peanut butter--the original target of the recall--almond butter, cashew butter, and tahini are on the list, which includes products from Trader Joe's, Archer Farms (Target), Earth Balance, and Sunland Organic.
This isn't the first time this healthy food has been the subject of a recall.
Homemade Nut Butter:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 2 cups of nuts or seeds (your choice) on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning, until nuts are fragrant. Cool slightly, then place the nuts or seeds into a food processor fitted with the metal "S" blade and process until a smooth paste forms. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt per cup of nuts or seeds if you’d like (this enhances the flavor; omit if you’re watching your salt intake).
Kept in an air-tight container in the fridge, your homemade butter will last for weeks!
Check out these, click green
Homemade Almond Butter
Homemade Peanut Butter
Mixed Nut Butter
Hazelnut and Almond Butter
Search for more on the internet
_______________________________________________
Article 1 of 3 OPINION - not necessarily a fact for safe nutrition
Why I Won’t Stop Eating Meat
Meat is a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids required for maintaining body tissues
Other benefits below in the text
Yes, you can eat meat when it is prepared in a safe manner, not burned - burned meat causes cancer,
when it is as toxins-free as can be and when you combine it correctly with other foods
Chicken is meat, turkey is meat, avoid pork, beef can contain animal medications
Avoid all fat, avoid chicken/turkey skin (at least the most fatty parts), avoid all fatty meat
Meat amount must be only a few ounces 3 - 4 - 5 oz
“Are you sure you want your steak blue?” waiters often ask. I’ve learned the word “blue” is the best way of ensuring a rare steak. But lately I’ve noticed I’m the only one eating meat. Friends are ordering either chicken or a vegetarian diet. They claim this is the way to better health.
I’m a cocktail-before-dinner guy, and hell will freeze over before I give up steak. Now, I’ve found an ally in Dr. Duo Li, professor of nutrition at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Li reports in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry that my veggie friends may be lacking in iron, zinc, vitamin B-12, and essential omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients are needed for cardiovascular health.
How does the lack of these nutrients affect cardiovascular health? Platelets, tiny particles in the blood, help clotting. When eaten, processed food, even wrongly prepared vegetables can cause an increased number of platelets, resulting in greater chance they’ll stick together, causing a fatal blood clot in coronary arteries.
All wrongly prepared vegetables can also produce an increased amount of homocysteine in the blood. This has been associated with increased risk of heart disease. And Li’s study shows the vegetarian diet results in a decreased amount of high-density lipoprotein (the good cholesterol), also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
I have to admit some authorities disagree with Dr. Li. This is to be expected as there are no 100 percent solutions.
But I believe Aristotle to be right when he preached moderation in all things. (I’m sure he would have included a cocktail before dinner.)
So I believe a moderate amount of meat makes more sense than a totally veggie diet. After all, humans have been enjoying meat since the caveman discovered it could keep him and his mate alive. Even The Bible allows eat-eating.
Do not eat pork in any form.
Meat is also rich in “heme” iron, the type more easily absorbed than “non-heme” iron. So it’s a no-brainer for me.
Today iron is a nutrient often lacking in North American diets. Young children, teenagers, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and athletes are at particular risk. The recommended allowance for iron is 18 milligrams a day, yet the typical American diet contains only 6 milligrams.
Meat is a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids required for maintaining body tissues. Our bodies do not manufacture amino acids to keep the immune system functioning. SEE BELOW Article 2 of 2
In addition, meat contains vitamins B-6, B-12, five of the B-complex vitamins, niacin, phosphorus, and zinc. Many people do not consume sufficient zinc required for growth, night vision, and the manufacture of hormones.
If you’re concerned about calories, a 6-ounce tenderloin steak trimmed of fat has 6 grams of fat and provides only 366 calories. Compare this to a roasted chicken, skin included, which has 23 grams of fat.
What about the cholesterol in steaks since so many people suffer from “cholesterolphobia”? Some people claim this is why they eat only chicken and fish. But a 6-ounce steak contains only 146 milligrams of cholesterol.
So why do I order a blue steak? By doing so, I face a small risk of toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease. I’ll take my chance on this one, as 40 percent of North Americans have had this disease at one time or another, are unaware of its presence, and require no treatment.
Most people are also not aware that a blue steak (very raw, rare) can help protect the heart. Meat is one of the primary sources of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). This enzyme is essential, producing the body’s fundamental unit of energy, ATP*), the gas that provides energy for the heart.
A well-done steak not only tastes like leather but also has less CoQ10.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs also destroy this enzyme by as much as 40 percent, which may be setting the stage for heart failure later in life.
So, waiter, I prefer my steak rare!
Source: The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry
Click green for further info
*) ATP - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATP
ATP may refer to: [edit] Biology. Adenosine triphosphate, coenzyme used as an energy carrier in the cells of all known
organisms.
The above article is an OPINION - not necessarily a fact for safe nutrition
Necessary to study the article just below, article 2 of 2
______________________________________________________
Why I Won’t Stop Eating Meat
Meat is a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids required for maintaining body tissues
Other benefits below in the text
Yes, you can eat meat when it is prepared in a safe manner, not burned - burned meat causes cancer,
when it is as toxins-free as can be and when you combine it correctly with other foods
Chicken is meat, turkey is meat, avoid pork, beef can contain animal medications
Avoid all fat, avoid chicken/turkey skin (at least the most fatty parts), avoid all fatty meat
Meat amount must be only a few ounces 3 - 4 - 5 oz
“Are you sure you want your steak blue?” waiters often ask. I’ve learned the word “blue” is the best way of ensuring a rare steak. But lately I’ve noticed I’m the only one eating meat. Friends are ordering either chicken or a vegetarian diet. They claim this is the way to better health.
I’m a cocktail-before-dinner guy, and hell will freeze over before I give up steak. Now, I’ve found an ally in Dr. Duo Li, professor of nutrition at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Li reports in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry that my veggie friends may be lacking in iron, zinc, vitamin B-12, and essential omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients are needed for cardiovascular health.
How does the lack of these nutrients affect cardiovascular health? Platelets, tiny particles in the blood, help clotting. When eaten, processed food, even wrongly prepared vegetables can cause an increased number of platelets, resulting in greater chance they’ll stick together, causing a fatal blood clot in coronary arteries.
All wrongly prepared vegetables can also produce an increased amount of homocysteine in the blood. This has been associated with increased risk of heart disease. And Li’s study shows the vegetarian diet results in a decreased amount of high-density lipoprotein (the good cholesterol), also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
I have to admit some authorities disagree with Dr. Li. This is to be expected as there are no 100 percent solutions.
But I believe Aristotle to be right when he preached moderation in all things. (I’m sure he would have included a cocktail before dinner.)
So I believe a moderate amount of meat makes more sense than a totally veggie diet. After all, humans have been enjoying meat since the caveman discovered it could keep him and his mate alive. Even The Bible allows eat-eating.
Do not eat pork in any form.
Meat is also rich in “heme” iron, the type more easily absorbed than “non-heme” iron. So it’s a no-brainer for me.
Today iron is a nutrient often lacking in North American diets. Young children, teenagers, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and athletes are at particular risk. The recommended allowance for iron is 18 milligrams a day, yet the typical American diet contains only 6 milligrams.
Meat is a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids required for maintaining body tissues. Our bodies do not manufacture amino acids to keep the immune system functioning. SEE BELOW Article 2 of 2
In addition, meat contains vitamins B-6, B-12, five of the B-complex vitamins, niacin, phosphorus, and zinc. Many people do not consume sufficient zinc required for growth, night vision, and the manufacture of hormones.
If you’re concerned about calories, a 6-ounce tenderloin steak trimmed of fat has 6 grams of fat and provides only 366 calories. Compare this to a roasted chicken, skin included, which has 23 grams of fat.
What about the cholesterol in steaks since so many people suffer from “cholesterolphobia”? Some people claim this is why they eat only chicken and fish. But a 6-ounce steak contains only 146 milligrams of cholesterol.
So why do I order a blue steak? By doing so, I face a small risk of toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease. I’ll take my chance on this one, as 40 percent of North Americans have had this disease at one time or another, are unaware of its presence, and require no treatment.
Most people are also not aware that a blue steak (very raw, rare) can help protect the heart. Meat is one of the primary sources of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). This enzyme is essential, producing the body’s fundamental unit of energy, ATP*), the gas that provides energy for the heart.
A well-done steak not only tastes like leather but also has less CoQ10.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs also destroy this enzyme by as much as 40 percent, which may be setting the stage for heart failure later in life.
So, waiter, I prefer my steak rare!
Source: The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry
Click green for further info
*) ATP - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATP
ATP may refer to: [edit] Biology. Adenosine triphosphate, coenzyme used as an energy carrier in the cells of all known
organisms.
The above article is an OPINION - not necessarily a fact for safe nutrition
Necessary to study the article just below, article 2 of 2
______________________________________________________
Article 2 of 3
Necessary to study the article 1 of 2 just above
PROTEIN AND AMINO ACIDS
Protein is nature's building blocks of life. Protein is used for producing and maintaining muscle, tissue, blood, hormones, enzymes including the body's organs, skin, and for healing processes.
Proteins are large, complex organic compounds made up of many groups of amino acids linked together. There have been twenty-two (22) amino acids identified as necessary for normal human growth and development.
The body can make fourteen (14) of these amino acids, and these are called non-essential amino acids. The other eight (8) amino acids must be received through outside sources, as in the foods we eat. These amino acids are called essential amino acids.
Proteins are broken down during the process of digestion. These proteins are broken down over time into their component amino acids or into very small groups. The amino acids are then used by the body for maintaining health.
Amino acids also play a key role in neurotransmission, solute concentration and balance (especially in areas of the brain), cellular calcium pump (gate) effectors, production and expenditure of ATP (the cell's energy stores), and are involved in overall body nerve cell conduction systems.
The amino acids that are released into the blood stream are competitive. This means that the various types of amino acids compete for attachment sites on enzymes and cell structures. It is this competition, which restricts any one type of amino acid from becoming too dominant and causing an imbalance in the normal ratio of the different circulating or cellular amino acids.
The enzymes, which are located throughout the body, including the brain and nerve cells, are responsible for ensuring that the amino acids gets to their proper end destination to be utilized by the body tissues.
Many key factors, including food additive excitotoxins and environmental poisons, play a role in nervous system degeneration. Collected evidence and accumulated non-industry funded research leaves no doubt that the powerful excitotoxin, aspartame and its breakdown products, have a central or predominant role in creating or exacerbating neurodegenerative or neurocarcinogenic diseases.
Protein is nature's building blocks of life. Protein is used for producing and maintaining muscle, tissue, blood, hormones, enzymes including the body's organs, skin, and for healing processes.
Proteins are large, complex organic compounds made up of many groups of amino acids linked together. There have been twenty-two (22) amino acids identified as necessary for normal human growth and development.
The body can make fourteen (14) of these amino acids, and these are called non-essential amino acids.
The other eight (8) amino acids must be received through outside sources, as in the foods we eat. These amino acids are called essential amino acids.
Proteins are broken down during the process of digestion. These proteins are broken down over time into their component amino acids or into very small groups. The amino acids are then used by the body for maintaining health.
Amino acids also play a key role in neurotransmission, solute concentration and balance (especially in areas of the brain), cellular calcium pump (gate) effectors, production and expenditure of ATP (the cell's energy stores), and are involved in overall body nerve cell conduction systems.
The amino acids that are released into the blood stream are competitive. This means that the various types of amino acids compete for attachment sites on enzymes and cell structures. It is this competition, which restricts any one type of amino acid from becoming too dominant and causing an imbalance in the normal ratio of the different circulating or cellular amino acids.
The enzymes, which are located throughout the body, including the brain and nerve cells, are responsible for ensuring that the amino acids gets to their proper end destination to be utilized by the body tissues.
Many key factors, including food additive excitotoxins*) and environmental poisons, play a role in nervous system degeneration. Collected evidence and accumulated non-industry funded research leaves no doubt that the powerful excitotoxin, aspartame and its breakdown products, have a central or predominant role in creating or exacerbating neurodegenerative or neurocarcinogenic diseases.
*)An exotoxin is a toxin secreted by bacteria. An exotoxin can cause damage to the host by destroying cells or disrupting normal cellular metabolism.
Exotoxin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exotoxin
An exotoxin is a toxin secreted by bacteria. An exotoxin can cause damage to the host by destroying cells or disrupting normal cellular metabolism. They are ...
Types - See also - References - External links
Necessary to study the article 1 of 2 just above
PROTEIN AND AMINO ACIDS
Protein is nature's building blocks of life. Protein is used for producing and maintaining muscle, tissue, blood, hormones, enzymes including the body's organs, skin, and for healing processes.
Proteins are large, complex organic compounds made up of many groups of amino acids linked together. There have been twenty-two (22) amino acids identified as necessary for normal human growth and development.
The body can make fourteen (14) of these amino acids, and these are called non-essential amino acids. The other eight (8) amino acids must be received through outside sources, as in the foods we eat. These amino acids are called essential amino acids.
Proteins are broken down during the process of digestion. These proteins are broken down over time into their component amino acids or into very small groups. The amino acids are then used by the body for maintaining health.
Amino acids also play a key role in neurotransmission, solute concentration and balance (especially in areas of the brain), cellular calcium pump (gate) effectors, production and expenditure of ATP (the cell's energy stores), and are involved in overall body nerve cell conduction systems.
The amino acids that are released into the blood stream are competitive. This means that the various types of amino acids compete for attachment sites on enzymes and cell structures. It is this competition, which restricts any one type of amino acid from becoming too dominant and causing an imbalance in the normal ratio of the different circulating or cellular amino acids.
The enzymes, which are located throughout the body, including the brain and nerve cells, are responsible for ensuring that the amino acids gets to their proper end destination to be utilized by the body tissues.
Many key factors, including food additive excitotoxins and environmental poisons, play a role in nervous system degeneration. Collected evidence and accumulated non-industry funded research leaves no doubt that the powerful excitotoxin, aspartame and its breakdown products, have a central or predominant role in creating or exacerbating neurodegenerative or neurocarcinogenic diseases.
Protein is nature's building blocks of life. Protein is used for producing and maintaining muscle, tissue, blood, hormones, enzymes including the body's organs, skin, and for healing processes.
Proteins are large, complex organic compounds made up of many groups of amino acids linked together. There have been twenty-two (22) amino acids identified as necessary for normal human growth and development.
The body can make fourteen (14) of these amino acids, and these are called non-essential amino acids.
The other eight (8) amino acids must be received through outside sources, as in the foods we eat. These amino acids are called essential amino acids.
Proteins are broken down during the process of digestion. These proteins are broken down over time into their component amino acids or into very small groups. The amino acids are then used by the body for maintaining health.
Amino acids also play a key role in neurotransmission, solute concentration and balance (especially in areas of the brain), cellular calcium pump (gate) effectors, production and expenditure of ATP (the cell's energy stores), and are involved in overall body nerve cell conduction systems.
The amino acids that are released into the blood stream are competitive. This means that the various types of amino acids compete for attachment sites on enzymes and cell structures. It is this competition, which restricts any one type of amino acid from becoming too dominant and causing an imbalance in the normal ratio of the different circulating or cellular amino acids.
The enzymes, which are located throughout the body, including the brain and nerve cells, are responsible for ensuring that the amino acids gets to their proper end destination to be utilized by the body tissues.
Many key factors, including food additive excitotoxins*) and environmental poisons, play a role in nervous system degeneration. Collected evidence and accumulated non-industry funded research leaves no doubt that the powerful excitotoxin, aspartame and its breakdown products, have a central or predominant role in creating or exacerbating neurodegenerative or neurocarcinogenic diseases.
*)An exotoxin is a toxin secreted by bacteria. An exotoxin can cause damage to the host by destroying cells or disrupting normal cellular metabolism.
Exotoxin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exotoxin
An exotoxin is a toxin secreted by bacteria. An exotoxin can cause damage to the host by destroying cells or disrupting normal cellular metabolism. They are ...
Types - See also - References - External links
Article 3 of 3
BRAIN CELL DAMAGE FROM AMINO ACID ISOLATES:
A PRIMARY CONCERN FROM ASPARTAME-BASED
PRODUCTS AND ARTIFICIAL SWEETENING AGENTS
NutraSweet ~ Equal ~ "Sugar Free" ~ Neotame
By James Bowen, M.D.
And
Arthur M. Evangelista, former FDA Investigator
Web Site: http://www.qualityassurance.synthasite.com
(c) 06 May 2002
USED WITH PERMISSION
This article is an accumulation of long-standing intensive research into the brain chemistry-altering effects of a toxic, artificial sweetener consumed daily by hundreds of millions of unsuspecting individuals.
We acknowledge the countless and unnecessary suffering, illness, and deaths, associated with the marketing of a trio of neurotoxic ingredients, collectively known as ASPARTAME [ L- aspartyl - L - phenylalanine methyl ester ], also called: NutraSweet, Equal, "Sugar Free", and Neotame, et al. ...a food additive in over 8,000 + food products worldwide.
The three toxic ingredients of Aspartame are methanol (wood alcohol), and phenylalanine and aspartic acid; both the latter are amino acid isolates.
This article is for the education of the public at large, the physicians and health specialists who have the integrity and intellect to understand the implications of aspartame's ingredients and the biochemical and pathological effects upon brain nerve cells and tissues, resulting in serious neuro-endocrine disorders and other symptomologies.
Additionally, we hold accountable the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; G.D. Searle, the original maker of aspartame; Monsanto; and the numerous corrupted politicians, government officials, physicians, and health care organizations that have literally sold themselves for greed of wealth and power. This was done knowingly, at the expense of the health of millions of infants, children, and adults who needlessly suffer the debilitating effects of this known neurotoxin.
We hope that all people will cease consumption of this deadly product and become self-educated in order to protect their own health against an array of marketed food and environmental toxins. It is our hopes that all people will live healthier and more fruitful lives, and maintain the freedom and wisdom for choosing what they put in their mouths and feed their children.
PROTEIN AND AMINO ACIDS
Protein is nature's building blocks of life. Protein is used for producing and maintaining muscle, tissue, blood, hormones, enzymes including the body's organs, skin, and for healing processes.
Proteins are large, complex organic compounds made up of many groups of amino acids linked together. There have been twenty-two (22) amino acids identified as necessary for normal human growth and development.
The body can make fourteen (14) of these amino acids, and these are called non-essential amino acids. The other eight (8) amino acids must be received through outside sources, as in the foods we eat. These amino acids are called essential amino acids.
Proteins are broken down during the process of digestion. These proteins are broken down over time into their component amino acids or into very small groups. The amino acids are then used by the body for maintaining health.
Amino acids also play a key role in neurotransmission, solute concentration and balance (especially in areas of the brain), cellular calcium pump (gate) effectors, production and expenditure of ATP (the cell's energy stores), and are involved in overall body nerve cell conduction systems.
The amino acids that are released into the blood stream are competitive. This means that the various types of amino acids compete for attachment sites on enzymes and cell structures. It is this competition, which restricts any one type of amino acid from becoming too dominant and causing an imbalance in the normal ratio of the different circulating or cellular amino acids.
The enzymes, which are located throughout the body, including the brain and nerve cells, are responsible for ensuring that the amino acids gets to their proper end destination to be utilized by the body tissues.
Many key factors, including food additive excitotoxins and environmental poisons, play a role in nervous system degeneration. Collected evidence and accumulated non-industry funded research leaves no doubt that the powerful excitotoxin, aspartame and its breakdown products, have a central or predominant role in creating or exacerbating neurodegenerative or neurocarcinogenic diseases.
AMINO ACID ISOLATES
The focus of our report, is an overview of excitotoxic effects upon brain chemistry due to Aspartame's amino acid isolates.
Amino acid isolates have been artificially separated from the rest of the protein chain and are part of the Aspartame compound. Aspartame is then added to foods during the manufacturing process. Thus, these amino acids are by themselves (isolated), as single or dipeptide molecules. This is very different than the 80-300 amino acid chains that form natural proteins from dietary sources.
Some examples of genetically modified (rDNA) or manufactured amino acid isolates are glutamic acid or glutamate (i.e. monosodium glutamate or MSG), aspartic acid or aspartate, and phenylalanine, among others.
The isolates differ from dietary (with food) amino acids because dietary amino acids are absorbed from the gut. This depends upon the body's digestive action to break down the long amino chains (proteins) and then to absorb them. This means, that through the body's regulation of metabolism, the proteins are broken down slowly, and always in the nutritious mix of other amino acids in the proper enzyme-regulated proportion for use by the body.
Following digestion of normal proteins, the broken amino acid chains are slowly released into the body. Since they are in competition with one another for the enzyme sites, as earlier discussed, the body ensures that no one amino acid dominates the others. Although, it has been noted that phenylalanine is the strongest competitor for many of these enzyme sites.
Moreover, the effect of a dosed amino acid isolate cannot be used in synthesis of proteins in the same manner as dietary amino acids, because the body requires the " variety of the mix" to prepare and manufacture proteins, including the availability of the different enzymes and intermediary structures.
The excitotoxic effects of glutamic acid isolates are well studied and widely known. Some beneficial uses of amino acid isolates, such as L-lysine for use against oral herpes virus (SI) are also well known.
It is important to recognize the difference between natural, dietary amino acids, and pharmaceutically produced (including rDNA) amino acid isolates.
It is also important to recognize that the isolates of Aspartame are incorporated into a compound containing free methanol, a dangerous carcinogen and mutagen which readily breaks down into formaldehyde and formates inside the human body.
The hazards of ignoring the pharmacological nature of amino acid isolates are best illustrated by the Phenylalanine isolate that is 50% by weight of Aspartame. A can of soda pop yields about as much Phenylalanine as a large helping of beans.
NOTE: One (1) 12oz. can of diet soda contains 200mg of aspartame.
Phenylalanine = 100 mg = .50%Aspartic Acid = 80 mg = .40%Methanol = 20 mg = .10%
It should also be noted that the pharmaceutical isolates of amino acids in aspartame are produced from genetically modified bacteria (E.coli).
ABOUT PHENYLALANINE
The dietary Phenylalanine from the beans would only be harmful to the person with PKU (phenylketonuria), a condition caused by one of several enzyme deficiencies. This creates/allows increased plasma levels of Phenylalanine (overload) leading to the formation of destructive neurotoxic effects.
In healthy individuals, the fact that dietary Phenylalanine is in competition with the other amino acids and is absorbed slowly over ten to twenty hours from the digestive tract, makes it helpful rather than harmful for them.
In contrast, the Phenylalanine (isolate) from the can of aspartame-laced soda pop is absorbed in about five minutes. This goes to the portal vein in the liver, with virtually no other competitive amino acids. Amino acid release from the liver is through an enzyme-linked channel. Without any competition, this Phenylalanine is released into the blood stream as an overwhelming bolus, or flood.
Even when ingested with foods, aspartame substantially increases the plasma phenylalanine (and aspartic acid) levels, due to their pharmaceutical make-up as isolates, and due to phenylalanine's strong competitive affinity for the enzyme mediators and transmitter catalysts.
Synergistic damage also results from the absorption-metabolism sequence of methanol --> formaldehyde --> formic acid. Methanol and formaldehyde are carcinogenic and mutagenic, and alter mitochondrial DNA as well as nucleic DNA through the formed adducts of these metabolic poisons. This may be a strong initiator of disease states because the damaged DNA may not allow the cell to function properly or maintain homeostasis.
EXCITOTOXIC AMINO ACIDS' PATHWAY TO THE BRAIN
Background: THE BRAIN
The brain, on an anatomical level, is an integrated network of nerve cells, support cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes,
et al), and is the controller for nerve-endocrine coordinating functions and its feedback network.
The brain controls the body's endocrine system through nerve transmission, which centers on the functionality of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. This includes the nerve-endocrine coordination of the pancreas and secretions of the adrenals, thyroid, and gonads. This, in turn, acts upon the brain and pituitary and on the tissues throughout the body. This tightly controlled system produces a wide range of effects for proper functioning of the human organism.
Some hormone effects are used for development of the organism, from conception through birth. Some are long lasting. Many are a permanent element for life. Hormones can be initiated during maturity. Some hormones act later in adult life and can signify changes in brain function, or are associated with disease states or aging.
Nerve-endocrine functions can also act upon aspects of human behavior. This integrated system signals you when you are hungry, or upset. The overall health of this system affects learning, cognitive reasoning, controls your temperature, allows you to smell fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, stimulates growth, oversees your heart rate, and is necessary for all the life functions enjoyed and needed by the individual. The Brain, in effect, is the "Chief Operating Officer" of your physical body.
_______
There are two avenues or pathways to furnish nutrients, oxygen, and other selective chemicals to the brain. These are via the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) and/or the Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF).
The Blood Brain Barrier is similar, in some ways, to the blood vascular network in the other parts of the body. The Blood Brain Barrier resembles normal capillaries, with a few exceptions.
The body's capillaries, outside of the brain, are more permeable (porous) to fluids, ions, and other molecular structures because there are very minute spaces between the cells making up the capillary walls.
The brain's capillary system (blood brain barrier), on the other hand, are composed of tightly packed cells or "junctions" which reduce their permeability and eliminates the bulk flow of solutes through them.
Because of the tight junctions between the blood brain barrier's capillary cells, there are two specialized ways that nutrients and other molecules can gain access to brain cell components and neurons. These pathways are: 1) lipid mediation or 2) catalyzed (active carrier) transport.
The lipid transport system is confined to the transfer of small molecules to the brain tissue, and generally are proportional to their lipid solubility.
The catalyzed transport system includes both receptor and carrier mediating enzyme processes in order to provide the brain with nutrients (glucose, amino acids, and nucleosides, etc.)
Another function of the blood brain barrier is to isolate the brain from toxic products and certain chemicals that could disrupt the delicate balance of ions, nutrients, and neurotransmitter substances that are used by the brain's nerve cells.
When Aspartame is ingested and enters the blood stream, the three toxins of aspartame are "launched" throughout the body very rapidly.
Following consumption of aspartame-laced products, the phenylalanine flood overpowers the enzyme systems of the brain, setting off an induced PKU effect.
This induced PKU affect occurs by grossly overwhelming those enzymes required to reduce the circulating phenylalanine for use in other metabolic reactions.
This "overdose" of the competitive phenylalanine isolate (and aspartic acid) incapacitates the enzyme actions which controls several types of neurotransmitters (and their precursor amino acids) reducing dopamine and serotonin production.
The excitotoxin's effects creates secondary components which are also destructive in nature to the sensitive, surrounding neural tissues, including a breakdown by-product of phenylalanine called, diketopiperazine (DKP) which instigates tumor generation, especially that of the aggressive glioblastoma.
Further neuron insult is added due to the destruction and mutation of nucleic and mitochondrial DNA from the known carcinogenic properties of the methanol --> formaldehyde --> formic acid components.
The other avenue of delivering nutrients and other necessary molecules to the brain's cell structures is by way of the Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF).
There is a structure called the 'Choroid Plexus" which is a specialized arterio-venous capillary bed located within the lateral ventricles of the cerebral hemispheres that secretes the cerebral spinal fluid. (See Diagrams # 2 and # 3)
The cerebral spinal fluid is a clear, colorless liquid that circulates around the brain and spinal cord and baths the tissue with needed nutrients and other constituent molecules.
The brain is seen to contain four cavities within it. The cerebrum holds two large Lateral Ventricles that connect at the midline. From here, the CSF follows the InterVentricular Foramina into the Third Ventricle.
Here, at the Third Ventricle, another Choroid Plexus adds additional CSF. The CSF then passes through the Aqueduct of Sylvius, continuing into the Fourth Ventricle, located between the cerebellum and brainstem. Here, still another Choroid Plexus at the roof of the Fourth Ventricle contributes additional CSF fluid.
After leaving the Fourth Ventricle, the CSF essentially flows backward and downward around the midbrain, exiting the ventricular network below the cerebellum.
Some of the CSF passes downward into the Spinal SubArachnoid Space (circulating around the spinal cord), and a portion rises upward, through the Tentorial Notch, spreading over the hemispheres of the brain.
Re-absorption of CSF is predominantly assumed through the lymph and blood capillary network of the subarachnoid space covering the cerebral hemispheres and spinal canal.
.
The nutrients supplied by the CSF are delivered by diffusion into those structures adjacent to the CSF. This leads to some specialized circumstances.
First, as the CSF diffuses nutrients (or toxins) to these adjacent structures, there becomes less and less concentrations of these molecules remaining within the CSF, as it continues along its track.
If toxins are present within the CSF, those structures first contacted are far more severely attacked by these toxins (or excitotoxins), than those bathed in CSF farther away from the ventricular system and choroid plexus.
Second, diffusion of chemicals is greatly increased by increases in hydrostatic pressures or flow rates.
Third, inflammation of the Aqueduct of Sylvius from repeated insults of neurotoxic chemicals contained within the CSF, can cause narrowing of this duct, resulting in obstruction and the onset of adult hydrocephalus.
It is in the CSF, where the phenylalanine and dicarboxylic aspartic acid diffuses, setting off a chain reaction of repeated excitatory stimuli of surrounding nerve cells and neuronal structures adjacent to the flow route of the CSF. This eventually leads to nerve cell necrosis (cell death) in these areas.
The hypothalamus sits adjacent on either side of the Third Ventricle, where there is a high diffusion rate from the CSF, leading to sustained and potentially extreme damage to this neuro-endocrine structure, one of the most vital neural systems in the body.
A (simplistic) sequence of events would be the following:
The transport of excitotoxins across the blood brain barrier and within the CSF causes several reactions to occur. 1] The excitotoxins stimulate the nerves to fire excessively. 2] The normal enzyme actions required to offset the induced, repeated firing of these neurons are negated by the phenylalanine and aspartic acid.
Furthermore, 3] the energy system for the required enzyme reactions becomes compromised from: 4] depleted intracellular ATP stores, 5] the presence of formaldehyde, 6] altered intracellular Ca+ uptake, 7] damage to cellular mitochondria, 8] destruction of the cellular wall, and 9] the subsequent release of free radicals. This potentiates 10] oxidative stress and neurodegeneration.
These toxic by-products initiate secondary damage, which increases capillary permeability, continuing to destroy the surrounding nerve and glial cells. This further impedes enzyme reactions, and 11] promotes DNA structural defects.
Cellular death occurs over the next 1 to 12 hours. This does not include the long-term or cumulative effects of formaldehyde adducts and other metabolites. The dead cells leave behind lesions, or holes, as Dr. Olney discovered with tests he conducted. Evidence indicates that the following disease states can be clinically identified by their corresponding anatomic nerve fiber, or nerve bundle damage:
a) Aqueduct of Sylvius = Hydrocephalus
b) White matter bundles = Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
c) Pyramids/Basal Ganglia = Parkinson's Disease
d) Lateral corticospinal tracts of spinal cord and bulbar nuclei =
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's)
e) Destruction of hypothalamic regions =
Neuro-endocrine disorders, obesity, psychogenic disorders (behavior, anger) malfunction of autonomic nervous system, immune suppression, et al. (See Diagram # 5, above)Above the Fourth Ventricle, lay the pyramids, and slightly forward are the basal ganglia. With powerful insults from excitotoxic stimulation, we develop clinical manifestations of Parkinson's disease (See Diagram # 6). This is further complicated by the depletion of the neurotransmitter, dopamine, resulting from the obliteration of enzyme sites by the flood of these excitotoxins.
Parkinson's Disease, itself, is a complex chronic brain disorder resulting primarily from progressive death of a specific group of nerve cells in a layer of a region of the substantia nigra (basal ganglia) in the midbrain.
These nerve cells produce a chemical neurotransmitter called dopamine (which is inhibited by the phenylalanine/aspartic acid isolates of aspartame). The dopamine enables communication with receptors on neurons in a region of the brain called the striatum. Additional dopamine pathways run from the midbrain to the limbic area and to the cerebral cortex.
The striatum includes three structures: globus pallidus, putamen and caudate nucleus. (See Diagram 7, below)
The striatum is a part of the brain involved with regulating the intensity of coordinated muscle activity such as movement, balance and walking. Insufficient levels of dopamine from the neurons of the substantia nigra synapsing on neurons in the striatum is believed to be responsible for the primary symptoms of Parkinson's.
View of Brain structures affected by Parkinson's (and surrounding structures)
As with Parkinsonian, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly called Lou Gehrig's Disease, clearly represents a connection between nerve damage and the presence of excitotoxic amino acids.
Amyotrophic Lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a progressive, degenerative disease resulting from damage or destruction of motor neurons within the brain and spinal cord. Nerve cell destruction impairs or prevents muscle movement that corresponds to the affected neurons.
The various types of ALS include "bulbar", which affects the cranial nerves, creating complications with speech and swallowing, et al. When the damaged neurons extend from the spinal cord to muscle fibers, this is often termed motor neuron disease. There can also be various combinations of these degenerative states.
Effects of the excitatory amino acid, glutamate, have been observed in the brain and spinal cord. There is an increase of this excitotoxin within the CSF. Additionally, the damaged areas of the cerebral cortex and spinal cord fail to "uptake" this neurotransmitter substance, leaving higher amounts in the extracellular space, causing notable cellular damage due to its excitatory properties.
NOTE: Aspartate (aspartic acid) is similar to glutamate and reacts with many of the same enzyme structures.
Also noted, are pathologies related to cellular calcium (Ca+) channels, which are altered by the presence of glutamate or aspartate. Calcium changes may cause further deterioration by triggering secondary antibody effects that react to this damage. Cellular damage will cause the release of oxidizing agents, resulting in high, free radical exposure that even further damages the nerve cells. Mitochondrial damage is compounded from this surge in free radical generation.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects the myelin (myelin sheath), which is the insulation or coating of some of the nerves of the brain, spinal cord, and of the periphery. Damage has also been identified that affects a part of the nerve fibers called the axons. Oligodendrocyte damage and cell loss also occurs.
Nerve cell damage takes place within the "white matter" of the brain, where the neurons have myelin sheaths, giving this part of the brain its color.
Demyelination of the central nervous system (white matter) are hallmarks of this disease. This is normally (but not always) accompanied by optic neuritis, asymmetrical muscle weakness, or fatigue.
Evidence seems to point to an immunological disorder, as a response to an inflammatory process in the brain (and/or spinal cord).
Although many scientists have not identified a definitive cause of Multiple Sclerosis, many hypothesize that MS may be of a triggered immunological origin. These authors' investigative research into known scientific endeavors, biochemical facts, and available data, leads to the following deduction. Hopefully, this will prompt further investigation into the etiology of MS by non-industry funded researchers.
IF MS is an "immunological" response, then the following need be considered:
Abstinence from aspartame appears to relieve the clinical presentation of excitotoxic-induced MS.
This immune process defect may (in part) also explain the rise in cross-chemical sensitivity syndrome.
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Furthermore, during maternal aspartame consumption, development of the fetal nervous system is damaged or impaired via excitotoxic-saturated placental blood flow that can cause or contribute to cerebral palsy and pervasive developmental disorders, such as discussed here.
This is due to an incompetent blood brain barrier and neuronal (brain) damage produced by excitotoxins circulating the fetal brain areas. This is especially true for those areas adjacent to the brain's ventricular system. There is no doubt that destruction or damage of the hypothalamus and corresponding neuro-endocrine organs, leads to potential developmental complications (physical and mental).
Additionally, fetal alcohol syndrome can be mimicked through the methanol components of aspartame, and is a direct result from the maternal ingestion of aspartame.
Other disorders of fetal neurotoxin exposure will show up after birth, in the form of patho-physiologically induced learning and behavior disorders, attention deficit disorders, and the potential of DNA structural mutagenisis from formaldahyde concentrations, adducts, and the accompanying excitotoxic damage.
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Of Special Note:
During the production of aspartame, none of the animal studies conducted revealed the true neurotoxic nature of this poison in humans. That means that the studies were design-flawed from day one. A successful pharmaceutical firm, and seasoned intelligence or research personnel do not overlook this type of testing application by accident.
It is evidenced that, even with the relatively lower doses used during initial testing, many of these test animals still became sick or died as a result of ingesting aspartame.
Prior to the development of aspartame, it was a well known fact that phenylalanine interfered with human brain chemistry and had once been considered as a chemical warfare agent due to its neurotoxic capabilities.
Physiologically, human beings are approximately 60 times more sensitive to phenylalanine toxicity than any of the animals tested.
Furthermore, humans are 10-20 times more sensitive to methanol poisoning both as a subchronic and chronic toxin/carcinogen. On the contrary, the animals studied are more sensitive to the more common ethanol found in alcoholic beverages due to differences in enzyme concentrations of the species.
Humans are also about 8-10 times more sensitive to the affects of aspartic acid and glutamates, than the test animals being used.
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NOTE:
A new sweetener known as Neotame has chemical properties of known toxicity to man.
Neotame appears to be a chemically altered "aspartame", possessing similar proportionate neurotoxic qualities.
I suspect the new name was formed to superficially distance this product from aspartame, due to the symptoms generated and because of the publicity this poison has received. Additionally, we should note that our public health agencies, as well as our regulatory policies, are in severe need of reorganization, to put it mildly...
All evidence substantiates that aspartame is a powerful neurotoxin.
Further investigation is absolutely warranted.
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BRAIN CELL DAMAGE FROM AMINO ACID ISOLATES:
A PRIMARY CONCERN FROM ASPARTAME-BASED
PRODUCTS AND ARTIFICIAL SWEETENING AGENTS
NutraSweet ~ Equal ~ "Sugar Free" ~ Neotame
By James Bowen, M.D.
And
Arthur M. Evangelista, former FDA Investigator
Web Site: http://www.qualityassurance.synthasite.com
(c) 06 May 2002
USED WITH PERMISSION
This article is an accumulation of long-standing intensive research into the brain chemistry-altering effects of a toxic, artificial sweetener consumed daily by hundreds of millions of unsuspecting individuals.
We acknowledge the countless and unnecessary suffering, illness, and deaths, associated with the marketing of a trio of neurotoxic ingredients, collectively known as ASPARTAME [ L- aspartyl - L - phenylalanine methyl ester ], also called: NutraSweet, Equal, "Sugar Free", and Neotame, et al. ...a food additive in over 8,000 + food products worldwide.
The three toxic ingredients of Aspartame are methanol (wood alcohol), and phenylalanine and aspartic acid; both the latter are amino acid isolates.
This article is for the education of the public at large, the physicians and health specialists who have the integrity and intellect to understand the implications of aspartame's ingredients and the biochemical and pathological effects upon brain nerve cells and tissues, resulting in serious neuro-endocrine disorders and other symptomologies.
Additionally, we hold accountable the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; G.D. Searle, the original maker of aspartame; Monsanto; and the numerous corrupted politicians, government officials, physicians, and health care organizations that have literally sold themselves for greed of wealth and power. This was done knowingly, at the expense of the health of millions of infants, children, and adults who needlessly suffer the debilitating effects of this known neurotoxin.
We hope that all people will cease consumption of this deadly product and become self-educated in order to protect their own health against an array of marketed food and environmental toxins. It is our hopes that all people will live healthier and more fruitful lives, and maintain the freedom and wisdom for choosing what they put in their mouths and feed their children.
PROTEIN AND AMINO ACIDS
Protein is nature's building blocks of life. Protein is used for producing and maintaining muscle, tissue, blood, hormones, enzymes including the body's organs, skin, and for healing processes.
Proteins are large, complex organic compounds made up of many groups of amino acids linked together. There have been twenty-two (22) amino acids identified as necessary for normal human growth and development.
The body can make fourteen (14) of these amino acids, and these are called non-essential amino acids. The other eight (8) amino acids must be received through outside sources, as in the foods we eat. These amino acids are called essential amino acids.
Proteins are broken down during the process of digestion. These proteins are broken down over time into their component amino acids or into very small groups. The amino acids are then used by the body for maintaining health.
Amino acids also play a key role in neurotransmission, solute concentration and balance (especially in areas of the brain), cellular calcium pump (gate) effectors, production and expenditure of ATP (the cell's energy stores), and are involved in overall body nerve cell conduction systems.
The amino acids that are released into the blood stream are competitive. This means that the various types of amino acids compete for attachment sites on enzymes and cell structures. It is this competition, which restricts any one type of amino acid from becoming too dominant and causing an imbalance in the normal ratio of the different circulating or cellular amino acids.
The enzymes, which are located throughout the body, including the brain and nerve cells, are responsible for ensuring that the amino acids gets to their proper end destination to be utilized by the body tissues.
Many key factors, including food additive excitotoxins and environmental poisons, play a role in nervous system degeneration. Collected evidence and accumulated non-industry funded research leaves no doubt that the powerful excitotoxin, aspartame and its breakdown products, have a central or predominant role in creating or exacerbating neurodegenerative or neurocarcinogenic diseases.
AMINO ACID ISOLATES
The focus of our report, is an overview of excitotoxic effects upon brain chemistry due to Aspartame's amino acid isolates.
Amino acid isolates have been artificially separated from the rest of the protein chain and are part of the Aspartame compound. Aspartame is then added to foods during the manufacturing process. Thus, these amino acids are by themselves (isolated), as single or dipeptide molecules. This is very different than the 80-300 amino acid chains that form natural proteins from dietary sources.
Some examples of genetically modified (rDNA) or manufactured amino acid isolates are glutamic acid or glutamate (i.e. monosodium glutamate or MSG), aspartic acid or aspartate, and phenylalanine, among others.
The isolates differ from dietary (with food) amino acids because dietary amino acids are absorbed from the gut. This depends upon the body's digestive action to break down the long amino chains (proteins) and then to absorb them. This means, that through the body's regulation of metabolism, the proteins are broken down slowly, and always in the nutritious mix of other amino acids in the proper enzyme-regulated proportion for use by the body.
Following digestion of normal proteins, the broken amino acid chains are slowly released into the body. Since they are in competition with one another for the enzyme sites, as earlier discussed, the body ensures that no one amino acid dominates the others. Although, it has been noted that phenylalanine is the strongest competitor for many of these enzyme sites.
Moreover, the effect of a dosed amino acid isolate cannot be used in synthesis of proteins in the same manner as dietary amino acids, because the body requires the " variety of the mix" to prepare and manufacture proteins, including the availability of the different enzymes and intermediary structures.
The excitotoxic effects of glutamic acid isolates are well studied and widely known. Some beneficial uses of amino acid isolates, such as L-lysine for use against oral herpes virus (SI) are also well known.
It is important to recognize the difference between natural, dietary amino acids, and pharmaceutically produced (including rDNA) amino acid isolates.
It is also important to recognize that the isolates of Aspartame are incorporated into a compound containing free methanol, a dangerous carcinogen and mutagen which readily breaks down into formaldehyde and formates inside the human body.
The hazards of ignoring the pharmacological nature of amino acid isolates are best illustrated by the Phenylalanine isolate that is 50% by weight of Aspartame. A can of soda pop yields about as much Phenylalanine as a large helping of beans.
NOTE: One (1) 12oz. can of diet soda contains 200mg of aspartame.
Phenylalanine = 100 mg = .50%Aspartic Acid = 80 mg = .40%Methanol = 20 mg = .10%
It should also be noted that the pharmaceutical isolates of amino acids in aspartame are produced from genetically modified bacteria (E.coli).
ABOUT PHENYLALANINE
The dietary Phenylalanine from the beans would only be harmful to the person with PKU (phenylketonuria), a condition caused by one of several enzyme deficiencies. This creates/allows increased plasma levels of Phenylalanine (overload) leading to the formation of destructive neurotoxic effects.
In healthy individuals, the fact that dietary Phenylalanine is in competition with the other amino acids and is absorbed slowly over ten to twenty hours from the digestive tract, makes it helpful rather than harmful for them.
In contrast, the Phenylalanine (isolate) from the can of aspartame-laced soda pop is absorbed in about five minutes. This goes to the portal vein in the liver, with virtually no other competitive amino acids. Amino acid release from the liver is through an enzyme-linked channel. Without any competition, this Phenylalanine is released into the blood stream as an overwhelming bolus, or flood.
Even when ingested with foods, aspartame substantially increases the plasma phenylalanine (and aspartic acid) levels, due to their pharmaceutical make-up as isolates, and due to phenylalanine's strong competitive affinity for the enzyme mediators and transmitter catalysts.
Synergistic damage also results from the absorption-metabolism sequence of methanol --> formaldehyde --> formic acid. Methanol and formaldehyde are carcinogenic and mutagenic, and alter mitochondrial DNA as well as nucleic DNA through the formed adducts of these metabolic poisons. This may be a strong initiator of disease states because the damaged DNA may not allow the cell to function properly or maintain homeostasis.
EXCITOTOXIC AMINO ACIDS' PATHWAY TO THE BRAIN
Background: THE BRAIN
The brain, on an anatomical level, is an integrated network of nerve cells, support cells (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes,
et al), and is the controller for nerve-endocrine coordinating functions and its feedback network.
The brain controls the body's endocrine system through nerve transmission, which centers on the functionality of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. This includes the nerve-endocrine coordination of the pancreas and secretions of the adrenals, thyroid, and gonads. This, in turn, acts upon the brain and pituitary and on the tissues throughout the body. This tightly controlled system produces a wide range of effects for proper functioning of the human organism.
Some hormone effects are used for development of the organism, from conception through birth. Some are long lasting. Many are a permanent element for life. Hormones can be initiated during maturity. Some hormones act later in adult life and can signify changes in brain function, or are associated with disease states or aging.
Nerve-endocrine functions can also act upon aspects of human behavior. This integrated system signals you when you are hungry, or upset. The overall health of this system affects learning, cognitive reasoning, controls your temperature, allows you to smell fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, stimulates growth, oversees your heart rate, and is necessary for all the life functions enjoyed and needed by the individual. The Brain, in effect, is the "Chief Operating Officer" of your physical body.
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There are two avenues or pathways to furnish nutrients, oxygen, and other selective chemicals to the brain. These are via the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) and/or the Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF).
The Blood Brain Barrier is similar, in some ways, to the blood vascular network in the other parts of the body. The Blood Brain Barrier resembles normal capillaries, with a few exceptions.
The body's capillaries, outside of the brain, are more permeable (porous) to fluids, ions, and other molecular structures because there are very minute spaces between the cells making up the capillary walls.
The brain's capillary system (blood brain barrier), on the other hand, are composed of tightly packed cells or "junctions" which reduce their permeability and eliminates the bulk flow of solutes through them.
Because of the tight junctions between the blood brain barrier's capillary cells, there are two specialized ways that nutrients and other molecules can gain access to brain cell components and neurons. These pathways are: 1) lipid mediation or 2) catalyzed (active carrier) transport.
The lipid transport system is confined to the transfer of small molecules to the brain tissue, and generally are proportional to their lipid solubility.
The catalyzed transport system includes both receptor and carrier mediating enzyme processes in order to provide the brain with nutrients (glucose, amino acids, and nucleosides, etc.)
Another function of the blood brain barrier is to isolate the brain from toxic products and certain chemicals that could disrupt the delicate balance of ions, nutrients, and neurotransmitter substances that are used by the brain's nerve cells.
When Aspartame is ingested and enters the blood stream, the three toxins of aspartame are "launched" throughout the body very rapidly.
Following consumption of aspartame-laced products, the phenylalanine flood overpowers the enzyme systems of the brain, setting off an induced PKU effect.
This induced PKU affect occurs by grossly overwhelming those enzymes required to reduce the circulating phenylalanine for use in other metabolic reactions.
This "overdose" of the competitive phenylalanine isolate (and aspartic acid) incapacitates the enzyme actions which controls several types of neurotransmitters (and their precursor amino acids) reducing dopamine and serotonin production.
The excitotoxin's effects creates secondary components which are also destructive in nature to the sensitive, surrounding neural tissues, including a breakdown by-product of phenylalanine called, diketopiperazine (DKP) which instigates tumor generation, especially that of the aggressive glioblastoma.
Further neuron insult is added due to the destruction and mutation of nucleic and mitochondrial DNA from the known carcinogenic properties of the methanol --> formaldehyde --> formic acid components.
The other avenue of delivering nutrients and other necessary molecules to the brain's cell structures is by way of the Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF).
There is a structure called the 'Choroid Plexus" which is a specialized arterio-venous capillary bed located within the lateral ventricles of the cerebral hemispheres that secretes the cerebral spinal fluid. (See Diagrams # 2 and # 3)
The cerebral spinal fluid is a clear, colorless liquid that circulates around the brain and spinal cord and baths the tissue with needed nutrients and other constituent molecules.
The brain is seen to contain four cavities within it. The cerebrum holds two large Lateral Ventricles that connect at the midline. From here, the CSF follows the InterVentricular Foramina into the Third Ventricle.
Here, at the Third Ventricle, another Choroid Plexus adds additional CSF. The CSF then passes through the Aqueduct of Sylvius, continuing into the Fourth Ventricle, located between the cerebellum and brainstem. Here, still another Choroid Plexus at the roof of the Fourth Ventricle contributes additional CSF fluid.
After leaving the Fourth Ventricle, the CSF essentially flows backward and downward around the midbrain, exiting the ventricular network below the cerebellum.
Some of the CSF passes downward into the Spinal SubArachnoid Space (circulating around the spinal cord), and a portion rises upward, through the Tentorial Notch, spreading over the hemispheres of the brain.
Re-absorption of CSF is predominantly assumed through the lymph and blood capillary network of the subarachnoid space covering the cerebral hemispheres and spinal canal.
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The nutrients supplied by the CSF are delivered by diffusion into those structures adjacent to the CSF. This leads to some specialized circumstances.
First, as the CSF diffuses nutrients (or toxins) to these adjacent structures, there becomes less and less concentrations of these molecules remaining within the CSF, as it continues along its track.
If toxins are present within the CSF, those structures first contacted are far more severely attacked by these toxins (or excitotoxins), than those bathed in CSF farther away from the ventricular system and choroid plexus.
Second, diffusion of chemicals is greatly increased by increases in hydrostatic pressures or flow rates.
Third, inflammation of the Aqueduct of Sylvius from repeated insults of neurotoxic chemicals contained within the CSF, can cause narrowing of this duct, resulting in obstruction and the onset of adult hydrocephalus.
It is in the CSF, where the phenylalanine and dicarboxylic aspartic acid diffuses, setting off a chain reaction of repeated excitatory stimuli of surrounding nerve cells and neuronal structures adjacent to the flow route of the CSF. This eventually leads to nerve cell necrosis (cell death) in these areas.
The hypothalamus sits adjacent on either side of the Third Ventricle, where there is a high diffusion rate from the CSF, leading to sustained and potentially extreme damage to this neuro-endocrine structure, one of the most vital neural systems in the body.
A (simplistic) sequence of events would be the following:
The transport of excitotoxins across the blood brain barrier and within the CSF causes several reactions to occur. 1] The excitotoxins stimulate the nerves to fire excessively. 2] The normal enzyme actions required to offset the induced, repeated firing of these neurons are negated by the phenylalanine and aspartic acid.
Furthermore, 3] the energy system for the required enzyme reactions becomes compromised from: 4] depleted intracellular ATP stores, 5] the presence of formaldehyde, 6] altered intracellular Ca+ uptake, 7] damage to cellular mitochondria, 8] destruction of the cellular wall, and 9] the subsequent release of free radicals. This potentiates 10] oxidative stress and neurodegeneration.
These toxic by-products initiate secondary damage, which increases capillary permeability, continuing to destroy the surrounding nerve and glial cells. This further impedes enzyme reactions, and 11] promotes DNA structural defects.
Cellular death occurs over the next 1 to 12 hours. This does not include the long-term or cumulative effects of formaldehyde adducts and other metabolites. The dead cells leave behind lesions, or holes, as Dr. Olney discovered with tests he conducted. Evidence indicates that the following disease states can be clinically identified by their corresponding anatomic nerve fiber, or nerve bundle damage:
a) Aqueduct of Sylvius = Hydrocephalus
b) White matter bundles = Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
c) Pyramids/Basal Ganglia = Parkinson's Disease
d) Lateral corticospinal tracts of spinal cord and bulbar nuclei =
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's)
e) Destruction of hypothalamic regions =
Neuro-endocrine disorders, obesity, psychogenic disorders (behavior, anger) malfunction of autonomic nervous system, immune suppression, et al. (See Diagram # 5, above)Above the Fourth Ventricle, lay the pyramids, and slightly forward are the basal ganglia. With powerful insults from excitotoxic stimulation, we develop clinical manifestations of Parkinson's disease (See Diagram # 6). This is further complicated by the depletion of the neurotransmitter, dopamine, resulting from the obliteration of enzyme sites by the flood of these excitotoxins.
Parkinson's Disease, itself, is a complex chronic brain disorder resulting primarily from progressive death of a specific group of nerve cells in a layer of a region of the substantia nigra (basal ganglia) in the midbrain.
These nerve cells produce a chemical neurotransmitter called dopamine (which is inhibited by the phenylalanine/aspartic acid isolates of aspartame). The dopamine enables communication with receptors on neurons in a region of the brain called the striatum. Additional dopamine pathways run from the midbrain to the limbic area and to the cerebral cortex.
The striatum includes three structures: globus pallidus, putamen and caudate nucleus. (See Diagram 7, below)
The striatum is a part of the brain involved with regulating the intensity of coordinated muscle activity such as movement, balance and walking. Insufficient levels of dopamine from the neurons of the substantia nigra synapsing on neurons in the striatum is believed to be responsible for the primary symptoms of Parkinson's.
View of Brain structures affected by Parkinson's (and surrounding structures)
As with Parkinsonian, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly called Lou Gehrig's Disease, clearly represents a connection between nerve damage and the presence of excitotoxic amino acids.
Amyotrophic Lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a progressive, degenerative disease resulting from damage or destruction of motor neurons within the brain and spinal cord. Nerve cell destruction impairs or prevents muscle movement that corresponds to the affected neurons.
The various types of ALS include "bulbar", which affects the cranial nerves, creating complications with speech and swallowing, et al. When the damaged neurons extend from the spinal cord to muscle fibers, this is often termed motor neuron disease. There can also be various combinations of these degenerative states.
Effects of the excitatory amino acid, glutamate, have been observed in the brain and spinal cord. There is an increase of this excitotoxin within the CSF. Additionally, the damaged areas of the cerebral cortex and spinal cord fail to "uptake" this neurotransmitter substance, leaving higher amounts in the extracellular space, causing notable cellular damage due to its excitatory properties.
NOTE: Aspartate (aspartic acid) is similar to glutamate and reacts with many of the same enzyme structures.
Also noted, are pathologies related to cellular calcium (Ca+) channels, which are altered by the presence of glutamate or aspartate. Calcium changes may cause further deterioration by triggering secondary antibody effects that react to this damage. Cellular damage will cause the release of oxidizing agents, resulting in high, free radical exposure that even further damages the nerve cells. Mitochondrial damage is compounded from this surge in free radical generation.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease that affects the myelin (myelin sheath), which is the insulation or coating of some of the nerves of the brain, spinal cord, and of the periphery. Damage has also been identified that affects a part of the nerve fibers called the axons. Oligodendrocyte damage and cell loss also occurs.
Nerve cell damage takes place within the "white matter" of the brain, where the neurons have myelin sheaths, giving this part of the brain its color.
Demyelination of the central nervous system (white matter) are hallmarks of this disease. This is normally (but not always) accompanied by optic neuritis, asymmetrical muscle weakness, or fatigue.
Evidence seems to point to an immunological disorder, as a response to an inflammatory process in the brain (and/or spinal cord).
Although many scientists have not identified a definitive cause of Multiple Sclerosis, many hypothesize that MS may be of a triggered immunological origin. These authors' investigative research into known scientific endeavors, biochemical facts, and available data, leads to the following deduction. Hopefully, this will prompt further investigation into the etiology of MS by non-industry funded researchers.
IF MS is an "immunological" response, then the following need be considered:
- A reduction in glutathione synthesis will impair antioxidant defenses.
- Glutathione is virtually eradicated (not available) following the ingestion of aspartame and its resulting metabolic reactions.
- T-Cells (immune response cells) are dependant upon intracellular glutathione,
- Functionality of the T-cells is impaired during this period.
- Deamination results from methanol toxicity --> formaldehyde --> formic acid and can be highly mutagenic for nucleotides, DNA, RNA transcription processes.
- Pharmaceutically manufactured isolates (alone or in concert with additional excitotoxic food additives/environmental toxins) creates an excitotoxic response to include:
- increased cell damage from oxidation,
- mitochondrial damage (incl. a reduction in available ATP),
- imbalance of inter/extracellular amino acids and their precursors,
- increased intracellular Ca+ or disruption of gated processes,
- release of damaging free radicals,
- excessive nitric oxide (NO) production,
- displacement/release of free iron within the brain,
- mutagenic effects from formaldehyde or generalized cellular DNA mutations,
- subsequent inflammatory response as a result of this cellular damage
- Evidence reveals that Methanol has long been the agent most well know to cause auto-immune antibodies to "attack" the pancreas and myelin sheaths of neurons.
- The structures damaged in MS are the white fibers of the CNS. These structures are in intimate contact with the cerebral spinal fluid immediately after the fluid is formed by the Choroid Plexus. Therefore, the white matter receives massive doses of dicarboxylic amino acid neuro-excititoxins which are delivered to the brain from the CSF.
Abstinence from aspartame appears to relieve the clinical presentation of excitotoxic-induced MS.
This immune process defect may (in part) also explain the rise in cross-chemical sensitivity syndrome.
_________________________
Furthermore, during maternal aspartame consumption, development of the fetal nervous system is damaged or impaired via excitotoxic-saturated placental blood flow that can cause or contribute to cerebral palsy and pervasive developmental disorders, such as discussed here.
This is due to an incompetent blood brain barrier and neuronal (brain) damage produced by excitotoxins circulating the fetal brain areas. This is especially true for those areas adjacent to the brain's ventricular system. There is no doubt that destruction or damage of the hypothalamus and corresponding neuro-endocrine organs, leads to potential developmental complications (physical and mental).
Additionally, fetal alcohol syndrome can be mimicked through the methanol components of aspartame, and is a direct result from the maternal ingestion of aspartame.
Other disorders of fetal neurotoxin exposure will show up after birth, in the form of patho-physiologically induced learning and behavior disorders, attention deficit disorders, and the potential of DNA structural mutagenisis from formaldahyde concentrations, adducts, and the accompanying excitotoxic damage.
_________________________
Of Special Note:
During the production of aspartame, none of the animal studies conducted revealed the true neurotoxic nature of this poison in humans. That means that the studies were design-flawed from day one. A successful pharmaceutical firm, and seasoned intelligence or research personnel do not overlook this type of testing application by accident.
It is evidenced that, even with the relatively lower doses used during initial testing, many of these test animals still became sick or died as a result of ingesting aspartame.
Prior to the development of aspartame, it was a well known fact that phenylalanine interfered with human brain chemistry and had once been considered as a chemical warfare agent due to its neurotoxic capabilities.
Physiologically, human beings are approximately 60 times more sensitive to phenylalanine toxicity than any of the animals tested.
Furthermore, humans are 10-20 times more sensitive to methanol poisoning both as a subchronic and chronic toxin/carcinogen. On the contrary, the animals studied are more sensitive to the more common ethanol found in alcoholic beverages due to differences in enzyme concentrations of the species.
Humans are also about 8-10 times more sensitive to the affects of aspartic acid and glutamates, than the test animals being used.
_______
NOTE:
A new sweetener known as Neotame has chemical properties of known toxicity to man.
Neotame appears to be a chemically altered "aspartame", possessing similar proportionate neurotoxic qualities.
I suspect the new name was formed to superficially distance this product from aspartame, due to the symptoms generated and because of the publicity this poison has received. Additionally, we should note that our public health agencies, as well as our regulatory policies, are in severe need of reorganization, to put it mildly...
All evidence substantiates that aspartame is a powerful neurotoxin.
Further investigation is absolutely warranted.
__________________________________________________
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http://www.dorway.com
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Chiueh, CC; R.M. Wu; K.P. Mohanakumar; L.M. Sternberger; G. Krishna; T. Obata; D.L. Murphy; "In vivo generation of hydroxyl radicals and MPTP-induced dopaminergic toxicity in the basal ganglia." Unit on Neurotoxicology and Neuroprotection, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Ann N Y Acad Sci (United States) Nov 17, 1994, 738 p25-36
Eisen, A; H. Stewart; M. Schulzer; D. Cameron; "Anti- glutamate therapy in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a trial using lamotrigine." Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Vancouver General Hospital, British Columbia, Canada. Can J Neurol Sci 1993 Nov;20(4):297-301
Gordon, Gregory; "NutraSweet." WASHINGTON (UPI), UPI Investigative Report 1987
Gredal, O.; S.E. Moller; "Effects of branched-chain amino acids on plasma amino acids in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." Department of Biochemistry, Res. Institute Biological Psychiatry, St Hans Hospital, DK-4000 Roskilde Denmark Amino Acids (Austria), 1996, 11/1 (37-42)
King, Michael W. Ph.D /IU School of Medicine. "Neurotransmitter Receptors".
[email protected]
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Maher, Timothy J., Judith M.B Pinto; "Administration of Aspartame Potentiates Pentylenetetrazole- and Fluorothyl-Induced Seizures in Mice". 1988: Neuropharmacology, Vol. 27, No. 1, page 51-55.
Maher, Timothy J., Judith M.B. Pinto; "Aspartame and the Rat Brain Monoaminergic System".
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Metzenbaum, Howard M. United States Senator; "Letter from Senator Howard Metzenbaum on United States Senate Stationary (Committee on the Budget)". dated February 3, 1986: to Orrin Hatch , Utah ,who was the Chairman of the Labor and Human Resources Committee, Metzenbaum was a member of this committee, along with Ted Kennedy, Strom Thurmond, Lowell Weicker, Christopher Dodd, Dan Quale, et al. U.S. Congress 1986. (http://www.dorway.com)
Millstone MD, Erik; "Increasing Brain Tumor Rates: Is There a Link to Aspartame". 1996: Science Policy Research Unit, Mantell Building, University of Sussex Brighton, England.
Muller, T., S.B. Peterson, U.Sonnewald, G. Unsgard; "Effects of aspartame on Ca+ influx and LDH leakage from nerve cells in culture". NEUROPHARMACOLOGY AND NERUOTOXICOLOGY Rapid Communications of Oxford Ltd 1995: Volume 6 (PP318-320) MR-Centre, SINTEF UNIMED, N-7034 Trondheim; University of Trondheim, Dept. of Neurosurgery, University Hospital N-7006 Trondheim; Norwegian Institute of Tecnology, Drpt. of Biotecnology, N-7034 Trondheim, Norway
Muller, WE; F.J. Romero; S. Perovic; G. Pergande; P. Pialoglou; "Protection of flupirtine on beta-amyloid-induced apoptosis in neuronal cells in vitro: prevention of amyloid-induced glutathione depletion." Institut fur Physiologische Chemie, Abteilung Angewandte Molekularbiologie, Universitat, Mainz, Germany. J Neurochem (United States) Jun 1997, 68 (6) p2371-7
Mundy W.R.; T.M Freudenrich; "Aluminum potentiates glutamate-induced calcium accumulation and iron- induced oxygen free radical formation in primary neuronal cultures." Kodavanti P.R.S. W.R. Mundy, Neurotoxicology Division, Natl. Hlth./Envtl. Effects Res. Lab., US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 United States Molecular and Chemical Neuropathology (United States), 1997, 32/1-3 (41-57)
Natarajan, M. and M. Wilkinson; "Recovery of hypothalamic NMDA-induced c-fos expression following neonatal glutamate (MSG) lesions". Brain Res Dev Brain Res; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IWK-Grace Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada. Aug 18,1997: 102(1):97-104
Nijmegen, G.L ; "Amino Acid Information Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics" University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, P.O. Box 9010, 6500,
Olney , Dr. John W.; et al.; "Brain Damage in Mice From Voluntary Ingestion of Glutamate and Aspartate," Neurobehavioral Toxicology and Teratology, 1980: Volume 2, page 125-129.
Olney , Dr. John W.; "Biochemical Basis of Functional Neuroteratology: Permanent Effects of Chemicals on the Developing Brain". Edited by Boer, G.J., et al., Elsevier, New York, c1988.
Olney, Dr. John W.; "Excitotoxic Food Additives: Functional Teratological Aspects". In Progress in Brain Research, 1988.Volume 73
Olney, Dr. John W,; "RESEARCHERS CALL FOR FURTHER STUDIES AFTER IDENTIFYING A POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN ASPARTAME AND BRAIN TUMORS"
Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis
Roberts, Dr. H.J.; "Reactions Attributed to Aspartame-Containing Products": 551 Cases," Journal of Applied Nutrition, 1988.Volume 40, page 85-94.
Rowen, A. James; Bennett A. Shaywitz; et al.; "Species Differences in Methanol Poisoning," CRC Critical Reviews In Toxicology, October 1982, page 275-286. 1995.
Terro F; M. Lesort; F. Viader; A. Ludolph; J. Hugon; "Antioxidant drugs block in vitro the neurotoxicity of CSF from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." Neurobiology and Cellular Pathology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Limoges, France. Neuroreport (England) Aug 12 1996, 7 (12) p1970-2
Testa D.; T Caraceni; V. Fetoni; "Branched-chain amino acids in the treatment of amyotrophic latera sclerosis." Istituto Neurologico 'C.Besta', I-20133 Milan Italy J. Neurol. (Germany, Federal Republic of), 1989, 236/8 (445-447)
Vyth A; J.G. Timmer; P.M. Bossuyt; E.S. Louwerse; J.M. de Jong; "Survival in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, treated with an array of antioxidants." Department of Pharmacy E-0, University of Amsterdam, UK. J Neurol Sci (Netherlands) Aug 1996, 139 Suppl p99-103
Walton, Dr. Ralph G.; "The Possible Role of Aspartame in Seizure Induction". Presented at "Dietary Phenylalanine and Brain Function." Proceedings of the First International Meeting on Dietary Phenylalanine and Brain Function, Washington, D.C., May 8-10, 1987. Center for Brain Sciences and Metabolism Charitable Trust, P.O. Box 64, Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA 02142. Reprinted in "Dietary Phenyalalnine and Brain Function," c1988: Birkhauser, Boston, MA USA, page 159-162.
Welty D.F.; G.P. Schielke; J.D. Rothstein; "Potential treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with gabapentin: A hypothesis." Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Res. Div., Pharmacokinetic/Drug Metabol. Dept., Warner-Lambert, 2800 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 USA Annals of Pharmacotherapy (USA), 1995, 29/11 (1164-1167)
Woodrow C. Dr. Monte, Director, Food Science and Nutrition Laboratory; "Aspartame: Methanol and the Public Health". 1984: J. Applied Nutrition, 36(1), 42-54 (62 references): Arizona State University
_____________________________________
Nature’s ‘Immunologic Scalpel’ for Our Toxic World
scalpel = a small straight thin-bladed knife used especially in surgery
Today it’s impossible to escape the endless list of toxins and chemicals that enter our environment day
after day. Fumes from cars, radiation from computers, the earth’s depleted ozone layer, packaged foods
that have been overprocessed, and pesticides sprayed onto crops are a few
Eat processed food as little as you can
Quotation: "If if came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plan, don't - it kills"
It’s no wonder that so many North Americans suffer from toxic inflammatory diseases.
But there is a natural way to boost the immune system.
Fortunately, our own immunity works 24/7 against toxins that enter the body & trigger allergic reactions.
Without this natural defense, our bodies would decompose in a few days due to microbes, parasites & toxins.
Click green for further info
Every year, North Americans, on average, suffer six common colds due to weakened immune systems. And infections become more dangerous as we age. For instance, during early life, influenza is rarely fatal. But later, when it strikes an exhausted immune system, it results in the deaths of thousands of seniors every year.
Nor is today’s stressful life kind to our immune systems. Chronic stress triggers the release of proinflammatory cytokines, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and autoimmune disorders such as psoriasis and Crohn’s disease.
Click: Cytokine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cytokines (Greek cyto-, cell; and -kinos, movement) are small cell-signaling protein molecules that are secreted by numerous cells and are a category of signaling molecules used extensively in intercellular communication. Cytokines can be classified as proteins, peptides, or glycoproteins; the term "cytokine" encompasses a large and diverse family of regulators produced throughout the body by cells of diverse embryological origin.
It’s estimated that in North America there are 30 million allergy sufferers. Some people have acute anaphylactic*) attacks that are life-threatening. But the majority are affected by pollen, animal dander, dust mites in bedding, mold that collects in showers, window mold, and damp basements that cause inflammatory reaction in the body’s airways.
*) Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death. It typically causes a number of symptoms including an itchy rash, throat swelling, and low blood pressure. Common causes include insect bites/stings, foods, and medications.
Click: Anaphylaxis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death. It typically causes a number of symptoms including an itchy rash, throat ...
Signs and symptoms - Causes - Pathophysiology - Diagnosis
To test the effects of stress on healing, researchers compared women who had to care for Alzheimer’s patients and those without this stress. Both groups were subjected to a small skin biopsy. The caregivers took 24 percent longer to heal.
Another threat today is exposure to radiation. In addition to X-rays and CT scans, there is radiation from cell phones, microwave ovens, and transmission towers. Although television gives off radiation from one station, our bodies receive transmissions from many more stations. And unlike an infection that goes away, radiation never does, accumulating year by year.
Since few can live as a hermit, what can be done to bolster immunity from seasonal allergies, fibromyalgia, constant fatigue, aching muscles, prostate problems, and rheumatoid arthritis?
Dr. John Wilkinson, senior herbal medicine lecturer at Middlesex University, London, England, says the answer is plant sterols, which, like vitamin C, cannot be made by our bodies. Studies show that plant sterols reduce inflammation, which helps to decrease the risk of atherosclerosis. This is why plant sterols have been called nature’s “immunologic scalpel.”
But consuming sufficient plant sterols is easier said than done. For instance, 3.5 ounces of unprocessed wheat contain 4,200 milligrams of sterols. But after processing it into flour, more than 90 percent of the sterol is lost. This is hardly a plus for civilization.
If you’re not getting sufficient plant sterols, an improved diet is a good start. Research has also shown that regular exercise can bolster the immune system by stimulating the body’s natural killer cells.
Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. His website isDocGiff.com. He may be contacted at [email protected].
____________________________________________
scalpel = a small straight thin-bladed knife used especially in surgery
Today it’s impossible to escape the endless list of toxins and chemicals that enter our environment day
after day. Fumes from cars, radiation from computers, the earth’s depleted ozone layer, packaged foods
that have been overprocessed, and pesticides sprayed onto crops are a few
Eat processed food as little as you can
Quotation: "If if came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plan, don't - it kills"
It’s no wonder that so many North Americans suffer from toxic inflammatory diseases.
But there is a natural way to boost the immune system.
Fortunately, our own immunity works 24/7 against toxins that enter the body & trigger allergic reactions.
Without this natural defense, our bodies would decompose in a few days due to microbes, parasites & toxins.
Click green for further info
Every year, North Americans, on average, suffer six common colds due to weakened immune systems. And infections become more dangerous as we age. For instance, during early life, influenza is rarely fatal. But later, when it strikes an exhausted immune system, it results in the deaths of thousands of seniors every year.
Nor is today’s stressful life kind to our immune systems. Chronic stress triggers the release of proinflammatory cytokines, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and autoimmune disorders such as psoriasis and Crohn’s disease.
Click: Cytokine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cytokines (Greek cyto-, cell; and -kinos, movement) are small cell-signaling protein molecules that are secreted by numerous cells and are a category of signaling molecules used extensively in intercellular communication. Cytokines can be classified as proteins, peptides, or glycoproteins; the term "cytokine" encompasses a large and diverse family of regulators produced throughout the body by cells of diverse embryological origin.
It’s estimated that in North America there are 30 million allergy sufferers. Some people have acute anaphylactic*) attacks that are life-threatening. But the majority are affected by pollen, animal dander, dust mites in bedding, mold that collects in showers, window mold, and damp basements that cause inflammatory reaction in the body’s airways.
*) Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death. It typically causes a number of symptoms including an itchy rash, throat swelling, and low blood pressure. Common causes include insect bites/stings, foods, and medications.
Click: Anaphylaxis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death. It typically causes a number of symptoms including an itchy rash, throat ...
Signs and symptoms - Causes - Pathophysiology - Diagnosis
To test the effects of stress on healing, researchers compared women who had to care for Alzheimer’s patients and those without this stress. Both groups were subjected to a small skin biopsy. The caregivers took 24 percent longer to heal.
Another threat today is exposure to radiation. In addition to X-rays and CT scans, there is radiation from cell phones, microwave ovens, and transmission towers. Although television gives off radiation from one station, our bodies receive transmissions from many more stations. And unlike an infection that goes away, radiation never does, accumulating year by year.
Since few can live as a hermit, what can be done to bolster immunity from seasonal allergies, fibromyalgia, constant fatigue, aching muscles, prostate problems, and rheumatoid arthritis?
Dr. John Wilkinson, senior herbal medicine lecturer at Middlesex University, London, England, says the answer is plant sterols, which, like vitamin C, cannot be made by our bodies. Studies show that plant sterols reduce inflammation, which helps to decrease the risk of atherosclerosis. This is why plant sterols have been called nature’s “immunologic scalpel.”
But consuming sufficient plant sterols is easier said than done. For instance, 3.5 ounces of unprocessed wheat contain 4,200 milligrams of sterols. But after processing it into flour, more than 90 percent of the sterol is lost. This is hardly a plus for civilization.
If you’re not getting sufficient plant sterols, an improved diet is a good start. Research has also shown that regular exercise can bolster the immune system by stimulating the body’s natural killer cells.
Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. His website isDocGiff.com. He may be contacted at [email protected].
____________________________________________
Necessary studying about healing difficult arthritis affecting adults and children
The Boy With a Thorn in His Joints
There is a choice to heal arthritis without any additional side effects from factory-made medicine
- an important article with uplifting & life-saving information -
New York Times Magazine, February 17, 2013
By SUSANNAH MEADOWS
When my son, Shepherd, was 3 years old, he and his twin brother, Beau, took soccer lessons
for the first time. They were so excited that they slept in their uniforms — a purple T-shirt with a yellow star kicking the ball with one of its points — the night before their first practice. But when we got to the field the next day, Shepherd’s enthusiasm evaporated. While Beau and the other kids ran zigzags around the cones, Shepherd stood still and looked bewildered. When it was his turn to kick the ball, he seemed lost. After 15 minutes, he walked off the field and sat down in my lap, saying he was too tired to play. We watched the other kids, and I pointed out to him the drills I thought he might enjoy, the ones that Beau was charging through. But he refused to go back to the field. His passivity didn’t concern me much — he was 3, after all, and I already thought of him, in the way that parents tend to categorize their children even as we tell ourselves we shouldn’t, as a little clingy and not especially athletic. My husband, Darin, and I had recently noticed that Shepherd occasionally walked with a limp, but it was faint enough that sometimes when you looked for it, it was gone. Faint enough — though it seems incredible now — that we didn’t connect it to his reluctance on the field.
I assumed that Shepherd would warm to his soccer lessons the next time around. He and Beau still donned their jerseys at bedtime and talked each night about “soccer school” at the dinner table. But the following Saturday, Shepherd burst into tears the moment he started to run.
That week we saw our pediatrician, who referred us to an orthopedist. When no injury showed up on the X-ray, the doctor said that arthritis was most likely the issue. Arthritis in a 3-year-old? It sounded more odd than alarming at first, but over the next few weeks, we watched Shepherd spend more and more time on the couch. His stiff-legged walk became more pronounced, though he claimed that he was just walking like a penguin. Then he started having trouble getting out of bed.
A month after our first appointment, we went to see Philip Kahn, a pediatric rheumatologist at NYU Langone Medical Center, who gave Shepherd a diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (J.I.A.), an autoimmune disease that causes painful swelling in the joints. J.I.A. can lead to stunted growth, disability and, rarely, blindness.
When Dr. Kahn tested his joints, Shepherd denied that it hurt even as he teared up in pain. Our son was stoic, Dr. Kahn said, as the kids he treated often were. Shepherd turned out to have arthritis in both knees and both wrists, as well as in his left shoulder and elbow. It was only when I started working on this article that a particular memory came back to me, its attendant guilt still intact: we’d bribed him to go to that last practice with the promise of ice cream.
Before driving home, all four of us stopped for lunch at a hummus place that Dr. Kahn recommended. We sat outside on the sidewalk, and Darin and I pretended that we were celebrating. This is great news, we told Shepherd. Now that we know what’s wrong, you can take medicine that will make you feel better. Darin remembers thinking that we were lying to him, but he was trying to be more optimistic than he felt, for Shepherd’s sake and for mine. Shepherd barely ate his lunch.
When we got home, I called my sister, Rae. She knew that overwhelmed feeling of getting a child’s diagnosis all too well; she’d been through it with her daughter, also 3, who had severe asthma and 14 food allergies. Rae talked about how that moment when you receive the diagnosis eclipses everything, but she tried to reassure me that if an illness isn’t life-threatening, the fear eventually dies down, and coping with it becomes routine.
Before we hung up, she mentioned that her sister-in-law had a friend who sent her own son’s arthritis into remission with alternative medicine. Her name was Char Walker, short for Charlotte. Did I want to talk to her? I told her that I didn’t, that we liked Dr. Kahn and wanted to follow his advice for now. We were starting Shepherd on a course of naproxen, a relative of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory ibuprofen. We didn’t want to mess around with something that might not work, when conventional treatments were known to be effective. What I thought that day but didn’t say to Rae was, We don’t want to waste time talking to a kook.
While he was taking the naproxen, Shepherd’s arthritis spread. Joints in his fingers and thumbs ballooned, and he developed nodules on his knuckles, suggestive of serious rheumatic disease. He started wetting his pants more frequently because, we realized, his fingers hurt too much for him to pull his pants down. We went back to Dr. Kahn, who said it was time to try methotrexate, an immune suppressant that is the most commonly used treatment for juvenile idiopathic arthritis. In significantly higher doses, it is used as chemotherapy. At the dose Shepherd would be getting, a minuscule fraction of that, methotrexate can still cause nausea, dizziness and drowsiness. The list of more serious possible side effects was terrifying — including liver damage and increased risk of lymphoma — even though Dr. Kahn told us that those risks were practically nonexistent. Kids like Shepherd, with polyarticular J.I.A. — meaning five or more joints affected — are unlikely ever to outgrow it; he would probably be on medication for life. What were the long-term effects on 3-year-olds taking this drug? It was a question I tended to visit in the middle of the night, when Dr. Kahn’s reassurances that methotrexate was completely safe gave the least amount of comfort.
When I first gave Shepherd his methotrexate pills, he was enthusiastic about taking them. The pills were orange, his favorite color. The real coup: Beau didn’t get to take them. But watching my son gulp them down defeated me. It reinforced an image of Shepherd as sick, forever dependent on a drug I felt afraid of, however unreasonable a doctor might tell me that fear was.
One morning, while the boys were at preschool and Darin was out of the house, I decided to call Char Walker. She answered the phone, and within minutes I was crying to this woman I had never met. Walker told me that when her son Shane was a month old, he started waking up seven or eight times a night screaming and crying, which he continued to do for a year and a half. He didn’t have any symptoms that she could see. What was wrong? Soon she was crying every night, too. And then at around 18 months, he learned to talk and told her what hurt: his leg, his hip and his wrist. Once they had the diagnosis, Walker realized he’d probably been in pain every night of his life.
Walker is a social worker and massage therapist who works with cancer patients at NorthShore University HealthSystem outside Chicago. When Shane’s rheumatologist presented methotrexate or steroid injections as the only choices, she was horrified. Because she worked in the integrative medicine department — a combination of alternative and conventional treatments — she knew there were other things to try. She dug into medical-literature databases. She learned about a centuries-old, anti-inflammatory Chinese concoction called four-marvels powder from a visiting naturopath. And she sought guidance from her colleague, Dr. Leslie Mendoza Temple, the head of the hospital’s integrative medicine program, who, while wary of the risks, had been comfortable giving Walker’s program a three-month trial. “I tried everything that I knew was safe to see what would work,” Walker told me.
I grabbed my pen and paper and started taking notes. No gluten. No dairy. No refined sugar. No nightshades, a group of plants that includes potatoes and tomatoes, which are thought by some to be potentially inflammatory, as is sugar. Every day, Shane took a probiotic. Plus two tablespoons of sour Montmorency cherry juice and at least 2,000 milligrams of omega-3’s from fish oil, known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Instead of naproxen, Shane took a combination of ibuprofen and Tylenol to lower his overall intake of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, which can be hard on the gut. And a quarter teaspoon, daily, of the four-marvels powder.
Walker said she believed that her son’s arthritis was caused by something I had never heard of before — leaky-gut syndrome, a concept that has been accepted in alternative circles for years despite a name that asks you not to take it seriously. The idea is that inflammation in the gut causes the tight junctions between the cells that make up the intestinal lining to loosen. Then, like a lax bouncer, the barrier starts letting through undesirables, various proteins or bacteria that would normally be rebuffed; they then leak into surrounding tissues. The uninvited guests, the hypothesis goes, then trigger an offensive by the body, which uses inflammation to try to get rid of them. That sustained inflammatory response characterizes autoimmune disease.
What could have caused the inflammation in Shane’s gut in the first place? Walker suspected an allergy or sensitivity to gluten and dairy (common perpetrators). She also implicated antibiotics, since they can decimate protective, good bacteria along with the bad. A week before he started waking up so frequently, Shane was given antibiotics for a 104-degree fever. By the time he was 1, he would have at least five more courses for urinary tract infections. After Walker told me this, I noted that Shepherd had started limping not long after taking amoxicillin for pneumonia. There’s no proof of causation, of course, and lots of children take antibiotics and don’t get arthritis, but it was an intriguing detail.
Six weeks into the alternative therapy, Shane started feeling better. After three months, his arthritis pain was gone. He’d been in remission for almost two years, Walker told me, much better than anything we were told to expect.
A week later, we told Dr. Kahn about Shane’s story and floated the possibility of following the same course. He wasn’t familiar with leaky gut but agreed that it wouldn’t be harmful to try Walker’s regimen. He was adamant, though, that we not quit the medication. In fact, he wanted to up the dose of methotrexate from 10 milligrams to 15 milligrams, because we were seeing the full effects of the initial dosage and Shepherd was still in pain. He now sobbed in the middle of the night, saying his ankle hurt. Arthritis had now leached into his toes. He hadn’t grown in at least four months, and so Dr. Kahn was opposed to cutting two major categories of food out of Shepherd’s diet. But he was O.K. with the rest of Walker’s regimen as long as it was complementary to the methotrexate, not used in place of it. He jotted down “four-marvels powder” in Shepherd’s chart with a good-natured smile. He once told us about a patient of his whose Chinese grandmother was giving him a tea along with his medication that appeared to be helping. He was a believer, he said, in anything that worked.
I was nervous about keeping Shepherd on methotrexate, but Darin didn’t share my squeamishness. He has always been more comfortable with pharmaceuticals, more trusting in general. As we talked it over on the way back from Dr. Kahn’s, Darin agreed that if Walker’s treatment worked for her son, there was certainly a chance it could work for Shepherd. But we both had to admit it was iffy. I was desperate to find a way to solve Shepherd’s problems without the drugs; maybe my hope was misplaced. What if Darin was right and methotrexate was the only effective course? Darin worried that I might start insisting on no medication at all, and that I’d win. We compromised by trying Walker’s regimen while we continued with the drug. Walker said it took six weeks for Shane to start feeling better. Dr. Kahn and Darin agreed to hold off on increasing the methotrexate until we gave the experiment that much time.
But after five weeks on Walker’s regimen and the initial dose of methotrexate, Shepherd seemed to be getting worse. He was already nauseated and could barely eat for two days after taking his weekly pills. He now spent entire afternoons on my lap. He started using a stroller again, and we went to physical therapy, occupational therapy or a doctor’s appointment almost daily. Conversations with Darin became pain diaries. I would report on everything that hurt Shepherd that day, whether he could walk home from the playground or not. We no longer slept, and we moved through our days in a fog of depression. Beau started pointing out that he was stronger than his brother, who’d always been his almost literal equal.
Three months after Shepherd first saw Dr. Kahn, we sought a second opinion from Lisa Imundo, director of pediatric rheumatology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. Dr. Imundo wanted to more than double the dose of methotrexate. She had treated thousands of kids with arthritis, she said, and diet changes did not work. I tried to explain leaky gut, but I’m sure I was stammering and blushing. She handed me a piece of paper with a list of hospital resources that included a name next to the words “complementary medicine.”
After the drubbing Walker’s regimen took from Dr. Imundo, Darin was in a froth. A top doctor in New York had just said Walker’s regimen wouldn’t work, so it must be true. In general, Darin is almost pathologically easygoing. Now he was cornering me in the kitchen to press his case. Shepherd is in bad shape, you are in bad shape, I am in bad shape, he said. What the hell are we doing? I promised that I would agree to up the dose immediately after the six-week deadline, if he would give it until then. Darin says now that I was steely and shut down, and he remembers worrying that this was the kind of thing that breaks up marriages, that if Shepherd didn’t get better, he didn’t know what would happen to us. That month, I lost my purse, then my suitcase, and then I got into a car accident. Though it wasn’t serious, the boys were in the back seat, and I was shaken. I called Darin and cried. “I can’t handle it. I can’t handle it. I can’t handle it.” He brought home a pink orchid that night. I made an appointment with a therapist.
A couple of days shy of six weeks, with Shepherd still struggling, I heard back from Elena Ladas, the complementary-medicine researcher Dr. Imundo passed me off to. Her message was simple and direct. Yes, she said of Walker’s regimen, if it seems to be helping, keep going. We weren’t fools after all, I thought. That short phone call was the thing that got us all to the finish line.
At six weeks — to the day — Shepherd woke up and, for the first time in months, got out of bed himself. I’d gone into his room to help, as I did every morning, and found him standing in his pajamas. “Mommy,” he said, “my knees don’t hurt anymore.” He was probably wearing the pajamas with the skateboarding monkeys. Beau was probably groggy, still in bed. Honestly, I really don’t know. When I think of it, there’s only Shepherd, standing there, not crying. I was too stunned to say anything back before he scampered out to the kitchen for breakfast. Within several months his arthritis pain was gone.
Shepherd has now been weaned off the methotrexate entirely. The guy we think of as “the old Shepherd” is back, the goofball with the high-beam smile. He initiates running races — and isn’t always the most gracious when he wins. He improvises what he thinks is karate. He pirouettes. While his brother was sick, Beau shot past him in height. Now Shepherd is taller, and he’s closing the gap in weight. On medication, he got sick twice as often as Beau. That side effect is gone now.
He has had five flare-ups since going into remission a year ago. Two of them followed courses of antibiotics. The other three came on the heels of his accidentally eating gluten. He had a chocolate-chip cookie, a couple of bites of toast, less than a quarter of a sandwich on sourdough. Each time, he felt pain within 24 hours, and it lasted as long as two weeks.
To be clear: There is no proof that it was Walker’s regimen that drove away Shane’s and Shepherd’s arthritis. Shane’s case makes a stronger argument, since he didn’t take methotrexate. Still, his arthritis may have gone into spontaneous remission, and a study of one is not much of a study at all.
Methotrexate works for many kids, and its effects can kick in later than the expected four-to-six-week window. We tried so many things at once for Shepherd that there’s no way to know for sure what worked, or what combination of things had an effect. Dr. Imundo remains unmoved. But Dr. Kahn says he believes the dietary regimen may have contributed to his recovery. “I’m mystified by children on a daily basis,” he told me. “I’ve seen kids paralyzed, unbelievably critically ill. I don’t know why they get better. The main thing is, if a kid’s better, run with the football, you know? I’m thrilled.”
One thing we do know is that there is a link between the gut and inflammation, and we’ve known it for some time. During visits over the last year, amid his serious talks with Shepherd about Batman — If he can’t fly, why does he have a cape? — Dr. Kahn told us about a colleague who was researching how the gut and inflammation worked together. When I called José Scher, the director of the Arthritis Clinic at the N.Y.U. Hospital for Joint Diseases, he rattled off four different kinds of arthritis that are connected to inflammatory responses in the gut, including one linked to celiac, a gluten intolerance. He told me he’d also seen some of his autoimmune arthritis patients improve by removing gluten from their diet.
Early on, a celiac blood test came back negative for Shepherd. But could he still have a sensitivity, something short of full-on celiac, that triggers a similar inflammatory response? A small, 2006 study published in the journal Gut (you probably subscribe) points to a possible yes. The researchers found significantly elevated antibodies to various foods in the digestive tracts of rheumatoid-arthritis sufferers but not in their blood. So not only were many of the arthritis patients found to have some level of intolerance to certain foods, but it wouldn’t necessarily have been detected by a blood test.
Leaky gut, meanwhile turns out not to be conjecture after all. “A lot of doctors and people may think that leaky gut itself is sort of a froufrou alternative concept,” says Sanford Newmark, a clinical professor at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. “The real name is ‘increased intestinal permeability,’ and it is a definitive, scientific fact.” It’s not known if increased intestinal permeability causes autoimmune arthritis, but some scientists in the field say it’s possible.
Many autoimmune arthritis researchers are less focused on the stealthy bacteria of a leaky gut than on the community of gut microbes as a whole. Their work is an outgrowth of the Human Microbiome Project, a National Institutes of Health initiative to catalog all the microbes in our system. What’s already clear is that changes in our bacterial populations are associated with changes in our health. In a still-unpublished study, Dr. Scher and his team identified a particular microbe that was common in a large cohort of rheumatoid-arthritis patients but was much less prevalent in the healthy group. In two related studies, researchers discovered a microbe that can activate an immune response; in germ-free mice that were genetically predisposed to autoimmune arthritis, it was enough to cause the disease.
“Traditionally we’ve thought about disease as being caused by a specific bacteria,” says Dr. Julie Segre, a senior investigator at the N.I.H.’s National Human Genome Research Institute. But now some scientists think it is more about the balance of a bacterial community. “It may be that if you have a disease-associated bacteria within a healthy population, then the other members of the community may keep that ‘bad’ bacteria in check.”
And if you throw off the delicate ratios in that community, the bad actors might get too much leeway. An example of how this works is Clostridium difficile, or C. diff., a bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhea. People don’t get sick from acquiring the bacteria — it’s already in the gut of some healthy individuals, kept in line by other bacteria. It’s only when something like a course of antibiotics wipes out the peacekeepers that C.diff. can turn pathogenic.
The same balancing act could be at play with inflammation. If some bacteria in the gut activate immune cells, and others get them to settle down, an imbalance of these microbes could contribute to the sustained inflammation that characterizes autoimmune arthritis. “So probably the ratio, the combination of bacteria in the gut will determine whether you will get disease or not,” says Ivaylo Ivanov, an assistant professor in microbiology and immunology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York.
Some researchers are optimistic that probiotics, which contain various strains of bacteria, could one day help restore a balanced population. A couple of different ones have been shown to reduce joint inflammation in mice, says Fergus Shanahan, the chairman of the department of medicine at University College, Cork, in Ireland, and a leading probiotics researcher.
Probiotics may also help to tighten up a hyperpermeable gut barrier, says Robert J. Shulman, a professor of pediatrics with a specialty in pediatric gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He has an N.I.H. grant to study the effects of a probiotic called VSL No. 3 (which is the kind we gave Shepherd) on gut bacteria and gut-barrier function in adults with irritable bowel syndrome, a disorder in which changes in the gut bacterial population are associated with inflammation in the colon.
Another potential method of recolonizing the gut, which is gaining ground, is the fecal transplant. It is exactly what it sounds like. People infected with C. diff. have responded well when they’ve been given stool from healthy individuals (usually via colonoscopy). There’s enough excitement about the therapeutic potential of stool that when I spoke to Martin J. Blaser, a professor of medicine and microbiology and the director of the Human Microbiome Program at NYU Langone Medical Center, he suggested I stash some of Beau’s and Shepherd’s in our freezer, which I will do, right next to the peas.
Data on diet and supplements are lacking, at least partly because they are hard to get. It’s hard to design a great study around something with so many variables, like the food we eat. Pharmaceuticals, on the other hand, lend themselves easily to randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Plus, anti-arthritic drugs are great for business. Together, the top two sellers, Humira and Enbrel, took in more than $8 billion in 2012, not including December, according to IMS Health, a health care technology and information company. At the N.I.H., the complementary-and-alternative center’s budget is 0.4 percent of the entire N.I.H. pie.
And yet, if you look hard enough, evidence that diet and supplements can work does exist. In a study published in The Lancet more than 20 years ago, a group of rheumatoid-arthritis sufferers was isolated on a “health farm” and, after a week of fasting, were fed a gluten-free, vegan diet. After four weeks, they showed “significant improvement,” compared with the control. In 2001, a study in the journal Rheumatology echoed the positive effect of a similar diet. A 2011 case study in The Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine closely tracks Shepherd’s story. The evidence for omega-3’s also looks strong. Even if we can’t know what helped Shepherd for sure, at home, we believe Walker’s regimen is what did the trick.
Sunday night has always been pizza night in our family, but now it’s dairy-free-mozzarella-and-sausage-on-corn-tortilla-night. And these days, everyone also takes fish oil and probiotics. Shortly after Shepherd started his regimen, Darin went off gluten and dairy in solidarity. Now 5, Shepherd often has more energy than Beau. Even so, I don’t think I ever look at Shepherd without scrutinizing how he’s moving. This will most likely be true for a long time, I realize, but for now, every time I look, I never see anything but a gleeful little boy.
It was almost a year ago that Dr. Kahn examined Shepherd and found that he had no active arthritis. That night when I kissed Shepherd good night, I told him to give me five. “For the no arthritis?” he asked. I nodded, holding out my hand. He slapped my palm again and again, over and over. It sounded like clapping.
The article this green title below refers is just below - study it - it is one of the most important articles
anyone in the U.S. and worldwide needs to study & apply
The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food
_____________________________________________________________________
One of the most important articles you can study
The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food
Source: The New York Times Magazine, February 24, 2013
This article is written by Michael Moss, an investigative reporter for The New York Times
He won a Pulitzer Prize in 2010 for his reporting on the meat industry
This article is another masterpiece by Mr. Michael Moss - the Pulitzer Prize winner
By MICHAEL MOSS
On the evening of April 8, 1999, a long line of Town Cars and taxis pulled up to the Minneapolis headquarters of Pillsbury and discharged 11 men who controlled America’s largest food companies. Nestlé was in attendance, as were Kraft and Nabisco, General Mills and Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Mars. Rivals any other day, the C.E.O.’s and company presidents had come together for a rare, private meeting. On the agenda was one item: the emerging obesity epidemic and how to deal with it. While the atmosphere was cordial, the men assembled were hardly friends. Their stature was defined by their skill in fighting one another for what they called “stomach share” — the amount of digestive space that any one company’s brand can grab from the competition.
James Behnke, a 55-year-old executive at Pillsbury, greeted the men as they arrived. He was anxious but also hopeful about the plan that he and a few other food-company executives had devised to engage the C.E.O.’s on America’s growing weight problem. “We were very concerned, and rightfully so, that obesity was becoming a major issue,” Behnke recalled. “People were starting to talk about sugar taxes, and there was a lot of pressure on food companies.” Getting the company chiefs in the same room to talk about anything, much less a sensitive issue like this, was a tricky business, so Behnke and his fellow organizers had scripted the meeting carefully, honing the message to its barest essentials. “C.E.O.’s in the food industry are typically not technical guys, and they’re uncomfortable going to meetings where technical people talk in technical terms about technical things,” Behnke said. “They don’t want to be embarrassed. They don’t want to make commitments. They want to maintain their aloofness and autonomy.”
A chemist by training with a doctoral degree in food science, Behnke became Pillsbury’s chief technical officer in 1979 and was instrumental in creating a long line of hit products, including microwaveable popcorn. He deeply admired Pillsbury but in recent years had grown troubled by pictures of obese children suffering from diabetes and the earliest signs of hypertension and heart disease. In the months leading up to the C.E.O. meeting, he was engaged in conversation with a group of food-science experts who were painting an increasingly grim picture of the public’s ability to cope with the industry’s formulations — from the body’s fragile controls on overeating to the hidden power of some processed foods to make people feel hungrier still. It was time, he and a handful of others felt, to warn the C.E.O.’s that their companies may have gone too far in creating and marketing products that posed the greatest health concerns.
In This Article - the green titles below refer to some sections of this whole article (click green)
• ‘In This Field, I’m a Game Changer.’
• ‘Lunchtime Is All Yours’
• ‘It’s Called Vanishing Caloric Density.’
• ‘These People Need a Lot of Things, but They Don’t Need a Coke.’
The discussion took place in Pillsbury’s auditorium. The first speaker was a vice president of Kraft named Michael Mudd. “I very much appreciate this opportunity to talk to you about childhood obesity and the growing challenge it presents for us all,” Mudd began. “Let me say right at the start, this is not an easy subject. There are no easy answers — for what the public health community must do to bring this problem under control or for what the industry should do as others seek to hold it accountable for what has happened. But this much is clear: For those of us who’ve looked hard at this issue, whether they’re public health professionals or staff specialists in your own companies, we feel sure that the one thing we shouldn’t do is nothing.”
As he spoke, Mudd clicked through a deck of slides — 114 in all — projected on a large screen behind him. The figures were staggering. More than half of American adults were now considered overweight, with nearly one-quarter of the adult population — 40 million people — clinically defined as obese. Among children, the rates had more than doubled since 1980, and the number of kids considered obese had shot past 12 million. (This was still only 1999; the nation’s obesity rates would climb much higher.) Food manufacturers were now being blamed for the problem from all sides — academia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. The secretary of agriculture, over whom the industry had long held sway, had recently called obesity a “national epidemic.”
Mudd then did the unthinkable. He drew a connection to the last thing in the world the C.E.O.’s wanted linked to their products: cigarettes. First came a quote from a Yale University professor of psychology and public health, Kelly Brownell, who was an especially vocal proponent of the view that the processed-food industry should be seen as a public health menace: “As a culture, we’ve become upset by the tobacco companies advertising to children, but we sit idly by while the food companies do the very same thing. And we could make a claim that the toll taken on the public health by a poor diet rivals that taken by tobacco.”
“If anyone in the food industry ever doubted there was a slippery slope out there,” Mudd said, “I imagine they are beginning to experience a distinct sliding sensation right about now.”
Mudd then presented the plan he and others had devised to address the obesity problem. Merely getting the executives to acknowledge some culpability was an important first step, he knew, so his plan would start off with a small but crucial move: the industry should use the expertise of scientists — its own and others — to gain a deeper understanding of what was driving Americans to overeat. Once this was achieved, the effort could unfold on several fronts. To be sure, there would be no getting around the role that packaged foods and drinks play in overconsumption. They would have to pull back on their use of salt, sugar and fat, perhaps by imposing industrywide limits. But it wasn’t just a matter of these three ingredients; the schemes they used to advertise and market their products were critical, too. Mudd proposed creating a “code to guide the nutritional aspects of food marketing, especially to children.”
“We are saying that the industry should make a sincere effort to be part of the solution,” Mudd concluded. “And that by doing so, we can help to defuse the criticism that’s building against us.”
What happened next was not written down. But according to three participants, when Mudd stopped talking, the one C.E.O. whose recent exploits in the grocery store had awed the rest of the industry stood up to speak. His name was Stephen Sanger, and he was also the person — as head of General Mills — who had the most to lose when it came to dealing with obesity. Under his leadership, General Mills had overtaken not just the cereal aisle but other sections of the grocery store. The company’s Yoplait brand had transformed traditional unsweetened breakfast yogurt into a veritable dessert. It now had twice as much sugar per serving as General Mills’ marshmallow cereal Lucky Charms. And yet, because of yogurt’s well-tended image as a wholesome snack, sales of Yoplait were soaring, with annual revenue topping $500 million. Emboldened by the success, the company’s development wing pushed even harder, inventing a Yoplait variation that came in a squeezable tube — perfect for kids. They called it Go-Gurt and rolled it out nationally in the weeks before the C.E.O. meeting. (By year’s end, it would hit $100 million in sales.)
According to the sources I spoke with, Sanger began by reminding the group that consumers were “fickle.” (Sanger declined to be interviewed.) Sometimes they worried about sugar, other times fat. General Mills, he said, acted responsibly to both the public and shareholders by offering products to satisfy dieters and other concerned shoppers, from low sugar to added whole grains. But most often, he said, people bought what they liked, and they liked what tasted good. “Don’t talk to me about nutrition,” he reportedly said, taking on the voice of the typical consumer. “Talk to me about taste, and if this stuff tastes better, don’t run around trying to sell stuff that doesn’t taste good.”
To react to the critics, Sanger said, would jeopardize the sanctity of the recipes that had made his products so successful. General Mills would not pull back. He would push his people onward, and he urged his peers to do the same. Sanger’s response effectively ended the meeting.
“What can I say?” James Behnke told me years later. “It didn’t work. These guys weren’t as receptive as we thought they would be.” Behnke chose his words deliberately. He wanted to be fair. “Sanger was trying to say, ‘Look, we’re not going to screw around with the company jewels here and change the formulations because a bunch of guys in white coats are worried about obesity.’ ”
The meeting was remarkable, first, for the insider admissions of guilt. But I was also struck by how prescient the organizers of the sit-down had been. Today, one in three adults is considered clinically obese, along with one in five kids, and 24 million Americans are afflicted by type 2 diabetes, often caused by poor diet, with another 79 million people having pre-diabetes. Even gout, a painful form of arthritis once known as “the rich man’s disease” for its associations with gluttony, now afflicts eight million Americans.
The public and the food companies have known for decades now — or at the very least since this meeting — that sugary, salty, fatty foods are not good for us in the quantities that we consume them. So why are the diabetes and obesity and hypertension numbers still spiraling out of control? It’s not just a matter of poor willpower on the part of the consumer and a give-the-people-what-they-want attitude on the part of the food manufacturers. What I found, over four years of research and reporting, was a conscious effort — taking place in labs and marketing meetings and grocery-store aisles — to get people hooked on foods that are convenient and inexpensive. I talked to more than 300 people in or formerly employed by the processed-food industry, from scientists to marketers to C.E.O.’s. Some were willing whistle-blowers, while others spoke reluctantly when presented with some of the thousands of pages of secret memos that I obtained from inside the food industry’s operations. What follows is a series of small case studies of a handful of characters whose work then, and perspective now, sheds light on how the foods are created and sold to people who, while not powerless, are extremely vulnerable to the intensity of these companies’ industrial formulations and selling campaigns.
I. ‘In This Field, I’m a Game Changer.’
John Lennon couldn’t find it in England, so he had cases of it shipped from New York to fuel the “Imagine” sessions. The Beach Boys, ZZ Top and Cher all stipulated in their contract riders that it be put in their dressing rooms when they toured. Hillary Clinton asked for it when she traveled as first lady, and ever after her hotel suites were dutifully stocked.
What they all wanted was Dr Pepper, which until 2001 occupied a comfortable third-place spot in the soda aisle behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi. But then a flood of spinoffs from the two soda giants showed up on the shelves — lemons and limes, vanillas and coffees, raspberries and oranges, whites and blues and clears — what in food-industry lingo are known as “line extensions,” and Dr Pepper started to lose its market share.
Responding to this pressure, Cadbury Schweppes created its first spinoff, other than a diet version, in the soda’s 115-year history, a bright red soda with a very un-Dr Pepper name: Red Fusion. “If we are to re-establish Dr Pepper back to its historic growth rates, we have to add more excitement,” the company’s president, Jack Kilduff, said. One particularly promising market, Kilduff pointed out, was the “rapidly growing Hispanic and African-American communities.”
But consumers hated Red Fusion. “Dr Pepper is my all-time favorite drink, so I was curious about the Red Fusion,” a California mother of three wrote on a blog to warn other Peppers away. “It’s disgusting. Gagging. Never again.”
Stung by the rejection, Cadbury Schweppes in 2004 turned to a food-industry legend named Howard Moskowitz. Moskowitz, who studied mathematics and holds a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Harvard, runs a consulting firm in White Plains, where for more than three decades he has “optimized” a variety of products for Campbell Soup, General Foods, Kraft and PepsiCo. “I’ve optimized soups,” Moskowitz told me. “I’ve optimized pizzas. I’ve optimized salad dressings and pickles. In this field, I’m a game changer.”
In the process of product optimization, food engineers alter a litany of variables with the sole intent of finding the most perfect version (or versions) of a product. Ordinary consumers are paid to spend hours sitting in rooms where they touch, feel, sip, smell, swirl and taste whatever product is in question. Their opinions are dumped into a computer, and the data are sifted and sorted through a statistical method called conjoint analysis, which determines what features will be most attractive to consumers. Moskowitz likes to imagine that his computer is divided into silos, in which each of the attributes is stacked. But it’s not simply a matter of comparing Color 23 with Color 24. In the most complicated projects, Color 23 must be combined with Syrup 11 and Packaging 6, and on and on, in seemingly infinite combinations. Even for jobs in which the only concern is taste and the variables are limited to the ingredients, endless charts and graphs will come spewing out of Moskowitz’s computer. “The mathematical model maps out the ingredients to the sensory perceptions these ingredients create,” he told me, “so I can just dial a new product. This is the engineering approach.”
Moskowitz’s work on Prego spaghetti sauce was memorialized in a 2004 presentation by the author Malcolm Gladwell at the TED conference in Monterey, Calif.: “After . . . months and months, he had a mountain of data about how the American people feel about spaghetti sauce. . . . And sure enough, if you sit down and you analyze all this data on spaghetti sauce, you realize that all Americans fall into one of three groups. There are people who like their spaghetti sauce plain. There are people who like their spaghetti sauce spicy. And there are people who like it extra-chunky. And of those three facts, the third one was the most significant, because at the time, in the early 1980s, if you went to a supermarket, you would not find extra-chunky spaghetti sauce. And Prego turned to Howard, and they said, ‘Are you telling me that one-third of Americans crave extra-chunky spaghetti sauce, and yet no one is servicing their needs?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ And Prego then went back and completely reformulated their spaghetti sauce and came out with a line of extra-chunky that immediately and completely took over the spaghetti-sauce business in this country. . . . That is Howard’s gift to the American people. . . . He fundamentally changed the way the food industry thinks about making you happy.”
Well, yes and no. One thing Gladwell didn’t mention is that the food industry already knew some things about making people happy — and it started with sugar. Many of the Prego sauces — whether cheesy, chunky or light — have one feature in common: The largest ingredient, after tomatoes, is sugar. A mere half-cup of Prego Traditional, for instance, has the equivalent of more than two teaspoons of sugar, as much as two-plus Oreo cookies. It also delivers one-third of the sodium recommended for a majority of American adults for an entire day. In making these sauces, Campbell supplied the ingredients, including the salt, sugar and, for some versions, fat, while Moskowitz supplied the optimization. “More is not necessarily better,” Moskowitz wrote in his own account of the Prego project. “As the sensory intensity (say, of sweetness) increases, consumers first say that they like the product more, but eventually, with a middle level of sweetness, consumers like the product the most (this is their optimum, or ‘bliss,’ point).”
I first met Moskowitz on a crisp day in the spring of 2010 at the Harvard Club in Midtown Manhattan. As we talked, he made clear that while he has worked on numerous projects aimed at creating more healthful foods and insists the industry could be doing far more to curb obesity, he had no qualms about his own pioneering work on discovering what industry insiders now regularly refer to as “the bliss point” or any of the other systems that helped food companies create the greatest amount of crave. “There’s no moral issue for me,” he said. “I did the best science I could. I was struggling to survive and didn’t have the luxury of being a moral creature. As a researcher, I was ahead of my time.”
Moskowitz’s path to mastering the bliss point began in earnest not at Harvard but a few months after graduation, 16 miles from Cambridge, in the town of Natick, where the U.S. Army hired him to work in its research labs. The military has long been in a peculiar bind when it comes to food: how to get soldiers to eat more rations when they are in the field. They know that over time, soldiers would gradually find their meals-ready-to-eat so boring that they would toss them away, half-eaten, and not get all the calories they needed. But what was causing this M.R.E.-fatigue was a mystery. “So I started asking soldiers how frequently they would like to eat this or that, trying to figure out which products they would find boring,” Moskowitz said. The answers he got were inconsistent. “They liked flavorful foods like turkey tetrazzini, but only at first; they quickly grew tired of them. On the other hand, mundane foods like white bread would never get them too excited, but they could eat lots and lots of it without feeling they’d had enough.”
This contradiction is known as “sensory-specific satiety.” In lay terms, it is the tendency for big, distinct flavors to overwhelm the brain, which responds by depressing your desire to have more. Sensory-specific satiety also became a guiding principle for the processed-food industry. The biggest hits — be they Coca-Cola or Doritos — owe their success to complex formulas that pique the taste buds enough to be alluring but don’t have a distinct, overriding single flavor that tells the brain to stop eating.
Thirty-two years after he began experimenting with the bliss point, Moskowitz got the call from Cadbury Schweppes asking him to create a good line extension for Dr Pepper. I spent an afternoon in his White Plains offices as he and his vice president for research, Michele Reisner, walked me through the Dr Pepper campaign. Cadbury wanted its new flavor to have cherry and vanilla on top of the basic Dr Pepper taste. Thus, there were three main components to play with. A sweet cherry flavoring, a sweet vanilla flavoring and a sweet syrup known as “Dr Pepper flavoring.”
Finding the bliss point required the preparation of 61 subtly distinct formulas — 31 for the regular version and 30 for diet. The formulas were then subjected to 3,904 tastings organized in Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia. The Dr Pepper tasters began working through their samples, resting five minutes between each sip to restore their taste buds. After each sample, they gave numerically ranked answers to a set of questions: How much did they like it overall? How strong is the taste? How do they feel about the taste? How would they describe the quality of this product? How likely would they be to purchase this product?
Moskowitz’s data — compiled in a 135-page report for the soda maker — is tremendously fine-grained, showing how different people and groups of people feel about a strong vanilla taste versus weak, various aspects of aroma and the powerful sensory force that food scientists call “mouth feel.” This is the way a product interacts with the mouth, as defined more specifically by a host of related sensations, from dryness to gumminess to moisture release. These are terms more familiar to sommeliers, but the mouth feel of soda and many other food items, especially those high in fat, is second only to the bliss point in its ability to predict how much craving a product will induce.
In addition to taste, the consumers were also tested on their response to color, which proved to be highly sensitive. “When we increased the level of the Dr Pepper flavoring, it gets darker and liking goes off,” Reisner said. These preferences can also be cross-referenced by age, sex and race.
On Page 83 of the report, a thin blue line represents the amount of Dr Pepper flavoring needed to generate maximum appeal. The line is shaped like an upside-down U, just like the bliss-point curve that Moskowitz studied 30 years earlier in his Army lab. And at the top of the arc, there is not a single sweet spot but instead a sweet range, within which “bliss” was achievable. This meant that Cadbury could edge back on its key ingredient, the sugary Dr Pepper syrup, without falling out of the range and losing the bliss. Instead of using 2 milliliters of the flavoring, for instance, they could use 1.69 milliliters and achieve the same effect. The potential savings is merely a few percentage points, and it won’t mean much to individual consumers who are counting calories or grams of sugar. But for Dr Pepper, it adds up to colossal savings. “That looks like nothing,” Reisner said. “But it’s a lot of money. A lot of money. Millions.”
The soda that emerged from all of Moskowitz’s variations became known as Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper, and it proved successful beyond anything Cadbury imagined. In 2008, Cadbury split off its soft-drinks business, which included Snapple and 7-Up. The Dr Pepper Snapple Group has since been valued in excess of $11 billion.
II. ‘Lunchtime Is All Yours’
Sometimes innovations within the food industry happen in the lab, with scientists dialing in specific ingredients to achieve the greatest allure. And sometimes, as in the case of Oscar Mayer’s bologna crisis, the innovation involves putting old products in new packages.
The 1980s were tough times for Oscar Mayer. Red-meat consumption fell more than 10 percent as fat became synonymous with cholesterol, clogged arteries, heart attacks and strokes. Anxiety set in at the company’s headquarters in Madison, Wis., where executives worried about their future and the pressure they faced from their new bosses at Philip Morris.
Bob Drane was the company’s vice president for new business strategy and development when Oscar Mayer tapped him to try to find some way to reposition bologna and other troubled meats that were declining in popularity and sales. I met Drane at his home in Madison and went through the records he had kept on the birth of what would become much more than his solution to the company’s meat problem. In 1985, when Drane began working on the project, his orders were to “figure out how to contemporize what we’ve got.”
Drane’s first move was to try to zero in not on what Americans felt about processed meat but on what Americans felt about lunch. He organized focus-group sessions with the people most responsible for buying bologna — mothers — and as they talked, he realized the most pressing issue for them was time. Working moms strove to provide healthful food, of course, but they spoke with real passion and at length about the morning crush, that nightmarish dash to get breakfast on the table and lunch packed and kids out the door. He summed up their remarks for me like this: “It’s awful. I am scrambling around. My kids are asking me for stuff. I’m trying to get myself ready to go to the office. I go to pack these lunches, and I don’t know what I’ve got.” What the moms revealed to him, Drane said, was “a gold mine of disappointments and problems.”
He assembled a team of about 15 people with varied skills, from design to food science to advertising, to create something completely new — a convenient prepackaged lunch that would have as its main building block the company’s sliced bologna and ham. They wanted to add bread, naturally, because who ate bologna without it? But this presented a problem: There was no way bread could stay fresh for the two months their product needed to sit in warehouses or in grocery coolers. Crackers, however, could — so they added a handful of cracker rounds to the package. Using cheese was the next obvious move, given its increased presence in processed foods. But what kind of cheese would work? Natural Cheddar, which they started off with, crumbled and didn’t slice very well, so they moved on to processed varieties, which could bend and be sliced and would last forever, or they could knock another two cents off per unit by using an even lesser product called “cheese food,” which had lower scores than processed cheese in taste tests. The cost dilemma was solved when Oscar Mayer merged with Kraft in 1989 and the company didn’t have to shop for cheese anymore; it got all the processed cheese it wanted from its new sister company, and at cost.
Drane’s team moved into a nearby hotel, where they set out to find the right mix of components and container. They gathered around tables where bagfuls of meat, cheese, crackers and all sorts of wrapping material had been dumped, and they let their imaginations run. After snipping and taping their way through a host of failures, the model they fell back on was the American TV dinner — and after some brainstorming about names (Lunch Kits? Go-Packs? Fun Mealz?), Lunchables were born.
The trays flew off the grocery-store shelves. Sales hit a phenomenal $218 million in the first 12 months, more than anyone was prepared for. This only brought Drane his next crisis. The production costs were so high that they were losing money with each tray they produced. So Drane flew to New York, where he met with Philip Morris officials who promised to give him the money he needed to keep it going. “The hard thing is to figure out something that will sell,” he was told. “You’ll figure out how to get the cost right.” Projected to lose $6 million in 1991, the trays instead broke even; the next year, they earned $8 million.
With production costs trimmed and profits coming in, the next question was how to expand the franchise, which they did by turning to one of the cardinal rules in processed food: When in doubt, add sugar. “Lunchables With Dessert is a logical extension,” an Oscar Mayer official reported to Philip Morris executives in early 1991. The “target” remained the same as it was for regular Lunchables — “busy mothers” and “working women,” ages 25 to 49 — and the “enhanced taste” would attract shoppers who had grown bored with the current trays. A year later, the dessert Lunchable morphed into the Fun Pack, which would come with a Snickers bar, a package of M&M’s or a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, as well as a sugary drink. The Lunchables team started by using Kool-Aid and cola and then Capri Sun after Philip Morris added that drink to its stable of brands.
Eventually, a line of the trays, appropriately called Maxed Out, was released that had as many as nine grams of saturated fat, or nearly an entire day’s recommended maximum for kids, with up to two-thirds of the max for sodium and 13 teaspoons of sugar.
When I asked Geoffrey Bible, former C.E.O. of Philip Morris, about this shift toward more salt, sugar and fat in meals for kids, he smiled and noted that even in its earliest incarnation, Lunchables was held up for criticism. “One article said something like, ‘If you take Lunchables apart, the most healthy item in it is the napkin.’ ”
Well, they did have a good bit of fat, I offered. “You bet,” he said. “Plus cookies.”
The prevailing attitude among the company’s food managers — through the 1990s, at least, before obesity became a more pressing concern — was one of supply and demand. “People could point to these things and say, ‘They’ve got too much sugar, they’ve got too much salt,’ ” Bible said. “Well, that’s what the consumer wants, and we’re not putting a gun to their head to eat it. That’s what they want. If we give them less, they’ll buy less, and the competitor will get our market. So you’re sort of trapped.” (Bible would later press Kraft to reconsider its reliance on salt, sugar and fat.)
When it came to Lunchables, they did try to add more healthful ingredients. Back at the start, Drane experimented with fresh carrots but quickly gave up on that, since fresh components didn’t work within the constraints of the processed-food system, which typically required weeks or months of transport and storage before the food arrived at the grocery store. Later, a low-fat version of the trays was developed, using meats and cheese and crackers that were formulated with less fat, but it tasted inferior, sold poorly and was quickly scrapped.
When I met with Kraft officials in 2011 to discuss their products and policies on nutrition, they had dropped the Maxed Out line and were trying to improve the nutritional profile of Lunchables through smaller, incremental changes that were less noticeable to consumers. Across the Lunchables line, they said they had reduced the salt, sugar and fat by about 10 percent, and new versions, featuring mandarin-orange and pineapple slices, were in development. These would be promoted as more healthful versions, with “fresh fruit,” but their list of ingredients — containing upward of 70 items, with sucrose, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup and fruit concentrate all in the same tray — have been met with intense criticism from outside the industry.
One of the company’s responses to criticism is that kids don’t eat the Lunchables every day — on top of which, when it came to trying to feed them more healthful foods, kids themselves were unreliable. When their parents packed fresh carrots, apples and water, they couldn’t be trusted to eat them. Once in school, they often trashed the healthful stuff in their brown bags to get right to the sweets.
This idea — that kids are in control — would become a key concept in the evolving marketing campaigns for the trays. In what would prove to be their greatest achievement of all, the Lunchables team would delve into adolescent psychology to discover that it wasn’t the food in the trays that excited the kids; it was the feeling of power it brought to their lives. As Bob Eckert, then the C.E.O. of Kraft, put it in 1999: “Lunchables aren’t about lunch. It’s about kids being able to put together what they want to eat, anytime, anywhere.”
Kraft’s early Lunchables campaign targeted mothers. They might be too distracted by work to make a lunch, but they loved their kids enough to offer them this prepackaged gift. But as the focus swung toward kids, Saturday-morning cartoons started carrying an ad that offered a different message: “All day, you gotta do what they say,” the ads said. “But lunchtime is all yours.”
With this marketing strategy in place and pizza Lunchables — the crust in one compartment, the cheese, pepperoni and sauce in others — proving to be a runaway success, the entire world of fast food suddenly opened up for Kraft to pursue. They came out with a Mexican-themed Lunchables called Beef Taco Wraps; a Mini Burgers Lunchables; a Mini Hot Dog Lunchable, which also happened to provide a way for Oscar Mayer to sell its wieners. By 1999, pancakes — which included syrup, icing, Lifesavers candy and Tang, for a whopping 76 grams of sugar — and waffles were, for a time, part of the Lunchables franchise as well.
Annual sales kept climbing, past $500 million, past $800 million; at last count, including sales in Britain, they were approaching the $1 billion mark. Lunchables was more than a hit; it was now its own category. Eventually, more than 60 varieties of Lunchables and other brands of trays would show up in the grocery stores. In 2007, Kraft even tried a Lunchables Jr. for 3- to 5-year-olds.
In the trove of records that document the rise of the Lunchables and the sweeping change it brought to lunchtime habits, I came across a photograph of Bob Drane’s daughter, which he had slipped into the Lunchables presentation he showed to food developers. The picture was taken on Monica Drane’s wedding day in 1989, and she was standing outside the family’s home in Madison, a beautiful bride in a white wedding dress, holding one of the brand-new yellow trays.
During the course of reporting, I finally had a chance to ask her about it. Was she really that much of a fan? “There must have been some in the fridge,” she told me. “I probably just took one out before we went to the church. My mom had joked that it was really like their fourth child, my dad invested so much time and energy on it.”
Monica Drane had three of her own children by the time we spoke, ages 10, 14 and 17. “I don’t think my kids have ever eaten a Lunchable,” she told me. “They know they exist and that Grandpa Bob invented them. But we eat very healthfully.”
Drane himself paused only briefly when I asked him if, looking back, he was proud of creating the trays. “Lots of things are trade-offs,” he said. “And I do believe it’s easy to rationalize anything. In the end, I wish that the nutritional profile of the thing could have been better, but I don’t view the entire project as anything but a positive contribution to people’s lives.”
Today Bob Drane is still talking to kids about what they like to eat, but his approach has changed. He volunteers with a nonprofit organization that seeks to build better communications between school kids and their parents, and right in the mix of their problems, alongside the academic struggles, is childhood obesity. Drane has also prepared a précis on the food industry that he used with medical students at the University of Wisconsin. And while he does not name his Lunchables in this document, and cites numerous causes for the obesity epidemic, he holds the entire industry accountable. “What do University of Wisconsin M.B.A.’s learn about how to succeed in marketing?” his presentation to the med students asks. “Discover what consumers want to buy and give it to them with both barrels. Sell more, keep your job! How do marketers often translate these ‘rules’ into action on food? Our limbic brains love sugar, fat, salt. . . . So formulate products to deliver these. Perhaps add low-cost ingredients to boost profit margins. Then ‘supersize’ to sell more. . . . And advertise/promote to lock in ‘heavy users.’ Plenty of guilt to go around here!”
III. ‘It’s Called Vanishing Caloric Density.’
At a symposium for nutrition scientists in Los Angeles on Feb. 15, 1985, a professor of pharmacology from Helsinki named Heikki Karppanen told the remarkable story of Finland’s effort to address its salt habit. In the late 1970s, the Finns were consuming huge amounts of sodium, eating on average more than two teaspoons of salt a day. As a result, the country had developed significant issues with high blood pressure, and men in the eastern part of Finland had the highest rate of fatal cardiovascular disease in the world. Research showed that this plague was not just a quirk of genetics or a result of a sedentary lifestyle — it was also owing to processed foods. So when Finnish authorities moved to address the problem, they went right after the manufacturers. (The Finnish response worked. Every grocery item that was heavy in salt would come to be marked prominently with the warning “High Salt Content.” By 2007, Finland’s per capita consumption of salt had dropped by a third, and this shift — along with improved medical care — was accompanied by a 75 percent to 80 percent decline in the number of deaths from strokes and heart disease.)
Karppanen’s presentation was met with applause, but one man in the crowd seemed particularly intrigued by the presentation, and as Karppanen left the stage, the man intercepted him and asked if they could talk more over dinner. Their conversation later that night was not at all what Karppanen was expecting. His host did indeed have an interest in salt, but from quite a different vantage point: the man’s name was Robert I-San Lin, and from 1974 to 1982, he worked as the chief scientist for Frito-Lay, the nearly $3-billion-a-year manufacturer of Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos and Fritos.
Lin’s time at Frito-Lay coincided with the first attacks by nutrition advocates on salty foods and the first calls for federal regulators to reclassify salt as a “risky” food additive, which could have subjected it to severe controls. No company took this threat more seriously — or more personally — than Frito-Lay, Lin explained to Karppanen over their dinner. Three years after he left Frito-Lay, he was still anguished over his inability to effectively change the company’s recipes and practices.
By chance, I ran across a letter that Lin sent to Karppanen three weeks after that dinner, buried in some files to which I had gained access. Attached to the letter was a memo written when Lin was at Frito-Lay, which detailed some of the company’s efforts in defending salt. I tracked Lin down in Irvine, Calif., where we spent several days going through the internal company memos, strategy papers and handwritten notes he had kept. The documents were evidence of the concern that Lin had for consumers and of the company’s intent on using science not to address the health concerns but to thwart them. While at Frito-Lay, Lin and other company scientists spoke openly about the country’s excessive consumption of sodium and the fact that, as Lin said to me on more than one occasion, “people get addicted to salt.”
Not much had changed by 1986, except Frito-Lay found itself on a rare cold streak. The company had introduced a series of high-profile products that failed miserably. Toppels, a cracker with cheese topping; Stuffers, a shell with a variety of fillings; Rumbles, a bite-size granola snack — they all came and went in a blink, and the company took a $52 million hit. Around that time, the marketing team was joined by Dwight Riskey, an expert on cravings who had been a fellow at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, where he was part of a team of scientists that found that people could beat their salt habits simply by refraining from salty foods long enough for their taste buds to return to a normal level of sensitivity. He had also done work on the bliss point, showing how a product’s allure is contextual, shaped partly by the other foods a person is eating, and that it changes as people age. This seemed to help explain why Frito-Lay was having so much trouble selling new snacks. The largest single block of customers, the baby boomers, had begun hitting middle age. According to the research, this suggested that their liking for salty snacks — both in the concentration of salt and how much they ate — would be tapering off. Along with the rest of the snack-food industry, Frito-Lay anticipated lower sales because of an aging population, and marketing plans were adjusted to focus even more intently on younger consumers.
Except that snack sales didn’t decline as everyone had projected, Frito-Lay’s doomed product launches notwithstanding. Poring over data one day in his home office, trying to understand just who was consuming all the snack food, Riskey realized that he and his colleagues had been misreading things all along. They had been measuring the snacking habits of different age groups and were seeing what they expected to see, that older consumers ate less than those in their 20s. But what they weren’t measuring, Riskey realized, is how those snacking habits of the boomers compared to themselves when they were in their 20s. When he called up a new set of sales data and performed what’s called a cohort study, following a single group over time, a far more encouraging picture — for Frito-Lay, anyway — emerged. The baby boomers were not eating fewer salty snacks as they aged. “In fact, as those people aged, their consumption of all those segments — the cookies, the crackers, the candy, the chips — was going up,” Riskey said. “They were not only eating what they ate when they were younger, they were eating more of it.” In fact, everyone in the country, on average, was eating more salty snacks than they used to. The rate of consumption was edging up about one-third of a pound every year, with the average intake of snacks like chips and cheese crackers pushing past 12 pounds a year.
Riskey had a theory about what caused this surge: Eating real meals had become a thing of the past. Baby boomers, especially, seemed to have greatly cut down on regular meals. They were skipping breakfast when they had early-morning meetings. They skipped lunch when they then needed to catch up on work because of those meetings. They skipped dinner when their kids stayed out late or grew up and moved out of the house. And when they skipped these meals, they replaced them with snacks. “We looked at this behavior, and said, ‘Oh, my gosh, people were skipping meals right and left,’ ” Riskey told me. “It was amazing.” This led to the next realization, that baby boomers did not represent “a category that is mature, with no growth. This is a category that has huge growth potential.”
The food technicians stopped worrying about inventing new products and instead embraced the industry’s most reliable method for getting consumers to buy more: the line extension. The classic Lay’s potato chips were joined by Salt & Vinegar, Salt & Pepper and Cheddar & Sour Cream. They put out Chili-Cheese-flavored Fritos, and Cheetos were transformed into 21 varieties. Frito-Lay had a formidable research complex near Dallas, where nearly 500 chemists, psychologists and technicians conducted research that cost up to $30 million a year, and the science corps focused intense amounts of resources on questions of crunch, mouth feel and aroma for each of these items. Their tools included a $40,000 device that simulated a chewing mouth to test and perfect the chips, discovering things like the perfect break point: people like a chip that snaps with about four pounds of pressure per square inch.
To get a better feel for their work, I called on Steven Witherly, a food scientist who wrote a fascinating guide for industry insiders titled, “Why Humans Like Junk Food.” I brought him two shopping bags filled with a variety of chips to taste. He zeroed right in on the Cheetos. “This,” Witherly said, “is one of the most marvelously constructed foods on the planet, in terms of pure pleasure.” He ticked off a dozen attributes of the Cheetos that make the brain say more. But the one he focused on most was the puff’s uncanny ability to melt in the mouth. “It’s called vanishing caloric density,” Witherly said. “If something melts down quickly, your brain thinks that there’s no calories in it . . . you can just keep eating it forever.”
As for their marketing troubles, in a March 2010 meeting, Frito-Lay executives hastened to tell their Wall Street investors that the 1.4 billion boomers worldwide weren’t being neglected; they were redoubling their efforts to understand exactly what it was that boomers most wanted in a snack chip. Which was basically everything: great taste, maximum bliss but minimal guilt about health and more maturity than puffs. “They snack a lot,” Frito-Lay’s chief marketing officer, Ann Mukherjee, told the investors. “But what they’re looking for is very different. They’re looking for new experiences, real food experiences.” Frito-Lay acquired Stacy’s Pita Chip Company, which was started by a Massachusetts couple who made food-cart sandwiches and started serving pita chips to their customers in the mid-1990s. In Frito-Lay’s hands, the pita chips averaged 270 milligrams of sodium — nearly one-fifth a whole day’s recommended maximum for most American adults — and were a huge hit among boomers.
The Frito-Lay executives also spoke of the company’s ongoing pursuit of a “designer sodium,” which they hoped, in the near future, would take their sodium loads down by 40 percent. No need to worry about lost sales there, the company’s C.E.O., Al Carey, assured their investors. The boomers would see less salt as the green light to snack like never before.
There’s a paradox at work here. On the one hand, reduction of sodium in snack foods is commendable. On the other, these changes may well result in consumers eating more. “The big thing that will happen here is removing the barriers for boomers and giving them permission to snack,” Carey said. The prospects for lower-salt snacks were so amazing, he added, that the company had set its sights on using the designer salt to conquer the toughest market of all for snacks: schools. He cited, for example, the school-food initiative championed by Bill Clinton and the American Heart Association, which is seeking to improve the nutrition of school food by limiting its load of salt, sugar and fat. “Imagine this,” Carey said. “A potato chip that tastes great and qualifies for the Clinton-A.H.A. alliance for schools . . . . We think we have ways to do all of this on a potato chip, and imagine getting that product into schools, where children can have this product and grow up with it and feel good about eating it.”
Carey’s quote reminded me of something I read in the early stages of my reporting, a 24-page report prepared for Frito-Lay in 1957 by a psychologist named Ernest Dichter. The company’s chips, he wrote, were not selling as well as they could for one simple reason: “While people like and enjoy potato chips, they feel guilty about liking them. . . . Unconsciously, people expect to be punished for ‘letting themselves go’ and enjoying them.” Dichter listed seven “fears and resistances” to the chips: “You can’t stop eating them; they’re fattening; they’re not good for you; they’re greasy and messy to eat; they’re too expensive; it’s hard to store the leftovers; and they’re bad for children.” He spent the rest of his memo laying out his prescriptions, which in time would become widely used not just by Frito-Lay but also by the entire industry. Dichter suggested that Frito-Lay avoid using the word “fried” in referring to its chips and adopt instead the more healthful-sounding term “toasted.” To counteract the “fear of letting oneself go,” he suggested repacking the chips into smaller bags. “The more-anxious consumers, the ones who have the deepest fears about their capacity to control their appetite, will tend to sense the function of the new pack and select it,” he said.
Dichter advised Frito-Lay to move its chips out of the realm of between-meals snacking and turn them into an ever-present item in the American diet. “The increased use of potato chips and other Lay’s products as a part of the regular fare served by restaurants and sandwich bars should be encouraged in a concentrated way,” Dichter said, citing a string of examples: “potato chips with soup, with fruit or vegetable juice appetizers; potato chips served as a vegetable on the main dish; potato chips with salad; potato chips with egg dishes for breakfast; potato chips with sandwich orders.”
In 2011, The New England Journal of Medicine published a study that shed new light on America’s weight gain. The subjects — 120,877 women and men — were all professionals in the health field, and were likely to be more conscious about nutrition, so the findings might well understate the overall trend. Using data back to 1986, the researchers monitored everything the participants ate, as well as their physical activity and smoking. They found that every four years, the participants exercised less, watched TV more and gained an average of 3.35 pounds. The researchers parsed the data by the caloric content of the foods being eaten, and found the top contributors to weight gain included red meat and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages and potatoes, including mashed and French fries. But the largest weight-inducing food was the potato chip. The coating of salt, the fat content that rewards the brain with instant feelings of pleasure, the sugar that exists not as an additive but in the starch of the potato itself — all of this combines to make it the perfect addictive food. “The starch is readily absorbed,” Eric Rimm, an associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and one of the study’s authors, told me. “More quickly even than a similar amount of sugar. The starch, in turn, causes the glucose levels in the blood to spike” — which can result in a craving for more.
If Americans snacked only occasionally, and in small amounts, this would not present the enormous problem that it does. But because so much money and effort has been invested over decades in engineering and then relentlessly selling these products, the effects are seemingly impossible to unwind. More than 30 years have passed since Robert Lin first tangled with Frito-Lay on the imperative of the company to deal with the formulation of its snacks, but as we sat at his dining-room table, sifting through his records, the feelings of regret still played on his face. In his view, three decades had been lost, time that he and a lot of other smart scientists could have spent searching for ways to ease the addiction to salt, sugar and fat. “I couldn’t do much about it,” he told me. “I feel so sorry for the public.”
IV. ‘These People Need a Lot of Things, but They Don’t Need a Coke.’
The growing attention Americans are paying to what they put into their mouths has touched off a new scramble by the processed-food companies to address health concerns. Pressed by the Obama administration and consumers, Kraft, Nestlé, Pepsi, Campbell and General Mills, among others, have begun to trim the loads of salt, sugar and fat in many products. And with consumer advocates pushing for more government intervention, Coca-Cola made headlines in January by releasing ads that promoted its bottled water and low-calorie drinks as a way to counter obesity. Predictably, the ads drew a new volley of scorn from critics who pointed to the company’s continuing drive to sell sugary Coke.
One of the other executives I spoke with at length was Jeffrey Dunn, who, in 2001, at age 44, was directing more than half of Coca-Cola’s $20 billion in annual sales as president and chief operating officer in both North and South America. In an effort to control as much market share as possible, Coke extended its aggressive marketing to especially poor or vulnerable areas of the U.S., like New Orleans — where people were drinking twice as much Coke as the national average — or Rome, Ga., where the per capita intake was nearly three Cokes a day. In Coke’s headquarters in Atlanta, the biggest consumers were referred to as “heavy users.” “The other model we use was called ‘drinks and drinkers,’ ” Dunn said. “How many drinkers do I have? And how many drinks do they drink? If you lost one of those heavy users, if somebody just decided to stop drinking Coke, how many drinkers would you have to get, at low velocity, to make up for that heavy user? The answer is a lot. It’s more efficient to get my existing users to drink more.”
One of Dunn’s lieutenants, Todd Putman, who worked at Coca-Cola from 1997 to 2001, said the goal became much larger than merely beating the rival brands; Coca-Cola strove to outsell every other thing people drank, including milk and water. The marketing division’s efforts boiled down to one question, Putman said: “How can we drive more ounces into more bodies more often?” (In response to Putman’s remarks, Coke said its goals have changed and that it now focuses on providing consumers with more low- or no-calorie products.)
In his capacity, Dunn was making frequent trips to Brazil, where the company had recently begun a push to increase consumption of Coke among the many Brazilians living in favelas. The company’s strategy was to repackage Coke into smaller, more affordable 6.7-ounce bottles, just 20 cents each. Coke was not alone in seeing Brazil as a potential boon; Nestlé began deploying battalions of women to travel poor neighborhoods, hawking American-style processed foods door to door. But Coke was Dunn’s concern, and on one trip, as he walked through one of the impoverished areas, he had an epiphany. “A voice in my head says, ‘These people need a lot of things, but they don’t need a Coke.’ I almost threw up.”
Dunn returned to Atlanta, determined to make some changes. He didn’t want to abandon the soda business, but he did want to try to steer the company into a more healthful mode, and one of the things he pushed for was to stop marketing Coke in public schools. The independent companies that bottled Coke viewed his plans as reactionary. A director of one bottler wrote a letter to Coke’s chief executive and board asking for Dunn’s head. “He said what I had done was the worst thing he had seen in 50 years in the business,” Dunn said. “Just to placate these crazy leftist school districts who were trying to keep people from having their Coke. He said I was an embarrassment to the company, and I should be fired.” In February 2004, he was.
Dunn told me that talking about Coke’s business today was by no means easy and, because he continues to work in the food business, not without risk. “You really don’t want them mad at you,” he said. “And I don’t mean that, like, I’m going to end up at the bottom of the bay. But they don’t have a sense of humor when it comes to this stuff. They’re a very, very aggressive company.”
When I met with Dunn, he told me not just about his years at Coke but also about his new marketing venture. In April 2010, he met with three executives from Madison Dearborn Partners, a private-equity firm based in Chicago with a wide-ranging portfolio of investments. They recently hired Dunn to run one of their newest acquisitions — a food producer in the San Joaquin Valley. As they sat in the hotel’s meeting room, the men listened to Dunn’s marketing pitch. He talked about giving the product a personality that was bold and irreverent, conveying the idea that this was the ultimate snack food. He went into detail on how he would target a special segment of the 146 million Americans who are regular snackers — mothers, children, young professionals — people, he said, who “keep their snacking ritual fresh by trying a new food product when it catches their attention.”
He explained how he would deploy strategic storytelling in the ad campaign for this snack, using a key phrase that had been developed with much calculation: “Eat ’Em Like Junk Food.”
After 45 minutes, Dunn clicked off the last slide and thanked the men for coming. Madison’s portfolio contained the largest Burger King franchise in the world, the Ruth’s Chris Steak House chain and a processed-food maker called AdvancePierre whose lineup includes the Jamwich, a peanut-butter-and-jelly contrivance that comes frozen, crustless and embedded with four kinds of sugars.
The snack that Dunn was proposing to sell: carrots. Plain, fresh carrots. No added sugar. No creamy sauce or dips. No salt. Just baby carrots, washed, bagged, then sold into the deadly dull produce aisle.
“We act like a snack, not a vegetable,” he told the investors. “We exploit the rules of junk food to fuel the baby-carrot conversation. We are pro-junk-food behavior but anti-junk-food establishment.”
The investors were thinking only about sales. They had already bought one of the two biggest farm producers of baby carrots in the country, and they’d hired Dunn to run the whole operation. Now, after his pitch, they were relieved. Dunn had figured out that using the industry’s own marketing ploys would work better than anything else. He drew from the bag of tricks that he mastered in his 20 years at Coca-Cola, where he learned one of the most critical rules in processed food: The selling of food matters as much as the food itself.
Later, describing his new line of work, Dunn told me he was doing penance for his Coca-Cola years. “I’m paying my karmic debt,” he said.
This article is adapted from “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us,” which is published by Random House
in February 2013. Read the book - its worth of your time.
Michael Moss is an investigative reporter for The Times. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 2010 for his reporting on the meat industry.
Editor: Joel Lovell
MORE IN MAGAZINE (2 OF 20 ARTICLES) It’s the Economy: Are We in Danger of a Beer Monopoly? Read More »
__________________________________________________
Michael Moss
Michael Moss is an investigative reporter with The New York Times,
having joined the paper in 2000.
In 2010, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for his investigation of the dangers of contaminated meat. Mr. Moss’s hamburger article was the centerpiece of a body of work focused on surprising and troubling holes in the system to keep food safe.
Before coming to The Times, Mr. Moss was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction, Colo., and the High Country News in Lander, Wyo.
He was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for his reporting on the lack of protective armor for soldiers in Iraq, and in 1999 for a team effort on Wall Street’s emerging influence in the nursing home industry. Mr. Moss received an Overseas Press Club citation in 2006 for stories on the faulty justice system for American-held detainees in Iraq.
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ABOVE: The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food
By MICHAEL MOSS
Inside the hyperengineered, savagely marketed, addiction-creating battle for American “stomach share.”
February 24, 2013, Sunday
Suffering on Long Island as Power Agency Shows Its FlawsBy DANNY HAKIM, PATRICK McGEEHAN and MICHAEL MOSS
The Long Island Power Authority, still trying to restore power to customers, has been hampered by bad communication, antiquated maps and a lack of control.
November 14, 2012, Wednesday
Can Food Be As Addictive As A Drug?By MICHAEL MOSS
Addictive as a drug? We crave certain foods so much that they seem addictive. Just thinking about cinnamon buns or pizza stimulates the release of the neural chemical dopamine, which can cause the brain to override the biological brakes that try to prevent overeating. According to ''Why Humans Like Junk Food,'' by a former Nestlé scientist named Steven A. Witherly, the brain especially loves mixtures of salt, sugar and fat and the emulsive textures of butter, mayonnaise and chocolate. With...
October 02, 2011, Sunday
Philadelphia School Battles Students’ Bad DietsBy MICHAEL MOSS
An effort to improve nutrition is up against an array of powerful forces, from economics to biology, all of which are playing out in Philadelphia, where the obesity rate is among the nation’s highest.
March 28, 2011, Monday
While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese SalesBy MICHAEL MOSS
When sales of Domino’s Pizza were lagging, a government agency stepped in with advice: more cheese. This is the same government that, for health reasons, is advising less cheese.
November 07, 2010, Sunday
Regulators Failed to Address Risks in Oil Rig Fail-Safe DeviceBy DAVID BARSTOW, LAURA DODD, JAMES GLANZ, STEPHANIE SAUL and IAN URBINA; Michael Moss and Henry Fountain contributing reporting
The federal agency charged with regulating offshore drilling repeatedly declined to act on advice on how it could minimize the risk of a failure of the device, an examination found.
June 21, 2010, Monday
Between Blast and Spill, One Last, Flawed HopeBy THE NEW YORK TIMES; Michael Moss and Henry Fountain contributing reporting
This article is by David Barstow, Laura Dodd, James Glanz, Stephanie Saul and Ian Urbina. It was the last line of defense, the final barrier between the rushing volcanic fury of oil and gas and one of the worst environmental disasters in United States history.
June 21, 2010, Monday
The Hard Sell on SaltBy MICHAEL MOSS
The salt industry is working to fend off public-health attacks on salt, using a shifting set of tactics that have defeated similar efforts for 30 years.
May 30, 2010, Sunday
Safety of Beef Processing Method Is Questioned
By MICHAEL MOSS; Griff Palmer contributed reporting
E. coli and salmonella have been found dozens of times in meat processed with a novel ammonia treatment.
December 31, 2009, Thursday
Senate Bill Would Require E. Coli TestingBy MICHAEL MOSS
Citing public concern about the safety of ground beef, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand introduced legislation that would require companies to test for a deadly E. coli strain.
November 19, 2009, Thursday
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Above the personal info for Mr. Michael Moss - a Pulitzer Price winner (2010) and the author of the above article
The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food
published in The New York Times on Sunday, 2/24/13
________________________________________________________________
Michael Moss is an investigative reporter with The New York Times,
having joined the paper in 2000.
In 2010, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for his investigation of the dangers of contaminated meat. Mr. Moss’s hamburger article was the centerpiece of a body of work focused on surprising and troubling holes in the system to keep food safe.
Before coming to The Times, Mr. Moss was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction, Colo., and the High Country News in Lander, Wyo.
He was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for his reporting on the lack of protective armor for soldiers in Iraq, and in 1999 for a team effort on Wall Street’s emerging influence in the nursing home industry. Mr. Moss received an Overseas Press Club citation in 2006 for stories on the faulty justice system for American-held detainees in Iraq.
Read More...
Articles
Newest First | Oldest FirstPage: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Next >>
ABOVE: The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food
By MICHAEL MOSS
Inside the hyperengineered, savagely marketed, addiction-creating battle for American “stomach share.”
February 24, 2013, Sunday
Suffering on Long Island as Power Agency Shows Its FlawsBy DANNY HAKIM, PATRICK McGEEHAN and MICHAEL MOSS
The Long Island Power Authority, still trying to restore power to customers, has been hampered by bad communication, antiquated maps and a lack of control.
November 14, 2012, Wednesday
Can Food Be As Addictive As A Drug?By MICHAEL MOSS
Addictive as a drug? We crave certain foods so much that they seem addictive. Just thinking about cinnamon buns or pizza stimulates the release of the neural chemical dopamine, which can cause the brain to override the biological brakes that try to prevent overeating. According to ''Why Humans Like Junk Food,'' by a former Nestlé scientist named Steven A. Witherly, the brain especially loves mixtures of salt, sugar and fat and the emulsive textures of butter, mayonnaise and chocolate. With...
October 02, 2011, Sunday
Philadelphia School Battles Students’ Bad DietsBy MICHAEL MOSS
An effort to improve nutrition is up against an array of powerful forces, from economics to biology, all of which are playing out in Philadelphia, where the obesity rate is among the nation’s highest.
March 28, 2011, Monday
While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Cheese SalesBy MICHAEL MOSS
When sales of Domino’s Pizza were lagging, a government agency stepped in with advice: more cheese. This is the same government that, for health reasons, is advising less cheese.
November 07, 2010, Sunday
Regulators Failed to Address Risks in Oil Rig Fail-Safe DeviceBy DAVID BARSTOW, LAURA DODD, JAMES GLANZ, STEPHANIE SAUL and IAN URBINA; Michael Moss and Henry Fountain contributing reporting
The federal agency charged with regulating offshore drilling repeatedly declined to act on advice on how it could minimize the risk of a failure of the device, an examination found.
June 21, 2010, Monday
Between Blast and Spill, One Last, Flawed HopeBy THE NEW YORK TIMES; Michael Moss and Henry Fountain contributing reporting
This article is by David Barstow, Laura Dodd, James Glanz, Stephanie Saul and Ian Urbina. It was the last line of defense, the final barrier between the rushing volcanic fury of oil and gas and one of the worst environmental disasters in United States history.
June 21, 2010, Monday
The Hard Sell on SaltBy MICHAEL MOSS
The salt industry is working to fend off public-health attacks on salt, using a shifting set of tactics that have defeated similar efforts for 30 years.
May 30, 2010, Sunday
Safety of Beef Processing Method Is Questioned
By MICHAEL MOSS; Griff Palmer contributed reporting
E. coli and salmonella have been found dozens of times in meat processed with a novel ammonia treatment.
December 31, 2009, Thursday
Senate Bill Would Require E. Coli TestingBy MICHAEL MOSS
Citing public concern about the safety of ground beef, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand introduced legislation that would require companies to test for a deadly E. coli strain.
November 19, 2009, Thursday
SEARCH 144 ARTICLES:
Match Any Word Match All Words Match Exact Phrase
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Next >>
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Above the personal info for Mr. Michael Moss - a Pulitzer Price winner (2010) and the author of the above article
The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food
published in The New York Times on Sunday, 2/24/13
________________________________________________________________
Drink & eat this to control your appetite
# 1 rule: eat high-fiber food to keep your hunger away
Fiber-rich foods break down slowly & turn off your brain's response to food
Fiber stabilizes blood sugar levels, which determines how hungry you get
Drink daily plain, fresh, preferably plain tap water
(properly filtered) min. 50 % of your "normal healthy" weight and max. 100 % .
If you can afford bottled water, filter it also - there are not big safety differences between bottled & tap water.
Drink in sips, mixing the water in your mouth with saliva. Drink the water when your stomach is empty.
When eating minimize any fluid intake as it can affect the effectiveness of your digestive process.
If you drink your water briefly boiled (1 -2 min boiled) it has less harmful elements and you will automatically sip it slower. The slow sipping makes you feel full and takes your hunger away.
If practical boil your water also in your office. Keep your boiled water in a 50 - 64 oz. metallic thermos bottle to ensure the slow, hot water drinking mixed with saliva.
Notice that your blood is about 93 % water, your brains about 80 % and your whole body about 75 % of plain water. Most people are dehydrated - dehydration leads to multitudes of sicknesses.
Eat Several Apples a Day
Clean them with a soap, brush & water and eat with the peels. The peels have plenty of valuable nutrients.
Spit out harder peels - be careful with the core not to get choked. For children, cut the apple in half and take the harder core with seeds out to avoid choking. For smaller children to peel the apple may be safer. Wit an apple cutter you can have nice pieces - both the children & adults like them.
This first advice when not at home.
When home, peel the apples, but refrigerate or freeze & save the apple peels and simmer them later for 2 - 3 hours and blend well to get delicious, nutritious food.
Refrigerate or freeze also the cores & seeds and with a bigger amount simmer them on a oven top later for about 2 - 3 hours. Then blend them well to get soft, delicious, nutritious paste (or drink with added liquid)
Fiber-rich foods break down slowly and turn off your brain's response to food. Fiber stabilizes blood sugar levels, which determines how hungry you get. Adding 14 extra grams of fiber to your daily menu can reduce calorie intake by 10 percent. The fiber in apples and citrus are especially effective in helping the stomach feel full.
For a snack that will tide you over until dinnertime, Keri Glassman, R.D., nutrition expert and author of "The New You and Improved Diet: 8 Rules to Lose Weight and Change Your Life Forever," recommends apple slices with all-natural peanut butter.
Click: Foods Stars Eat to Stay Slim: You'll Be Surprised How Normal (And Cheap!) They Are
Choose the Right Carbs
What do beans, lentils, green bananas and cold potatoes have in common?
They're rich in resistant starch, a carbohydrate that skips through the stomach undigested and gets fermented in the large intestine. This process releases an acid that makes the body use stored fat (i.e., love handles) for fuel. What's more, resistant starch deals a debilitating, temporary blow to the appetite, keeping you full for about an hour afterwards. By the way, if you're curious as to why cold potatoes are the way to go, that's because when they're chilled, potatoes form tight crystals of resistant starch, but if you heat them up, those crystals get broken up. Other good sources of resistant starch include yams, peas, chickpeas and barley.
Add 1 - 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar or half & half both mixed
To thwart between-meal hunger pangs, add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to a carbohydrate-rich meal. Acetic acid lowers the glycemic index of carbs, which will keep them from spiking your blood sugar levels. "This will reduce the urge to snack in between meals and prevent cravings," says Tanya Zuckerbrot, R.D., author of "The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear-With Fiber!"
One study found that dieters who drank one and a half tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar at their morning meal ate about 250 fewer calories.
Enjoy Dark Chocolate
Seeking solace in comfort food? Choose dark chocolate with 70 % or more cocoa. Dark chocolate tones down emotional food cravings because it floods the brain with endorphins, a chemical that elicits feelings of happiness and calm. In one study, women who ate or even smelled the confection reported less hunger. Eating chocolate also lowered levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, which boosts the mouthwatering appeal of high-calorie foods. Just don't use this as an excuse to go to town on dark chocolate. A one-ounce square has 170 calories and 12 grams of fat, so popping a piece every time you feel a craving can turn into hundreds of extra calories, warns Zuckerbrot.
Pick Red Hot Chili Peppers - if you can tolerate it
Spicing up your daily diet with chili pepper can help you eat less, but it's no panacea.
Research shows that red pepper dampens the appetite in relation to how uncomfortably hot you think your food is. If you regularly eat spicy food and are immune to its fiery properties, it won't help. It's the burn on your tongue that makes it effective, so forget popping pills. As for the claim that dousing your food with cayenne will magically melt away fat? Don't count on it. The active ingredient, capsaicin, may boost the metabolism slightly, but only to the tune of 20 extra calories a day.
Drinks That Reduce Appetite: This Type of Coffee Makes You Fullest >
Bulk Up (Your Plate, That Is)
The secret to feeling full while eating less: tricking your brain into thinking you ate a big meal. Instead of shrinking your portion sizes, eat foods that take up a lot of room on your plate but have fewer calories per bite. These are foods with a high water content, such as broth-based soups, salads, fruit and vegetables. Eat these foods first, before your main meal, notes Rolls. Because they take a long time to eat and occupy up a lot of space in your belly, your brain will register that it's full before you've eaten many calories. Sound too easy?
Research shows that people who follow these principles end up eating 800 fewer calories per day-without missing them.
Go Nuts for Pine Nuts
Dial down your appetite with a sprinkle of pine nuts. Their heart-healthy oil, pinolenic acid, packs a one-two punch for weight loss: It stimulates the release of a hormone that suppresses the appetite and slows down how quickly food leaves your stomach, keeping you full for longer. One study found that pine nut oil decreased hunger by 36 percent over a four hour period. Pine nuts are high in fat and calories, so eat no more than a handful a day.
5 Common Supplements That Can Harm Health. Warning: You're Probably Taking One
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Get Rid of Your Muffin Top: 3 Steps to a Flatter Belly
______________________________________________________
How to know what fish
to eat and what not?
Seafood Watch
gives the answers
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program
helps consumers and businesses make choices for healthy oceans
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Click green for further info
Seafood Watch is one of the best known sustainable seafood advisory lists, and has influenced similar programs around the world. It is a program designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. It is best known for publishing consumer guides for responsible seafood purchasing in the United States, including making them available on mobile devices, such as the iPhone and Android.
Seafood Watch is a program of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and is a partner of Sea Web's Seafood Choices Alliance. It has roots in the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Fishing for Solutions exhibit which ran from 1997 to 1999 and produced a list of sustainable seafood. It was one of the first resources for sustainable seafood information together with the Audubon Society's What is a fish lover to eat? which also came out in the late 1990s.
There is currently a seafood watch app for the iPhone and the Android. One of its features, "Project FishMap", allows people to mark places they find that serve sustainable food, with this information in turn shared with the public.
The group gives somewhat US-centric lists of recommendations – the best seafood choices, fish to avoid, as well as "good alternatives". The "avoid" category is for seafood which is overfished and/or fished or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment. Health alerts for fish with high levels of contaminants, e.g. mercury, dioxins - the most dangerous chemical known to science & PCBs are also noted, although they may appear in any category.
(click: (1) Mercury (element), (2) Dioxin & (3) Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
The Seafood Watch website includes both regional and country-wide guides for the United States. Pocket guides are available from the aquarium and further information is on the web site. Several of the regional guides are also available in Spanish. The guides are updated twice annually, while the website is updated more often. Recommended seafood includes Sardines, US-farmed Sturgeon(but not wild caught), Atlantic Croaker, Pacific Halibut, Wreckfish, White Seabass and Dungeness Crab. Restaurants and retailers are also targeted with an educational program developed by Seafood Watch.
In 2010 Seafood Watch added its “Super Green” list, which features seafood that it is good for human health and does not harm the oceans. The Super Green list highlights products that are currently on the Seafood Watch "Best Choices" (green) list, are low in environmental contaminants and are good sources of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
Recommendations are updated regularly; to view the latest, visit SeafoodWatch.org.
The fast-growing and resilient (click: Atlantic croaker, currently on the "best" choice list
Industry organizations have pushed back against Seafood Watch's efforts. After publication of a sustainable sushi guide, the National Fisheries Institute, a seafood industry trade group, wrote on its blog that the guides were "confusing and contradictory," adding that they didn't fully take into account the economic, environmental and social aspects of seafood sustainability.
Below are some fish currently rated Avoid by Seafood Watch
To see the below list below as a chart, click next line:Seafood Watch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
wikipedia.org/wiki/Seafood_Watch
Seafood Watch is one of the best known sustainable seafood advisory lists, and has influenced similar programs around the world. It is a program designed to ...
Common name Latin name Source Comment
Chilean Seabass/Toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides - Limit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsAtlantic CodGadidaeAtlanticKing CrabimportedSome imported king crab is poached. Seafood Watch recommends domestic king crab from Alaska and California, whose fishing is better controlled.AtlanticFlounders, SolesAtlanticGroupersLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsAtlantic HalibutAtlanticSpiny lobsterCaribbean importedMahi mahi/Dolphinfish(imported)MonkfishOrange RoughyHoplostethus atlanticusHabitat destruction, bycatch of non-target organisms, and overfishing. There are also health concerns about mercury or other contaminants.RockfishPacificSalmonfarmed, including AtlanticLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsScallops: SeaMid-AtlanticSharksLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsShrimpimported farmed or wildRed SnapperSturgeon Caviarimported wildLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsSwordfishimportedLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsTuna: Albacore, Bigeye, YellowfinlonglineLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsBluefin TunaLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminants[edit]Industry criticism
To see the above list as a chart, click: Seafood Watch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
wikipedia.org/wiki/Seafood_Watch
Click green for further info
Click: What seafood to eat & buy
See also:
Click the green title below for the article
to eat and what not?
Seafood Watch
gives the answers
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program
helps consumers and businesses make choices for healthy oceans
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Click green for further info
Seafood Watch is one of the best known sustainable seafood advisory lists, and has influenced similar programs around the world. It is a program designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. It is best known for publishing consumer guides for responsible seafood purchasing in the United States, including making them available on mobile devices, such as the iPhone and Android.
Seafood Watch is a program of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and is a partner of Sea Web's Seafood Choices Alliance. It has roots in the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Fishing for Solutions exhibit which ran from 1997 to 1999 and produced a list of sustainable seafood. It was one of the first resources for sustainable seafood information together with the Audubon Society's What is a fish lover to eat? which also came out in the late 1990s.
There is currently a seafood watch app for the iPhone and the Android. One of its features, "Project FishMap", allows people to mark places they find that serve sustainable food, with this information in turn shared with the public.
The group gives somewhat US-centric lists of recommendations – the best seafood choices, fish to avoid, as well as "good alternatives". The "avoid" category is for seafood which is overfished and/or fished or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment. Health alerts for fish with high levels of contaminants, e.g. mercury, dioxins - the most dangerous chemical known to science & PCBs are also noted, although they may appear in any category.
(click: (1) Mercury (element), (2) Dioxin & (3) Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
The Seafood Watch website includes both regional and country-wide guides for the United States. Pocket guides are available from the aquarium and further information is on the web site. Several of the regional guides are also available in Spanish. The guides are updated twice annually, while the website is updated more often. Recommended seafood includes Sardines, US-farmed Sturgeon(but not wild caught), Atlantic Croaker, Pacific Halibut, Wreckfish, White Seabass and Dungeness Crab. Restaurants and retailers are also targeted with an educational program developed by Seafood Watch.
In 2010 Seafood Watch added its “Super Green” list, which features seafood that it is good for human health and does not harm the oceans. The Super Green list highlights products that are currently on the Seafood Watch "Best Choices" (green) list, are low in environmental contaminants and are good sources of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.
Recommendations are updated regularly; to view the latest, visit SeafoodWatch.org.
The fast-growing and resilient (click: Atlantic croaker, currently on the "best" choice list
Industry organizations have pushed back against Seafood Watch's efforts. After publication of a sustainable sushi guide, the National Fisheries Institute, a seafood industry trade group, wrote on its blog that the guides were "confusing and contradictory," adding that they didn't fully take into account the economic, environmental and social aspects of seafood sustainability.
Below are some fish currently rated Avoid by Seafood Watch
To see the below list below as a chart, click next line:Seafood Watch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
wikipedia.org/wiki/Seafood_Watch
Seafood Watch is one of the best known sustainable seafood advisory lists, and has influenced similar programs around the world. It is a program designed to ...
Common name Latin name Source Comment
Chilean Seabass/Toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides - Limit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsAtlantic CodGadidaeAtlanticKing CrabimportedSome imported king crab is poached. Seafood Watch recommends domestic king crab from Alaska and California, whose fishing is better controlled.AtlanticFlounders, SolesAtlanticGroupersLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsAtlantic HalibutAtlanticSpiny lobsterCaribbean importedMahi mahi/Dolphinfish(imported)MonkfishOrange RoughyHoplostethus atlanticusHabitat destruction, bycatch of non-target organisms, and overfishing. There are also health concerns about mercury or other contaminants.RockfishPacificSalmonfarmed, including AtlanticLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsScallops: SeaMid-AtlanticSharksLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsShrimpimported farmed or wildRed SnapperSturgeon Caviarimported wildLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsSwordfishimportedLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsTuna: Albacore, Bigeye, YellowfinlonglineLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminantsBluefin TunaLimit consumption due to concerns about mercury or other contaminants[edit]Industry criticism
To see the above list as a chart, click: Seafood Watch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
wikipedia.org/wiki/Seafood_Watch
Click green for further info
- Seafood Watch - Be a Responsible Seafood
- Lover.www.montereybayaquarium.org/
- Download a Pocket Guide or App Now
- Seafood Watch - Ocean & Climate - Take Action - Research & Conservation
Click: What seafood to eat & buy
See also:
Click the green title below for the article
- Conservation status
- Overfishing
- Sustainable seafood advisory lists and certification
- Seafood Choices Alliance
- Mercury in fish ________________________________________
Mediterranean Diet &
5 More Ways to Protect Your Heart
Click green for further info
As American Heart Health Month February comes to a close, I wanted to take some time to talk about prevention.
We actually know a lot about preventing heart disease, and there are easy things you can do right now to lower your risk.
First, know your family history. Did your father or brother have a heart attack before they were 55? Did your mother or sister have one before they were 65? If so, you already have a higher risk of developing heart disease, and need to pay particular attention to your other risk factors.
And even without a family history of heart disease, you aren't off the hook. Here are some things you can and should do right now to protect your heart:
If you're a smoker, stop. It's hard to do on your own, so get some help by calling the quit line: 1-800-QUIT-NOW. They can help you get nicotine replacement therapy.
If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol, take steps to control them.
If you aren't getting any exercise, look at ways to move. Even 15 minutes a day can make a difference. Start with something easy, something you enjoy and build from there.
And if you're overweight or obese, try to lose weight. Again, start with small changes that you can live with, so you'll experience success. Slow and steady is the way to go. I like to recommend ditching sodas and other sweetened drinks as a great first step.
I used to stop there with my recommendations. But this week, a new study really caught my eye, and I think I'll add one more tip to the list.
It was a Spanish study, designed to test whether the Mediterranean diet could prevent heart attacks, strokes or deaths from cardiovascular disease in people at high risk. And what the researchers found was exciting.
Compared to men and women following a low fat diet, those following the Mediterranean dietsupplemented with extra virgin olive oil or nuts had a 30 percent reduction in heart disease risk. That's pretty incredible. Statins, which many view as blockbuster anti-cholesterol drugs, only reduce risk by 25 percent.
The Mediterranean diet stresses eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes like chickpeas, beans and lentils, whole grains, and lean protein sources like fish and chicken. In this particular study, there was a big focus on consuming olive oil and nuts. And when I say consuming, I mean really eating a lot!
Click here for Mediterranean diet recipes.
For olive oil, the study suggests eating 4 tablespoons per day. For nuts, it said to eat as many walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts as you want - at least three handfuls per week. For those who drink alcohol, you can have a glass of wine with dinner. But ditch the sodas, baked goods, spreadable fats like butter and margarine, and red and processed meats.
As with any study, it would be great to see it repeated elsewhere to make sure the findings hold up. It was conducted in Spain, where the average diet is very different from that of a typical American. The participants were also given free olive oil or nuts, and received nutritional counseling every three months - an impossible feat in the greater population. I'd also like to see the study done in people at lower risk of heart disease.
But what I love about this study is that recommends something that's quite easy to live with. The dietary changes in this study had nothing to do with trying to lose weight; they simply aimed to boost health by changing the foods that you eat. Nothing was forbidden - foods were either encouraged or discouraged - and you don't need a scale and a degree in food science to give it a try.
So in honor of American Heart Health month, go for a brisk walk and think about a couple things you can do to help keep your heart healthy. It's easy!
Source: "Tell Me the Truth, Doctor" is a weekly column written by ABC News' chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser. Look for Dr. Besser's book April 23, 2013
STAF, Inc. recommends Dr. Besser's book - buy it, study & apply the information well for your health.
____________________________________
How a Family of Four Manages
to Live Well on Just $14,000 Per Year
to Live Well on Just $14,000 Per Year
STAF Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutritional program
Its food program's monthly cost is even smaller
than this article below shows this family uses
See below the comment STAF, Inc. placed on the internet for this article
Article 1 of 3
Next just below
In the years since the recession, the median household income in the U.S. has dropped to just over $50,000, while fixed costs like health care, higher education, and housing have only soared. Now imagine trying to support a family of four on a fraction of that income.
It's a reality that stay-at-home wife and mother of two Danielle Wagasky has lived for the last four years. And, perhaps a little surprisingly, she wouldn't have it any other way.
Wagasky, 28, lives with her her husband, Jason, 31, and their two young children in a three-bedroom family home in Las Vegas, Nevada. While Jason, a member of the U.S. Army, completes his undergraduate studies, the family's only source of income is the $14,000 annual cost of living allowance he receives under the G.I. Bill. Despite all odds, the family has barely any credit card debt, no car payment, and no mortgage to speak of.
Wagasky has been sharing her journey to living meaningfully and frugally on her blog, Blissful and Domestic, since 2009.
She was kind enough to chat with BI and tell us how she makes it work.
Wagasky finds inspiration everywhere from the library to tips from readers on her blog.
"My husband told me he'd heard about this book, [America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money]," she said. "We talked about it over the phone and I read it and thought how it could apply to us."
America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money: Your Guide to Living Better, Spending Less, and Cashing in on Your Dreams[Paperback] Steve Economides (Author), Annette Economides (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
List Price: $14.00Price: $7.70 & eligible for FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details You Save:$6.30 (45%)
Usually ships within 1 to 3 weeks.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
22 new from $7.70 27 used from $8.721 collectible from $17.80
The couple had a single savings goal in mind –– scraping together $30,000 for a down payment on their home in their native Henderson, Nevada.
The mindless spending was out, and Wagasky came up with a budget she could make work. "I changed the way I was grocery shopping and started working my way up, " she said.
She stopped eating out and learned how to cook.
Wagasky barely knew her way around a kitchen when she started her money makeover.
Now she's an avid cookbook collector (she checks them out from libraries or asks for them as gifts to save), and it's one of the simplest ways she's managed to cutback on spending.
With a $7 bread-maker she scored at a local thrift shop, she never spends on store bought slices. She's not shy about professing her love for wholesale stores like Costco, which is her go-to source for baking ingredients.
Everything in the home is either hand-sewn and or made from scratch.
"Everything must be budgeted," Wagasky wrote in a June entry on her blog. "From family outings, to toiletries to clothes purchases. It must be budgeted."
And she takes Do-It-Yourself to the extreme. Everything from laundry soap and clothing to the kitchen her husband installed in their new home was either crafted by hand or thrifted.
She swears by this home-made laundry detergent recipe (click green)
The family swapped cable for Netflix and Hulu.
When it come to cutting costs, cable was as easy luxury to part ways with.
With two children aged 6 and 8 to entertain, Wagasky invests $14.99 in a Netflix plan and recently added Hulu to the mix.
The family also uses a simple antennae to pick up basic cable channels.
She goes to the grocery store once per month, pays cash, and never goes over budget.
REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniWith a single source of fixed income, there's no room for impulse purchases in the Wagasky household.
They budget $400 for groceries each month and that's it.
"Once that $400 is gone, it is gone," she writes. "There are no extra shopping trips made because there is no more money."
They are a cash-only household but keep a credit card for emergencies.
Wagasky said they have no credit debt, but they do charge emergency expenses on plastic when absolutely necessary.
"We recently had some medical bills we had to pay, and we were able to take our savings and pay those down as fast as we could," she said.
They fill up their tanks once per month and combine errands as much as possible.
With gas prices creeping higher each all the time, the Wagaskys watch their mileage like hawks.
That means combining errands together and doing all they can to make one tank of gas last a month.
"We know we don't get to drive and visit family often, so when we do we cherish it," she wrote in a blog entry.
"We don't go just for an hour, we stay and visit and even run errands that may be close to where we have family. We try to remember that when the gas is gone...it is gone."
They paid for both of their cars in cash and have no car payments.
After Wagasky's husband left active duty and started school, the couple knew they would only have $14,000 per year to live on.
So they paid off the $8,000 he owed on his truck while he was earning more and they could afford the expense.
They also bought a van, which they saved $10,000 for initially and were able to pay the remaining $12,000 owed within a year.
Having zero car payments is a nice relief.
She skips all kiddie snacks in favor of healthier, cheaper DIY*) options. *) Do-It-Yourself
Like anyone with simple math skills, Wagasky was quick to realize how much cash she was wasting on prepackaged snacks for her children.
She cut them out completely and whips up homemade granola bars and trail mix instead.
If she can freeze food, she will.
If you're on a tight food budget, your freezer will become your best friend.
Wagasky chops vegetables and fruits and freezes them for a month. She actually does the same for dairy products like cheese, butter and yogurt.
"I am able to freeze about 8 gallons of milk each month," she writes. "They sit at the bottom of my freezer and we thaw them out when we need them." Baked goods get the same chilly treatment.
She uses a food co-op to save on fresh produce.
REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniWagasky was dubious about joining a food co-op, but after three months, she realized she would never beat the savings or quality she found.
Food co-ops pool membership fees together in order to fund a monthly harvest that's distributed at designated pick-up points.
A couple of times per month, Wagasky gets a basketful of in-season produce for $15 –– way better bargain than she'd ever find in stores.
They took advantage of Nevada's declining housing market to score a cheap foreclosure.
By the time Wagasky's husband came home from Iraq, they had managed to scrape together the $30,000 they needed for a downpayment on a home.
"But we decided the best option would be not to have a mortgage payment at all," she said. "We found a fixer-upper that didn't have a kitchen ... and we paid cash."
Price tag: $28,000. With the leftover cash, they were able to finish the kitchen and install wood flooring throughout the
house.
Comment placed on the internet (a copy of it just next below)
_______________________________________
Its food program's monthly cost is even smaller
than this article below shows this family uses
See below the comment STAF, Inc. placed on the internet for this article
Article 1 of 3
Next just below
In the years since the recession, the median household income in the U.S. has dropped to just over $50,000, while fixed costs like health care, higher education, and housing have only soared. Now imagine trying to support a family of four on a fraction of that income.
It's a reality that stay-at-home wife and mother of two Danielle Wagasky has lived for the last four years. And, perhaps a little surprisingly, she wouldn't have it any other way.
Wagasky, 28, lives with her her husband, Jason, 31, and their two young children in a three-bedroom family home in Las Vegas, Nevada. While Jason, a member of the U.S. Army, completes his undergraduate studies, the family's only source of income is the $14,000 annual cost of living allowance he receives under the G.I. Bill. Despite all odds, the family has barely any credit card debt, no car payment, and no mortgage to speak of.
Wagasky has been sharing her journey to living meaningfully and frugally on her blog, Blissful and Domestic, since 2009.
She was kind enough to chat with BI and tell us how she makes it work.
Wagasky finds inspiration everywhere from the library to tips from readers on her blog.
"My husband told me he'd heard about this book, [America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money]," she said. "We talked about it over the phone and I read it and thought how it could apply to us."
America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money: Your Guide to Living Better, Spending Less, and Cashing in on Your Dreams[Paperback] Steve Economides (Author), Annette Economides (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
List Price: $14.00Price: $7.70 & eligible for FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details You Save:$6.30 (45%)
Usually ships within 1 to 3 weeks.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
22 new from $7.70 27 used from $8.721 collectible from $17.80
The couple had a single savings goal in mind –– scraping together $30,000 for a down payment on their home in their native Henderson, Nevada.
The mindless spending was out, and Wagasky came up with a budget she could make work. "I changed the way I was grocery shopping and started working my way up, " she said.
She stopped eating out and learned how to cook.
Wagasky barely knew her way around a kitchen when she started her money makeover.
Now she's an avid cookbook collector (she checks them out from libraries or asks for them as gifts to save), and it's one of the simplest ways she's managed to cutback on spending.
With a $7 bread-maker she scored at a local thrift shop, she never spends on store bought slices. She's not shy about professing her love for wholesale stores like Costco, which is her go-to source for baking ingredients.
Everything in the home is either hand-sewn and or made from scratch.
"Everything must be budgeted," Wagasky wrote in a June entry on her blog. "From family outings, to toiletries to clothes purchases. It must be budgeted."
And she takes Do-It-Yourself to the extreme. Everything from laundry soap and clothing to the kitchen her husband installed in their new home was either crafted by hand or thrifted.
She swears by this home-made laundry detergent recipe (click green)
The family swapped cable for Netflix and Hulu.
When it come to cutting costs, cable was as easy luxury to part ways with.
With two children aged 6 and 8 to entertain, Wagasky invests $14.99 in a Netflix plan and recently added Hulu to the mix.
The family also uses a simple antennae to pick up basic cable channels.
She goes to the grocery store once per month, pays cash, and never goes over budget.
REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniWith a single source of fixed income, there's no room for impulse purchases in the Wagasky household.
They budget $400 for groceries each month and that's it.
"Once that $400 is gone, it is gone," she writes. "There are no extra shopping trips made because there is no more money."
They are a cash-only household but keep a credit card for emergencies.
Wagasky said they have no credit debt, but they do charge emergency expenses on plastic when absolutely necessary.
"We recently had some medical bills we had to pay, and we were able to take our savings and pay those down as fast as we could," she said.
They fill up their tanks once per month and combine errands as much as possible.
With gas prices creeping higher each all the time, the Wagaskys watch their mileage like hawks.
That means combining errands together and doing all they can to make one tank of gas last a month.
"We know we don't get to drive and visit family often, so when we do we cherish it," she wrote in a blog entry.
"We don't go just for an hour, we stay and visit and even run errands that may be close to where we have family. We try to remember that when the gas is gone...it is gone."
They paid for both of their cars in cash and have no car payments.
After Wagasky's husband left active duty and started school, the couple knew they would only have $14,000 per year to live on.
So they paid off the $8,000 he owed on his truck while he was earning more and they could afford the expense.
They also bought a van, which they saved $10,000 for initially and were able to pay the remaining $12,000 owed within a year.
Having zero car payments is a nice relief.
She skips all kiddie snacks in favor of healthier, cheaper DIY*) options. *) Do-It-Yourself
Like anyone with simple math skills, Wagasky was quick to realize how much cash she was wasting on prepackaged snacks for her children.
She cut them out completely and whips up homemade granola bars and trail mix instead.
If she can freeze food, she will.
If you're on a tight food budget, your freezer will become your best friend.
Wagasky chops vegetables and fruits and freezes them for a month. She actually does the same for dairy products like cheese, butter and yogurt.
"I am able to freeze about 8 gallons of milk each month," she writes. "They sit at the bottom of my freezer and we thaw them out when we need them." Baked goods get the same chilly treatment.
She uses a food co-op to save on fresh produce.
REUTERS/Mario AnzuoniWagasky was dubious about joining a food co-op, but after three months, she realized she would never beat the savings or quality she found.
Food co-ops pool membership fees together in order to fund a monthly harvest that's distributed at designated pick-up points.
A couple of times per month, Wagasky gets a basketful of in-season produce for $15 –– way better bargain than she'd ever find in stores.
They took advantage of Nevada's declining housing market to score a cheap foreclosure.
By the time Wagasky's husband came home from Iraq, they had managed to scrape together the $30,000 they needed for a downpayment on a home.
"But we decided the best option would be not to have a mortgage payment at all," she said. "We found a fixer-upper that didn't have a kitchen ... and we paid cash."
Price tag: $28,000. With the leftover cash, they were able to finish the kitchen and install wood flooring throughout the
house.
Comment placed on the internet (a copy of it just next below)
_______________________________________
Article 2 of 3 STAF, Inc.'s Comment to the above article
How a Family of Four Manages to Live Well on Just $14,000 Per Year
See how STAF, Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program
will cost even less than the family pays in the article above.
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This article can be to great inspiration to the American families. Three good principles for financial success are (1) owe no one, pay all cash, including your house, (2) create and follow a budget & (3) learn to invest.
STAF, Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use. Worldwide, the same STAF, Inc.'s new program fits for every nation's use. In STAF, Inc.'s new program the food expenses for the family of 4 would be even less (see below).
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research and the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. It is a program that for the first time ever covers all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges and in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. It's nutritional program leading to health and to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy what-to-eat instructions. All new recipes - delicious, delicious. You are not going to walk around feeling hungry. You can even visit, now and then, a casino buffet, if you so wish.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. Based on the new program's detailed guidance, you buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket and prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
How much are your food expenses time being? Probably many times more. This means: everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar. The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President & The First Lady, The U.S. Congress & Senate, and to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a fully new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency, and to be named its first federal director. New legislation and training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner. STAF, Inc.'s slogan is: Less suffering - more life™
In STAF, Inc.'s website close to the top of the Home page & some other pages is a link to study the original founding documents to see the full purpose & the mission statements of the organization.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s website, use its Radio Show title "DrDrCanYouHelpMe" in the internet search.
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
_____________________________________________________________
How a Family of Four Manages to Live Well on Just $14,000 Per Year
See how STAF, Inc.'s new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program
will cost even less than the family pays in the article above.
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
This article can be to great inspiration to the American families. Three good principles for financial success are (1) owe no one, pay all cash, including your house, (2) create and follow a budget & (3) learn to invest.
STAF, Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use. Worldwide, the same STAF, Inc.'s new program fits for every nation's use. In STAF, Inc.'s new program the food expenses for the family of 4 would be even less (see below).
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research and the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. It is a program that for the first time ever covers all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges and in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. It's nutritional program leading to health and to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy what-to-eat instructions. All new recipes - delicious, delicious. You are not going to walk around feeling hungry. You can even visit, now and then, a casino buffet, if you so wish.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. Based on the new program's detailed guidance, you buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket and prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
How much are your food expenses time being? Probably many times more. This means: everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar. The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President & The First Lady, The U.S. Congress & Senate, and to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a fully new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency, and to be named its first federal director. New legislation and training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner. STAF, Inc.'s slogan is: Less suffering - more life™
In STAF, Inc.'s website close to the top of the Home page & some other pages is a link to study the original founding documents to see the full purpose & the mission statements of the organization.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s website, use its Radio Show title "DrDrCanYouHelpMe" in the internet search.
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
_____________________________________________________________
Part 3 of 3
Comments from the internet public to the article above
How a Family of Four Manages to Live Well on Just $14,000 Per Year
Comments from the internet public to the article above
How a Family of Four Manages to Live Well on Just $14,000 Per Year
- Being out of debt can make a huge difference.8 Replies
- One other thing. If you don't have the money, no credit cards, you well, don't buy it. Plain and simple. Just because you have some money does not mean you have to spend it.76 Replies
David • 21 hours ago Report AbuseThey should be hired as consultants for the government. Just think with their know how the tax burden on everyone would drop to 2% and the economy would boom.56 Replies- Mary Louwow, that's how i lived fifty years ago. good job!26 Replies
Renting a cheap two bedroom apartment in Honolulu would cost 14 grand a year. How do you live cheaply? Live someplace that is cheap to live.78 Replies- .
Roger • 22 hours ago Report Abuse The President and members of Congress should take lesson from these people. Live within your means and life gets so much better. I and my family know so because we do, if we have money left over we save for a rainy day. Who cares about the Jones down the street!!!85 Replies
816users liked this comment.
Kevin H • 21 hours ago Report Abuse If they are happy living this way, good for them.38 Replies
1522 users disliked this comment
CarmenO • Great article, about people who actually got it right.42 Replies
355users liked this comment 15users disliked this comment
Gonzo • 21 hours ago Report Abuse No healthcare payments makes a big difference- __________________________________________________________________________________
Unlike butter, which is made from animal products, margarine is created from vegetable oil. Its manufacturing process fills the spreadable stuff with trans fat, which increases inflammation by damaging the cells lining your blood vessels, upping your risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, degenerative diseases, weight gain, and too-high bad cholesterol. "In my mind, it's one of the worst foods in the food supply," says Koch. "There's a common myth that healthy eating is equated with being vegetarian, and that's not necessarily true."
5 Foods I Won't Feed My Kids
Nor Should You Eat Them
Article 1 of 3
- Hot dogs. I'm sure I'll get a little flak for saying this, but I have yet to find any significant nutritional value in a hot dog (or a slice of bologna for that matter). The average hot dog has 4 grams of saturated fat and 540 milligrams of sodium. The first two ingredients in a hot dog are mechanically separated turkey and mechanically separated chicken. I don't know what "mechanically separated" means, but I'm pretty sure there's more processing involved than I'm comfortable serving my kids. In addition to that, processed meats, including hot dogs, contain nitrates, which have been linked to colon cancer.
- Prepackaged lunches. A lot of my daughter's friends bring Lunchables to school as a "special treat". Here's one variety: Light Bologna with American Cracker Stackers. Listed on the website as a "good source of protein, calcium and iron," they don't highlight the fact that one package contains 35% of the daily amount of saturated fat and 26% of the daily limit for sodium. Without too much planning, you can come up with a much healthier lunch for your kids. In addition, the ingredient list in a Lunchable is too long to count. My general rule is that if a product has more than 5 ingredients, I put it back on the shelf. This doesn't happen 100% of the time, but it's my goal as much as possible.
- Soda - also Diet Soda. Research shows that also diet soda will make a us add weight. In addition, all sodas have harmful chemicals especially dangerous to every child because children's system cannot throw the toxins out as effectively as adults can. However an overweight adult is already clogged and less capable of handling harmful chemicals. Soda sometimes in special occasions is not harmful but in daily use will be. My children never ask for soda because they are used to milk or water with all of their meals. Soda is loaded with sugar, is bad for their teeth, and it has no nutritional value. If your kids drink a lot of soda and you want to change that, don't try and do it cold turkey. Slowly start replacing soda with water. If they don't like the taste of plain water, try flavoring it with fruit. My kids think it's fun to squeeze an orange slice into their water. Plain water is the best choice. Daily amount of fresh water mostly when our stomach is empty = morning & 3 hours after properly combined meals. There is a precious science of food combining handled in this website. Also search the web for food combining info and apply it. Quotation "Knowledge is not power - only applied knowledge is power" (Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc. President)
- Fast food. Fast food = Bad food = Not Food - bad-bad-bad Not good for anyone. The closest my kids have come to eating fast food is going to Panera on occasion. I'd almost always rather make my kids a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner versus a McDonald's hamburger (which they have never had). It's cheaper to cook at home and I know exactly what's going into the food being served. And while PB&J might not be the perfect meal, it's still a pretty balanced meal that I can throw together in mere minutes-and my kids love it.
- Sugary cereals or any processed cereal. Cook your own fresh cereal in bigger amounts and serve every day. While my friends dined on Cookie Crunch and fruity puffs with marshmallows, we were stuck with the plain stuff. Now I'm glad my parents made this choice and I do the same. Kids are much better off without a sugar-filled start to their day. Article 2 of 3 just next below
Article 2 of 3
The top 10 foods nutrition experts won’t feed their kids
By Beth Wallace
In my quest to make the world of pediatric nutrition less confusing for parents, sometimes the simplest information is left out. Sometimes it seems like all you hear is, “Try this!” or “cook it this way instead.” I know you get a LOT of information about what, when, and how you should feed your kids.
I also know that sometimes you just want to cut through all of the mumbo-jumbo and know what NOT to feed your family. I am certain that there are several things that you don’t give your kids because you think they are too unhealthy. So, in a very fun experiment, I asked twenty well-respected, experienced, pediatric nutrition experts what foods they refuse to provide to their own children. The children range from 18 months to 20 years old, and each list I received seemed better than the next.
The top 10 foods experts won’t bring into their home:
Beth Wallace, a registered dietitian at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, has more than six years of experience in providing nutrition care for children and adolescents.
Article 3 of 3 just below
______________________________________________________
The top 10 foods nutrition experts won’t feed their kids
By Beth Wallace
In my quest to make the world of pediatric nutrition less confusing for parents, sometimes the simplest information is left out. Sometimes it seems like all you hear is, “Try this!” or “cook it this way instead.” I know you get a LOT of information about what, when, and how you should feed your kids.
I also know that sometimes you just want to cut through all of the mumbo-jumbo and know what NOT to feed your family. I am certain that there are several things that you don’t give your kids because you think they are too unhealthy. So, in a very fun experiment, I asked twenty well-respected, experienced, pediatric nutrition experts what foods they refuse to provide to their own children. The children range from 18 months to 20 years old, and each list I received seemed better than the next.
The top 10 foods experts won’t bring into their home:
- Sugar sweetened beverages- This was the overwhelming #1 item on everyone’s list and it includes soda, juice drinks, iced tea, lemonade, and powdered drink mixes. These beverages provide no nutrition benefit and are the #1 source of excess calories in adolescent diets. Drinks that were allowed: water (tap for filtered), flavored milk, seltzers, and 100% fruit juice.
- TV dinners and prepackaged lunches- Another selection on almost every list, these items were banned due to high sodium contents, high fat, and minimal nutrition value (vitamins, minerals, and whole grains).
- Packaged breakfast pastries- Whether you toasted them or ate them from the wrapper, these items ranked high due to large amounts of sugar and minimal fiber. Though it’s better than nothing in the morning, the experts preferred alternate convenience items like granola bars made with whole grain oats, fruits, and nuts.
- Sweetened and artificially colored cereals- One dietitian who wrote this on her list said, “if I gave my kids the options of rainbow colored cereals with marshmallows and sprinkles, or a brown whole-grain cereal, guess which one they’d pick every time? That’s why they don’t get the choice.” I couldn’t agree more. Another option: Make sugary cereals a dessert option only, and make sure it’s served in a small bowl.
- Canned pasta meals- Refined white flour pasta mixed with tomatoes, preservatives and canned meats? There’s not much good I can say about this. Consider making some extra servings of your own spaghetti and meatballs, mix in some vegetables, and freeze in single serving containers for easy reheating.
- Fruit cups in syrup- Fruit packed in syrup was an absolute no for the experts. These items were considered more acceptable as long as they were packaged in water or juice.
- Canned meats- These highly processed items were typically too high in fat and sodium for anyone to serve in their own home. An alternative deemed acceptable was canned fish packed in water.
- Chips (of all varieties)- Puffed, fried, or kettle cooked, these items all made the unacceptable list due to the empty calories and ease of overeating. I will admit that the group was realistic about the fact that this was an inevitable item to avoid at many parties.
- Hot dogs- The parents of younger kids were concerned with this item being a big-time choking hazard. Parents of older children had it on their list due to high fat and sodium contents. For both reasons combined, it stayed out of most homes.
- Packaged desserts- Store bought cookies, cupcakes, and other baked goods because they generally contained trans-fats and were loaded with sugar. The other option? Baking treats with your kids so that you know what ingredients are in the product, and to teach them some classic family recipes.
Beth Wallace, a registered dietitian at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, has more than six years of experience in providing nutrition care for children and adolescents.
Article 3 of 3 just below
______________________________________________________
Article 3 of 3
Like Bacon, Sausage and Hot Dogs?
Then Beware: They May Raise Your Risk of Death,
New Study Finds
Click green for further info
You know in your gut (and your gut knows it, too) that bacon is bad for you. And yet you can’t resist. But a new study might make it easier. It found that consuming high amounts of the breakfast favorites and other processed meats can raise your risk of premature death by 44 percent.
The research, conducted by scientists across 10 European countries, included tracking the health of more than 450,000 participants over the course of a decade or more. Of the 26,000-plus who died during those years, the ones who ate the most processed meats—5.5 ounces or more every day of bacon (so, five strips), sausage, hotdogs, salami, ham and the like—were 44 percent more likely to have died than those who ate little or none. In other terms, the meats were to blame in about 1 in 30 deaths, the main causes of which were cancer and heart disease.
Click to read Vegetarians May Have Lower Risk of Heart Disease: Study
The aim of the study, "Meat Consumption and Mortality: Results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition," was to see how eating (1) red meat, (2) poultry and (3) processed meat did or did not increase people’s risk of death.
And while researchers found that
(1) eating lots of poultry was not to blame, and that
(2) consuming red meat was found only slightly to blame,
(3) it was clear that indulging in processed meats was a serious problem.
The good news, though, is that the scientists concluded people could prevent the higher risk of death simply by reducing their intake to less than three-quarters of an ounce of processed meat—about one slice of bacon—daily.
Research participants, recruited between 1992 and 2000 depending on the country, were between 35 and 70 years old, and answered questionnaires about their meat intake and other habits. But because the study was large, researchers were able to separate out factors like smoking and alcohol intake to find that intake of processed meat alone can send you to an early grave.
The study used data only in France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Greece, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. But folks in the US can also take the findings to heart, as recent data shows that Americans consume an average of 4.5 ounces of meat a day, and that 22 percent of that is of the processed variety.
So why are ham and hot dogs so unhealthy, exactly?
“Processed meats such as sausages, salami and bacon have a higher content of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol than fresh red meat,” the study reads, adding that the proportion of fat in sausages often reaches at least 50 percent of the weight.
“Both high saturated fat and cholesterol intake have been found to be related to the risk of coronary heart disease,” the findings continue. “Also, processed meat is treated by salting, curing, or smoking,” with processes that introduce carcinogens or their precursors, such as (1) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons*), (2) heterocyclic aromatic amines and (3) nitrosamines.
Click green for further info
*) (1) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycyclic_aromatic_hydrocarbon
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), also known as poly-aromatic hydrocarbons or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, are potent atmospheric pollutants...
Occurrence and pollution - List of PAHs - Human health - Chemistry
*) (2) heterocyclic aromatic amines
Nitrosamine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrosamine
Nitrosamines are chemical compounds of the chemical structure R1N(-R2)-N=O, most of which are carcinogenic. Contents. 1 Usages; 2 Occurrences; 3 Cancer ...
Usages - Occurrences - Cancer - Examples of nitrosamines
Related:
Click green for an article
10 Delicious Cupcakes You
Can a Vegan Diet Prevent Cancer?
Do Married People—Especially Women—Have Healthier Hearts? Yes, New Study Finds.
________________________
Comment on 3/7/13 put in the internet for the above article:
Like Bacon, Sausage and Hot Dogs? Then Beware: They May Raise Your Risk of Death, New Study Finds
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
Quotation: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
Another quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't - it kills".
Some basic facts for good health and a long life are: healthy nutrition, enough sleep, enough fresh water daily (min. 50 % of your weight in ounces, max. 100 %), physical activity, good social/family life, life with purposeful goals & our genetic factors (we can beat the negative ones quite well).
STAF, Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use. Worldwide, the same new program fits for every nation's use.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research and the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. It is a program that, for the first time ever, covers all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges and in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health and to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy what-to-eat instructions. All new recipes - delicious, delicious. You are not going to walk around feeling hungry. You can even visit, now and then, a casino buffet, if you so wish.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. Based on the new program's detailed guidance, you buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
How much are your food expenses time being? Probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. This means: everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar. The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President & The First Lady, The U.S. Congress & Senate, and to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a fully new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency, and to be named its first federal director. New legislation and training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner. STAF, Inc.'s slogan is: Less suffering - more life™
In STAF, Inc.'s website at the top of most tabs is a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see the full purpose & the mission statements of the organization.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s website, use its Radio Show title "DrDrCanYouHelpMe in the internet search - lower & upper keys as in the show title.
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
___________________________________________________
Like Bacon, Sausage and Hot Dogs?
Then Beware: They May Raise Your Risk of Death,
New Study Finds
Click green for further info
You know in your gut (and your gut knows it, too) that bacon is bad for you. And yet you can’t resist. But a new study might make it easier. It found that consuming high amounts of the breakfast favorites and other processed meats can raise your risk of premature death by 44 percent.
The research, conducted by scientists across 10 European countries, included tracking the health of more than 450,000 participants over the course of a decade or more. Of the 26,000-plus who died during those years, the ones who ate the most processed meats—5.5 ounces or more every day of bacon (so, five strips), sausage, hotdogs, salami, ham and the like—were 44 percent more likely to have died than those who ate little or none. In other terms, the meats were to blame in about 1 in 30 deaths, the main causes of which were cancer and heart disease.
Click to read Vegetarians May Have Lower Risk of Heart Disease: Study
The aim of the study, "Meat Consumption and Mortality: Results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition," was to see how eating (1) red meat, (2) poultry and (3) processed meat did or did not increase people’s risk of death.
And while researchers found that
(1) eating lots of poultry was not to blame, and that
(2) consuming red meat was found only slightly to blame,
(3) it was clear that indulging in processed meats was a serious problem.
The good news, though, is that the scientists concluded people could prevent the higher risk of death simply by reducing their intake to less than three-quarters of an ounce of processed meat—about one slice of bacon—daily.
Research participants, recruited between 1992 and 2000 depending on the country, were between 35 and 70 years old, and answered questionnaires about their meat intake and other habits. But because the study was large, researchers were able to separate out factors like smoking and alcohol intake to find that intake of processed meat alone can send you to an early grave.
The study used data only in France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Greece, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. But folks in the US can also take the findings to heart, as recent data shows that Americans consume an average of 4.5 ounces of meat a day, and that 22 percent of that is of the processed variety.
So why are ham and hot dogs so unhealthy, exactly?
“Processed meats such as sausages, salami and bacon have a higher content of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol than fresh red meat,” the study reads, adding that the proportion of fat in sausages often reaches at least 50 percent of the weight.
“Both high saturated fat and cholesterol intake have been found to be related to the risk of coronary heart disease,” the findings continue. “Also, processed meat is treated by salting, curing, or smoking,” with processes that introduce carcinogens or their precursors, such as (1) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons*), (2) heterocyclic aromatic amines and (3) nitrosamines.
Click green for further info
*) (1) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycyclic_aromatic_hydrocarbon
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), also known as poly-aromatic hydrocarbons or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, are potent atmospheric pollutants...
Occurrence and pollution - List of PAHs - Human health - Chemistry
*) (2) heterocyclic aromatic amines
- Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk ...
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cooked-meats
Oct 15, 2010 – Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemicals formed when muscle meat, including beef, pork, fish, ...
Heterocyclic amine formation in meat - Wikipedia, the free ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heterocyclic_amine_formation_in_meat
Heterocyclic amines are a group of 20 chemical compounds formed during .... Formation and biochemistry of carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines in ...
Heterocyclic Amines, Meat, and ... - Table 1. Chemical names and ...
Nitrosamine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrosamine
Nitrosamines are chemical compounds of the chemical structure R1N(-R2)-N=O, most of which are carcinogenic. Contents. 1 Usages; 2 Occurrences; 3 Cancer ...
Usages - Occurrences - Cancer - Examples of nitrosamines
Related:
Click green for an article
10 Delicious Cupcakes You
Can a Vegan Diet Prevent Cancer?
Do Married People—Especially Women—Have Healthier Hearts? Yes, New Study Finds.
________________________
Comment on 3/7/13 put in the internet for the above article:
Like Bacon, Sausage and Hot Dogs? Then Beware: They May Raise Your Risk of Death, New Study Finds
Comment by Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
By Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
Quotation: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants, not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
Another quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it, if it was made in a plant, don't - it kills".
Some basic facts for good health and a long life are: healthy nutrition, enough sleep, enough fresh water daily (min. 50 % of your weight in ounces, max. 100 %), physical activity, good social/family life, life with purposeful goals & our genetic factors (we can beat the negative ones quite well).
STAF, Inc. has developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use. Worldwide, the same new program fits for every nation's use.
Totally it took 26 years to develop, first 19 years worldwide research and the past 7 years to modify it for the U.S. needs. It is a program that, for the first time ever, covers all necessary elements to get the lasting results in all family related challenges and in our rampant obesity, overweight & sickness levels. Its nutritional program leading to health and to a longer life is at the same time an automatic weight loss program: nothing to buy, no calories to count, no unreasonable portion control - eat as needed; just follow the easy what-to-eat instructions. All new recipes - delicious, delicious. You are not going to walk around feeling hungry. You can even visit, now and then, a casino buffet, if you so wish.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients in the correct combination costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly. Based on the new program's detailed guidance, you buy your food ingredients in your local supermarket & prepare your food in your own kitchen based on the new, delicious recipes. The bigger the family, the less $ per/person. Only a program everyone can afford is a solution to our nation's health challenges.
How much are your food expenses time being? Probably many times more than in this new STAF, Inc.'s results bringing program. This means: everyone can afford this amazing program whether one works on the minimum salary or lives on the social security or similar. The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time.
The new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition program will, in a televised D.C. event, be introduced to our nation, to The W.H., The President & The First Lady, The U.S. Congress & Senate, and to all related federal agencies.
STAF, Inc.'s presence is needed in D.C. in the U.S. Congress (House & Senate). STAF, Inc.'s founding President is planning (1) to seek a seat in D.C. Congress/Senate to provide the necessary information to the D.C. lawmakers and (2) to establish a fully new federal agency, Healthy Lifestyle & Family Success Agency, and to be named its first federal director. New legislation and training for all these matters are needed in a results-bringing manner. STAF, Inc.'s slogan is: Less suffering - more life™
In STAF, Inc.'s website at the top of most tabs is a link to study the original STAF, Inc.'s founding documents to see the full purpose & the mission statements of the organization.
Listen to STAF, Inc.'s popular Radio Shows - you'll get free CEU & College-University credits nationwide or worldwide. To visit STAF, Inc.'s website, use its Radio Show title "DrDrCanYouHelpMe in the internet search - lower & upper keys as in the show title.
Respectfully,
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D.
STAF. Inc.'s founding President
___________________________________________________
Reliable, excellent info - latest science statements - apply
9 Tips for a Longer Life that You Shouldn’t Be Following
Click green for further info
Extend Your Life
"Stop drinking coffee and alcohol." "Take an aspirin daily." How many times have you heard that advice for adding years to your life? Turns out, lots of long-held wisdom just isn't true. Read on to see which suggestions you should ignore and what actually ups longevity.
1. Lay off the java.
You've probably read that multiple cups of coffee a day can be bad for you (jitter city), but research published in the New England Journal of Medicine may prove the opposite. Male and female participants who had two or three cups a day and didn't smoke were 10% and 13% less likely, respectively, to have died during the 14-year-long study than those who never or rarely drank coffee. Men and women who drank a single daily cup were 6% and 5% less likely, respectively, to pass away. According to the researchers, more cups mean a lower risk of stroke, diabetes and heart and respiratory disease. But watch the cream and sugar-extra fat and calories could negate any longevity benefits.
Click: 8 Foods That Fight Stress and Anxiety
2. Get eight hours of sleep every night.
While research suggests snoozing fewer than six or more than nine hours a night raises your mortality risk, "everyone has different sleep needs," says Shelby Harris, PsyD, director of the behavioral sleep medicine program at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. So if you wake naturally after only, say, six-and-a-half hours a night, forcing yourself to reach eight hours won't lengthen your life. To learn how much sleep you need, try awakening without an alarm for a week, if you can swing it. If you feel good and have enough energy most of the day, you've found your ideal amount of rest.
3. Lower your body mass index (BMI).
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, weighing a little more can lengthen your life span. Adults with a BMI that qualified them as overweight but not obese (that's between 25 and 29.9) were 6% less likely than all others in their age groups to die. While BMI isn't always an accurate measurement of a person's health risks, registered dietitian Jen Brewer, author of Stop Dieting and Start Losing Weight, says if the extra weight comes from muscle mass, you're more likely to have lower cholesterol levels and a better ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol). It may also lower your risk for life-threatening heart disease, stroke and diabetes. And that's good for staying alive.
4. Don't worry, be happy.
Actually, being a glass-half-empty kind of person may keep you kicking longer. In a study published in Psychology and Aging, 65- to 96-year-olds who thought life would get worse outlived those who anticipated better days ahead. "Our findings revealed that being overly optimistic was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," says lead author Frieder R. Lang, PhD, of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. "Pessimism about the future may encourage people to take health and safety precautions."
5. Take a daily aspirin.
Popping that pill can help you live longer by preventing heart attacks, strokes and even cancer-right? "If you're a healthy, 45-year-old female, it may not make a difference," says Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at New York University's Langone Medical Center in New York City. In fact, taking a daily aspirin can lead to bleeding, allergies and upset stomach. Ask your doctor if you can skip the pill, suggests Dr. Goldberg.
Click: 9 Bad Habits That Are Actually Good For You
6. Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Once believed to be the amount everyone needs for proper hydration, a longevity essential, a 2002 study from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, NH, debunked the 8X8 rule. As Dr. Goldberg explains, "there's no magic number of glasses," emphasizing it's more about getting fluids, not necessarily from straight-up H20. Herbal tea and juices are hydration helpers (though soda isn't), but fruits and vegetables (like celery and leafy greens) are an even healthier way to get your liquids.
7. Milk does the body good.
You're taught that drinking it by the glassful keeps bones healthy and prevents fatal injuries. Yet a12-year-long Harvard study found that women who drink milk three times a day break more bones than women who drink less than one glass of milk per week. While lowfat dairy may agree with you, calcium is what's key for strong bones. You can get it from leafy greens, beans, vitamin D (sunshine!) and even lifting weights.
8. Cut out booze.
A daily glass of wine not only can help your heart but also add years to your life. University of Texas at Austin researchers found that moderate drinking, such as a small glass of wine (about four ounces) a day, reduces mortality among older and middle-aged adults. Dr. Goldberg says it's because heart disease is the leading killer of women, and wine is chockfull of antioxidants, which prevent serious sickness. So fill 'er up-without overflowing that glass.
Related: Anti-Aging Treatments For Your Youngest Skin Ever
9. Take a multivitamin.
Even though half of all adults pop one, the 2011 Iowa Women's Health Study found that women taking multivitamins don't live longer than those who get their nutrients from food alone. Only calcium supplements are linked to a lower death risk, with 37% of users dying compared to 43% of nonusers in the study. Researchers' conclusion: Get the vitamins and minerals from fruit and vegetables, not capsules.
Click green title (if link expired - search the web with the title):
9 Fights to Have with Your Husband
25 Top Ways To Improve A Long-Term Relationship
6 All-Natural Beauty Fixes
8 Surprising Health Benefits of Sex
Click green for further info
_____________________________________________________
9 Tips for a Longer Life that You Shouldn’t Be Following
Click green for further info
Extend Your Life
"Stop drinking coffee and alcohol." "Take an aspirin daily." How many times have you heard that advice for adding years to your life? Turns out, lots of long-held wisdom just isn't true. Read on to see which suggestions you should ignore and what actually ups longevity.
1. Lay off the java.
You've probably read that multiple cups of coffee a day can be bad for you (jitter city), but research published in the New England Journal of Medicine may prove the opposite. Male and female participants who had two or three cups a day and didn't smoke were 10% and 13% less likely, respectively, to have died during the 14-year-long study than those who never or rarely drank coffee. Men and women who drank a single daily cup were 6% and 5% less likely, respectively, to pass away. According to the researchers, more cups mean a lower risk of stroke, diabetes and heart and respiratory disease. But watch the cream and sugar-extra fat and calories could negate any longevity benefits.
Click: 8 Foods That Fight Stress and Anxiety
2. Get eight hours of sleep every night.
While research suggests snoozing fewer than six or more than nine hours a night raises your mortality risk, "everyone has different sleep needs," says Shelby Harris, PsyD, director of the behavioral sleep medicine program at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. So if you wake naturally after only, say, six-and-a-half hours a night, forcing yourself to reach eight hours won't lengthen your life. To learn how much sleep you need, try awakening without an alarm for a week, if you can swing it. If you feel good and have enough energy most of the day, you've found your ideal amount of rest.
3. Lower your body mass index (BMI).
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, weighing a little more can lengthen your life span. Adults with a BMI that qualified them as overweight but not obese (that's between 25 and 29.9) were 6% less likely than all others in their age groups to die. While BMI isn't always an accurate measurement of a person's health risks, registered dietitian Jen Brewer, author of Stop Dieting and Start Losing Weight, says if the extra weight comes from muscle mass, you're more likely to have lower cholesterol levels and a better ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) to LDL (bad cholesterol). It may also lower your risk for life-threatening heart disease, stroke and diabetes. And that's good for staying alive.
4. Don't worry, be happy.
Actually, being a glass-half-empty kind of person may keep you kicking longer. In a study published in Psychology and Aging, 65- to 96-year-olds who thought life would get worse outlived those who anticipated better days ahead. "Our findings revealed that being overly optimistic was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," says lead author Frieder R. Lang, PhD, of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. "Pessimism about the future may encourage people to take health and safety precautions."
5. Take a daily aspirin.
Popping that pill can help you live longer by preventing heart attacks, strokes and even cancer-right? "If you're a healthy, 45-year-old female, it may not make a difference," says Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at New York University's Langone Medical Center in New York City. In fact, taking a daily aspirin can lead to bleeding, allergies and upset stomach. Ask your doctor if you can skip the pill, suggests Dr. Goldberg.
Click: 9 Bad Habits That Are Actually Good For You
6. Drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Once believed to be the amount everyone needs for proper hydration, a longevity essential, a 2002 study from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, NH, debunked the 8X8 rule. As Dr. Goldberg explains, "there's no magic number of glasses," emphasizing it's more about getting fluids, not necessarily from straight-up H20. Herbal tea and juices are hydration helpers (though soda isn't), but fruits and vegetables (like celery and leafy greens) are an even healthier way to get your liquids.
7. Milk does the body good.
You're taught that drinking it by the glassful keeps bones healthy and prevents fatal injuries. Yet a12-year-long Harvard study found that women who drink milk three times a day break more bones than women who drink less than one glass of milk per week. While lowfat dairy may agree with you, calcium is what's key for strong bones. You can get it from leafy greens, beans, vitamin D (sunshine!) and even lifting weights.
8. Cut out booze.
A daily glass of wine not only can help your heart but also add years to your life. University of Texas at Austin researchers found that moderate drinking, such as a small glass of wine (about four ounces) a day, reduces mortality among older and middle-aged adults. Dr. Goldberg says it's because heart disease is the leading killer of women, and wine is chockfull of antioxidants, which prevent serious sickness. So fill 'er up-without overflowing that glass.
Related: Anti-Aging Treatments For Your Youngest Skin Ever
9. Take a multivitamin.
Even though half of all adults pop one, the 2011 Iowa Women's Health Study found that women taking multivitamins don't live longer than those who get their nutrients from food alone. Only calcium supplements are linked to a lower death risk, with 37% of users dying compared to 43% of nonusers in the study. Researchers' conclusion: Get the vitamins and minerals from fruit and vegetables, not capsules.
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The Burger That Shattered Her Life
The burger paralyzed her, she was in coma for 9 weeks, she could no longer walk, most like never will, say her doctors
Ms. Smith, 22, was found to have a severe form of food-borne illness caused by E. coli
WARNING: stop eating fast-food, it's no food - it is bad food and not fit for any human being
By MICHAEL MOSS
In 2010, Mr. Michael Moss won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for his investigation of the dangers of contaminated meat. Mr. Moss’s hamburger article was the centerpiece of a body of work focused on surprising and troubling holes in the system to keep food safe. (see for more details at the end of this article)
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Stephanie Smith, a children’s dance instructor, thought she had a stomach virus. The aches and cramping were tolerable that first day, and she finished her classes.
Then her diarrhea turned bloody. Her kidneys shut down. Seizures knocked her unconscious. The convulsions grew so relentless that doctors had to put her in a coma for nine weeks. When she emerged, she could no longer walk. The affliction had ravaged her nervous system and left her paralyzed.
Ms. Smith, 22, was found to have a severe form of food-borne illness caused by E. coli, which Minnesota officials traced to the hamburger that her mother had grilled for their Sunday dinner in early fall 2007.
“I ask myself every day, ‘Why me?’ and ‘Why from a hamburger?’ ”Ms. Smith said. In the simplest terms, she ran out of luck in a food-safety game of chance whose rules and risks are not widely known.
Meat companies and grocers have been barred from selling ground beef tainted by the virulent strain of E. coli known as O157:H7 since 1994, after an outbreak at Jack in the Box restaurants left four children dead. Yet tens of thousands of people are still sickened annually by this pathogen, federal health officials estimate, with hamburger being the biggest culprit. Ground beef has been blamed for 16 outbreaks in the last three years alone, including the one that left Ms. Smith paralyzed from the waist down. This summer, contamination led to the recall of beef from nearly 3,000 grocers in 41 states.
Ms. Smith’s reaction to the virulent strain of E. coli was extreme, but tracing the story of her burger, through interviews and government and corporate records obtained by The New York Times, shows why eating ground beef is still a gamble. Neither the system meant to make the meat safe, nor the meat itself, is what consumers have been led to believe.
Ground beef is usually not simply a chunk of meat run through a grinder. Instead, records and interviews show, a single portion of hamburger meat is often an amalgam of various grades of meat from different parts of cows and even from different slaughterhouses. These cuts of meat are particularly vulnerable to E. coli contamination, food experts and officials say. Despite this, there is no federal requirement for grinders to test their ingredients for the pathogen.
The frozen hamburgers that the Smiths ate, which were made by the food giant Cargill, were labeled “American Chef’s Selection Angus Beef Patties.” Yet confidential grinding logs and other Cargill records show that the hamburgers were made from a mix of slaughterhouse trimmings and a mash-like product derived from scraps that were ground together at a plant in Wisconsin. The ingredients came from slaughterhouses in Nebraska, Texas and Uruguay, and from a South Dakota company that processes fatty trimmings and treats them with ammonia to kill bacteria.
Using a combination of sources — a practice followed by most large producers of fresh and packaged hamburger — allowed Cargill to spend about 25 percent less than it would have for cuts of whole meat.
Those low-grade ingredients are cut from areas of the cow that are more likely to have had contact with feces, which carries E. coli, industry research shows. Yet Cargill, like most meat companies, relies on its suppliers to check for the bacteria and does its own testing only after the ingredients are ground together. The United States Department of Agriculture, which allows grinders to devise their own safety plans, has encouraged them to test ingredients first as a way of increasing the chance of finding contamination.
Unwritten agreements between some companies appear to stand in the way of ingredient testing. Many big slaughterhouses will sell only to grinders who agree not to test their shipments for E. coli, according to officials at two large grinding companies. Slaughterhouses fear that one grinder’s discovery of E. coli will set off a recall of ingredients they sold to others.
“Ground beef is not a completely safe product,” said Dr. Jeffrey Bender, a food safety expert at the University of Minnesota who helped develop systems for tracing E. coli contamination. He said that while outbreaks had been on the decline, “unfortunately it looks like we are going a bit in the opposite direction.”
Food scientists have registered increasing concern about the virulence of this pathogen since only a few stray cells can make someone sick, and they warn that federal guidance to cook meat thoroughly and to wash up afterward is not sufficient. A test by The Times found that the safe handling instructions are not enough to prevent the bacteria from spreading in the kitchen.
Cargill, whose $116.6 billion in revenues last year made it the country’s largest private company, declined requests to interview company officials or visit its facilities. “Cargill is not in a position to answer your specific questions, other than to state that we are committed to continuous improvement in the area of food safety,” the company said, citing continuing litigation.
The meat industry treats much of its practices and the ingredients in ground beef as trade secrets. While the Department of Agriculture has inspectors posted in plants and has access to production records, it also guards those secrets. Federal records released by the department through the Freedom of Information Act blacked out details of Cargill’s grinding operation that could be learned only through copies of the documents obtained from other sources. Those documents illustrate the restrained approach to enforcement by a department whose missions include ensuring meat safety and promoting agriculture markets.
Within weeks of the Cargill outbreak in 2007, U.S.D.A. officials swept across the country, conducting spot checks at 224 meat plants to assess their efforts to combat E. coli. Although inspectors had been monitoring these plants all along, officials found serious problems at 55 that were failing to follow their own safety plans.
“Every time we look, we find out that things are not what we hoped they would be,” said Loren D. Lange, an executive associate in the Agriculture Department’s food safety division.
In the weeks before Ms. Smith’s patty was made, federal inspectors had repeatedly found that Cargill was violating its own safety procedures in handling ground beef, but they imposed no fines or sanctions, records show. After the outbreak, the department threatened to withhold the seal of approval that declares “U.S. Inspected and Passed by the Department of Agriculture.”
In the end, though, the agency accepted Cargill’s proposal to increase its scrutiny of suppliers. That agreement came early last year after contentious negotiations, records show. When Cargill defended its safety system and initially resisted making some changes, anagency official wrote back: “How is food safety not the ultimate issue?”
The Risk
On Aug. 16, 2007, the day Ms. Smith’s hamburger was made, the No.3 grinder at the Cargill plant in Butler, Wis., started up at 6:50 a.m. The largest ingredient was beef trimmings known as “50/50” — half fat, half meat — that cost about 60 cents a pound, making them the cheapest component.
Cargill bought these trimmings — fatty edges sliced from better cuts of meat — from Greater Omaha Packing, where some 2,600 cattle are slaughtered daily and processed in a plant the size of four football fields.
As with other slaughterhouses, the potential for contamination is present every step of the way, according to workers and federal inspectors. The cattle often arrive with smears of feedlot feces that harbor the E. coli pathogen, and the hide must be removed carefully to keep it off the meat. This is especially critical for trimmings sliced from the outer surface of the carcass.
Federal inspectors based at the plant are supposed to monitor the hide removal, but much can go wrong. Workers slicing away the hide can inadvertently spread feces to the meat, and large clamps that hold the hide during processing sometimes slip and smear the meat with feces, the workers and inspectors say.
Greater Omaha vacuums and washes carcasses with hot water and lactic acid before sending them to the cutting floor. But these safeguards are not foolproof.
“As the trimmings are going down the processing line into combos or boxes, no one is inspecting every single piece,” said one federal inspector who monitored Greater Omaha and requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
The E. coli risk is also present at the gutting station, where intestines are removed, the inspector said
Every five seconds or so, half of a carcass moves into the meat-cutting side of the slaughterhouse, where trimmers said they could keep up with the flow unless they spot any remaining feces.
“We would step in and stop the line, and do whatever you do to take it off,” said Esley Adams, a former supervisor who said he was fired this summer after 16 years following a dispute over sick leave. “But that doesn’t mean everything was caught.”
Two current employees said the flow of carcasses keeps up its torrid pace even when trimmers get reassigned, which increases pressure on workers. To protest one such episode, the employees said, dozens of workers walked off the job for a few hours earlier this year. Last year, workers sued Greater Omaha, alleging that they were not paid for the time they need to clean contaminants off their knives and other gear before and after their shifts. The company is contesting the lawsuit.
Greater Omaha did not respond to repeated requests to interview company officials. In a statement, a company official said Greater Omaha had a “reputation for embracing new food safety technology and utilizing science to make the safest product possible.”
The Trimmings
In making hamburger meat, grinders aim for a specific fat content — 26.6 percent in the lot that Ms. Smith’s patty came from, company records show. To offset Greater Omaha’s 50/50 trimmings, Cargill added leaner material from three other suppliers.
Records show that some came from a Texas slaughterhouse, Lone Star Beef Processors, which specializes in dairy cows and bulls too old to be fattened in feedlots. In a form letter dated two days before Ms. Smith’s patty was made, Lone Star recounted for Cargill its various safety measures but warned “to this date there is no guarantee for pathogen-free raw material and we would like to stress the importance of proper handling of all raw products.”
Ms. Smith’s burger also contained trimmings from a slaughterhouse in Uruguay, where government officials insist that they have never found E. coli O157:H7 in meat. Yet audits of Uruguay’s meat operations conducted by the U.S.D.A. have found sanitation problems, including improper testing for the pathogen. Dr. Hector J. Lazaneo, a meat safety official in Uruguay, said the problems were corrected immediately. “Everything is fine, finally,” he said. “That is the reason we are exporting.”
Cargill’s final source was a supplier that turns fatty trimmings into what it calls “fine lean textured beef.” The company, Beef Products Inc., said it bought meat that averages between 50 percent and 70 percent fat, including “any small pieces of fat derived from the normal breakdown of the beef carcass.” It warms the trimmings, removes the fat in a centrifuge and treats the remaining product with ammonia to kill E. coli.
With seven million pounds produced each week, the company’s product is widely used in hamburger meat sold by grocers and fast-food restaurants and served in the federal school lunch program. Ten percent of Ms. Smith’s burger came from Beef Products, which charged Cargill about $1.20 per pound, or 20 cents less than the lean trimmings in the burger, billing records show.
An Iowa State University study financed by Beef Products found that ammonia reduces E. coli to levels that cannot be detected. The Department of Agriculture accepted the research as proof that the treatment was effective and safe. And Cargill told the agency after the outbreak that it had ruled out Beef Products as the possible source of contamination.
But federal school lunch officials found E. coli in Beef Products material in 2006 and 2008 and again in August, and stopped it from going to schools, according to Agriculture Department records and interviews. A Beef Products official, Richard Jochum, said that last year’s contamination stemmed from a “minor change in our process,” which the company adjusted. The company did not respond to questions about the latest finding.
In combining the ingredients, Cargill was following a common industry practice of mixing trim from various suppliers to hit the desired fat content for the least money, industry officials said.
In all, the ingredients for Ms. Smith’s burger cost Cargill about $1 a pound, company records show, or about 30 cents less than industry experts say it would cost for ground beef made from whole cuts of meat.
Ground beef sold by most grocers is made from a blend of ingredients, industry officials said. Agriculture Department regulations also allow hamburger meat labeled ground chuck or sirloin to contain trimmings from those parts of the cow. At a chain like Publix Super Markets, customers who want hamburger made from whole cuts of meat have to buy a steak and have it specially ground, said a Publix spokeswoman, Maria Brous, or buy a product like Bubba Burgers, which boasts on its labeling, “100% whole muscle means no trimmings.”
To finish off the Smiths’ ground beef, Cargill added bread crumbs and spices, fashioned it into patties, froze them and packed them 18 to a carton.
The listed ingredients revealed little of how the meat was made. There was just one meat product listed: “Beef.”
Tension Over Testing
As it fed ingredients into its grinders, Cargill watched for some unwanted elements. Using metal detectors, workers snagged stray nails and metal hooks that could damage the grinders, then warned suppliers to make sure it did not happen again.
But when it came to E. coli O157:H7, Cargill did not screen the ingredients and only tested once the grinding was done. The potential pitfall of this practice surfaced just weeks before Ms. Smith’s patty was made. A company spot check in May 2007 found E. coli in finished hamburger, which Cargill disclosed to investigators in the wake of the October outbreak. But Cargill told them it could not determine which supplier had shipped the tainted meat since the ingredients had already been mixed together.
“Our finished ground products typically contain raw materials from numerous suppliers,” Dr. Angela Siemens, the technical services vice president for Cargill’s meat division, wrote to the U.S.D.A. “Consequently, it is not possible to implicate a specific supplier without first observing a pattern of potential contamination.”
Testing has been a point of contention since the 1994 ban on selling ground beef contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 was imposed. The department moved to require some bacterial testing of ground beef, but the industry argued that the cost would unfairly burden small producers, industry officials said. The Agriculture Department opted to carry out its own tests for E. coli, but it acknowledges that its 15,000 spot checks a year at thousands of meat plants and groceries nationwide is not meant to be comprehensive. Many slaughterhouses and processors have voluntarily adopted testing regimes, yet they vary greatly in scope from plant to plant.
The retail giant Costco is one of the few big producers that tests trimmings for E. coli before grinding, a practice it adopted after a New York woman was sickened in 1998 by its hamburger meat, prompting a recall.
Craig Wilson, Costco’s food safety director, said the company decided it could not rely on its suppliers alone. “It’s incumbent upon us,” he said. “If you say, ‘Craig, this is what we’ve done,’ I should be able to go, ‘Cool, I believe you.’ But I’m going to check.”
Costco said it had found E. coli in foreign and domestic beef trimmings and pressured suppliers to fix the problem. But even Costco, with its huge buying power, said it had met resistance from some big slaughterhouses. “Tyson will not supply us,” Mr. Wilson said. “They don’t want us to test.”
A Tyson spokesman, Gary Mickelson, would not respond to Costco’s accusation, but said, “We do not and cannot” prohibit grinders from testing ingredients. He added that since Tyson tests samples of its trimmings, “we don’t believe secondary testing by grinders is a necessity.”
The food safety officer at American Foodservice, which grinds 365 million pounds of hamburger a year, said it stopped testing trimmings a decade ago because of resistance from slaughterhouses. “They would not sell to us,” said Timothy P. Biela, the officer. “If I test and it’s positive, I put them in a regulatory situation. One, I have to tell the government, and two, the government will trace it back to them. So we don’t do that.”
The surge in outbreaks since 2007 has led to finger-pointing within the industry.
Dennis R. Johnson, a lobbyist for the largest meat processors, has said that not all slaughterhouses are looking hard enough for contamination. He told U.S.D.A. officials last fall that those with aggressive testing programs typically find E. coli in as much as 1 percent to 2 percent of their trimmings, yet some slaughterhouses implicated in outbreaks had failed to find any.
At the same time, the meat processing industry has resisted taking the onus on itself. An Agriculture Department survey of more than 2,000 plants taken after the Cargill outbreak showed that half of the grinders did not test their finished ground beef for E. coli; only 6 percent said they tested incoming ingredients at least four times a year.
In October 2007, the agency issued a notice recommending that processors conduct at least a few tests a year to verify the testing done by slaughterhouses. But after resistance from the industry, the department allowed suppliers to run the verification checks on their own operations.
In August 2008, the U.S.D.A. issued a draft guideline again urging, but not ordering, processors to test ingredients before grinding. “Optimally, every production lot should be sampled and tested before leaving the supplier and again before use at the receiver,” the draft guideline said.
But the department received critical comments on the guideline, which has not been made official. Industry officials said that the cost of testing could unfairly burden small processors and that slaughterhouses already test. In an October 2008 letter to the department, the American Association of Meat Processors said the proposed guideline departed from U.S.D.A.’s strategy of allowing companies to devise their own safety programs, “thus returning to more of the agency’s ‘command and control’ mind-set.”
Dr. Kenneth Petersen, an assistant administrator with the department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, said that the department could mandate testing, but that it needed to consider the impact on companies as well as consumers. “I have to look at the entire industry, not just what is best for public health,” Dr. Petersen said.
Tracing the Illness
The Smiths were slow to suspect the hamburger. Ms. Smith ate a mostly vegetarian diet, and when she grew increasingly ill, her mother, Sharon, thought the cause might be spinach, which had been tied to a recent E. coli outbreak.
Five days after the family’s Sunday dinner, Ms. Smith was admitted to St. Cloud Hospital in excruciating pain. “I’ve had women tell me that E. coli is more painful than childbirth,” said Dr. Phillip I. Tarr, a pathogen expert at Washington University in St. Louis.
The vast majority of E. coli illnesses resolve themselves without complications, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Five percent to 10 percent develop into a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can affect kidney function. While most patients recover, in the worst cases, like Ms. Smith’s, the toxin in E. coli O157:H7 penetrates the colon wall, damaging blood vessels and causing clots that can lead to seizures.
To control Ms. Smith’s seizures, doctors put her in a coma and flew her to the Mayo Clinic, where doctors worked to save her.
“They didn’t even think her brain would work because of the seizuring,” her mother said. “Thanksgiving Day, I was sitting there holding her hand when a group of doctors came in, and one looked at me and just walked away, with nothing good to say. And I said, ‘Oh my God, maybe this is my last Thanksgiving with her,’ and I stayed and prayed.”
Ms. Smith’s illness was linked to the hamburger only by chance. Her aunt still had some of the frozen patties, and state health officials found that they were contaminated with a powerful strain of E. coli that was genetically identical to the pathogen that had sickened other Minnesotans.
Dr. Kirk Smith, who runs the state’s food-borne illness outbreak group and is not related to Ms. Smith, was quick to finger the source. A 4-year-old had fallen ill three weeks earlier, followed by her year-old brother and two more children, state records show. Like Ms. Smith, the others had eaten Cargill patties bought at Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart.
Moreover, the state officials discovered that the hamburgers were made on the same day, Aug. 16, 2007, shortly before noon. The time stamp on the Smiths’ box of patties was 11:58.
On Friday, Oct. 5, 2007, a Minnesota Health Department warning led local news broadcasts. “We didn’t want people grilling these things over the weekend,” Dr. Smith said. “I’m positive we prevented illnesses. People sent us dozens of cartons with patties left. It was pretty contaminated stuff.”
Eventually, health officials tied 11 cases of illness in Minnesota to the Cargill outbreak, and altogether, federal health officials estimate that the outbreak sickened 940 people. Four of the 11 Minnesota victims developed hemolytic uremic syndrome — an unusually high rate of serious complications.
In the wake of the outbreak, the U.S.D.A. reminded consumers on its Web site that hamburgers had to be cooked to 160 degrees to be sure any E. coli is killed and urged them to use a thermometer to check the temperature. This reinforced Sharon Smith’s concern that she had sickened her daughter by not cooking the hamburger thoroughly.
But the pathogen is so powerful that her illness could have started with just a few cells left on a counter. “In a warm kitchen, E. coli cells will double every 45 minutes,” said Dr. Mansour Samadpour, a microbiologist who runs IEH Laboratories in Seattle, one of the meat industry’s largest testing firms.
With help from his laboratories, The Times prepared three pounds of ground beef dosed with a strain of E. coli that is nonharmful but acts in many ways like O157:H7. Although the safety instructions on the package were followed, E. coli remained on the cutting board even after it was washed with soap. A towel picked up large amounts of bacteria from the meat.
Dr. James Marsden, a meat safety expert at Kansas State University and senior science adviser for the North American Meat Processors Association, said the Department of Agriculture needed to issue better guidance on avoiding cross-contamination, like urging people to use bleach to sterilize cutting boards. “Even if you are a scientist, much less a housewife with a child, it’s very difficult,” Dr. Marsden said.
Told of The Times’s test, Jerold R. Mande, the deputy under secretary for food safety at the U.S.D.A., said he planned to “look very carefully at the labels that we oversee.”
“They need to provide the right information to people,” Mr. Mande said, “in a way that is readable and actionable.”
Dead Ends
With Ms. Smith lying comatose in the hospital and others ill around the country, Cargill announced on Oct. 6, 2007, that it was recalling 844,812 pounds of patties. The mix of ingredients in the burgers made it almost impossible for either federal officials or Cargill to trace the contamination to a specific slaughterhouse. Yet after the outbreak, Cargill had new incentives to find out which supplier had sent the tainted meat.
Cargill got hit by multimillion-dollar claims from people who got sick.
Shawn K. Stevens, a lawyer in Milwaukee working for Cargill, began investigating. Sifting through state health department records from around the nation, Mr. Stevens found the case of a young girl in Hawaii stricken with the same E. coli found in the Cargill patties. But instead of a Cargill burger, she had eaten raw minced beef at a Japanese restaurant that Mr. Stevens said he traced through a distributor to Greater Omaha.
“Potentially, it could let Cargill shift all the responsibility,” Mr. Stevens said. In March, he sent his findings to William Marler, a lawyer in Seattle who specializes in food-borne disease cases and is handling the claims against Cargill.
“Most of the time, in these outbreaks, it’s not unusual when I point the finger at somebody, they try to point the finger at somebody else,” Mr. Marler said. But he said Mr. Stevens’s finding “doesn’t rise to the level of proof that I need” to sue Greater Omaha.
It is unclear whether Cargill presented the Hawaii findings to Greater Omaha, since neither company would comment on the matter. In December 2007, in a move that Greater Omaha said was unrelated to the outbreak, the slaughterhouse informed Cargill that it had taken 16 “corrective actions” to better protect consumers from E. coli “as we strive to live up to the performance standards required in the continuation of supplier relationship with Cargill.”
Those changes included better monitoring of the production line, more robust testing for E. coli, intensified plant sanitation and added employee training.
The U.S.D.A. efforts to find the ultimate source of the contamination went nowhere. Officials examined production records of Cargill’s three domestic suppliers, but they yielded no clues. The Agriculture Department contacted Uruguayan officials, who said they found nothing amiss in the slaughterhouse there.
In examining Cargill, investigators discovered that their own inspectors had lodged complaints about unsanitary conditions at the plant in the weeks before the outbreak, but that they had failed to set off any alarms within the department. Inspectors had found “large amounts of patties on the floor,” grinders that were gnarly with old bits of meat, and a worker who routinely dumped inedible meat on the floor close to a production line, records show.
Although none were likely to have caused the contamination, federal officials said the conditions could have exacerbated the spread of bacteria. Cargill vowed to correct the problems. Dr. Petersen, the federal food safety official, said the department was working to make sure violations are tracked so they can be used “in real time to take action.”
The U.S.D.A. found that Cargill had not followed its own safety program for controlling E. coli. For example, Cargill was supposed to obtain a certificate from each supplier showing that their tests had found no E. coli. But Cargill did not have a certificate for the Uruguayan trimmings used on the day it made the burgers that sickened Ms. Smith and others.
After four months of negotiations, Cargill agreed to increase its scrutiny of suppliers and their testing, including audits and periodic checks to determine the accuracy of their laboratories.
A recent industry test in which spiked samples of meat were sent to independent laboratories used by food companies found that some missed the E. coli in as many as 80 percent of the samples.
Cargill also said it would notify suppliers whenever it found E. coli in finished ground beef, so they could check their facilities. It also agreed to increase testing of finished ground beef, according to a U.S.D.A. official familiar with the company’s operations, but would not test incoming ingredients.
Looking to the Future
The spate of outbreaks in the last three years has increased pressure on the Agriculture Department and the industry.
James H. Hodges, executive vice president of the American Meat Institute, a trade association, said that while the outbreaks were disconcerting, they followed several years during which there were fewer incidents. “Are we perfect?” he said. “No. But what we have done is to show some continual improvement.”
Dr. Petersen, the U.S.D.A. official, said the department had adopted additional procedures, including enhanced testing at slaughterhouses implicated in outbreaks and better training for investigators.
“We are not standing still when it comes to E. coli,” Dr. Petersen said.
The department has held a series of meetings since the recent outbreaks, soliciting ideas from all quarters. Dr. Samadpour, the laboratory owner, has said that “we can make hamburger safe,” but that in addition to enhanced testing, it will take an aggressive use of measures like meat rinses and safety audits by qualified experts.
At these sessions, Felicia Nestor, a senior policy analyst with the consumer group Food and Water Watch, has urged the government to redouble its effort to track outbreaks back to slaughterhouses. “They are the source of the problem,” Ms. Nestor said.
For Ms. Smith, the road ahead is challenging. She is living at her mother’s home in Cold Spring, Minn. She spends a lot of her time in physical therapy, which is being paid for by Cargill in anticipation of a legal claim, according to Mr. Marler. Her kidneys are at high risk of failure. She is struggling to regain some basic life skills and deal with the anger that sometimes envelops her. Despite her determination, doctors say, she will most likely never walk again.
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Source: NYT
This article is for your personal, noncommercial use only
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Michael Moss is an investigative reporter with The New York Times, having joined the paper in 2000.
In 2010, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting for his investigation of the dangers of contaminated meat. Mr. Moss’s hamburger article was the centerpiece of a body of work focused on surprising and troubling holes in the system to keep food safe.
Before coming to The New York Times, Mr. Moss was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction, Colo., and the High Country News in Lander, Wyo.
He was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for his reporting on the lack of protective armor for soldiers in Iraq, and in 1999 for a team effort on Wall Street’s emerging influence in the nursing home industry. Mr. Moss received an Overseas Press Club citation in 2006 for stories on the faulty justice system for American-held detainees in Iraq.
Mr. Moss is the author of a book about the processed food industry, “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us,” published by Random House in March 2013, and is the author of “Palace Coup: The Inside Story of Harry and Leona Helmsley,” a Doubleday imprint. He has been an adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and has had fellowships with the German Marshall Fund and the Gannett Center for Media Studies. In 1983 he covered an expedition up the West Ridge of Mount Everest in Nepal.
Born in Eureka, Calif., Mr. Moss attended San Francisco State University. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Eve Heyn, a writer, and their two boys.
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This article gives important information about juice products available for you to buy
DO NOT buy any of these juices on a regular basis - use fresh fruit -
use a blender = it gives you all (also the healthy pulp)
DO NOT use a juicer
the juicer takes the pulp out
- the pulp is actually the healthiest part of any fruit -
Juice Frauds: What's Really in Your Commercial Juice
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If the link has expired search the web with the title
There's nothing quite like a glass of juice first thing in the morning to kick-start your day. And with so many delicious flavor combinations these days - both to make and to buy - there's no shortage of delicious juices to enjoy. But unless you have lots of time to spare, tons money to spend on costly juicers, and the means to buy lots of fruits and veggies, you may not always find the time to fresh-squeeze your juice every time you want it.
Click: What's in Your Drink? 11 Misleading Beverage Labels
So we know it's tempting to pick up a bottle of juice in the supermarket aisle and call it a day. But the closer you look at the ingredients, the more alarmed you might be. Not every juice is as natural and pure as you might think - what we found, when examining ingredient labels and investigating claims, are some seriously stale ingredients.
Click: 8 'Healthy' Drinks That Are Terrible for You
As with any drink or food you might buy, it never hurts to take a close look at the ingredient label before buying. But what should you look for? There are some key words that can tip you off that your juice might not be as great as you think. There are even drawbacks to the supposedly 100 percent fruit juice label; for one, that 100 percent fruit juice can pack a whole lot more sugar and calories in one serving that the fruit its supposedly made from.
Click: The Best and Worst Juices
Many dietitians and websites recommend eating your fruit, not drinking it; fruit juices won't have any of the fiber that a piece of fruit has because it's been stripped away during the processing. But that doesn't mean you should avoid juices altogether - you just have to know what to look for.
100 Percent Fruit Juice
The term "100 percent fruit juice" sounds innocent and wholesome, right? Sure - but you have to know what you're looking for. The good news is that 100 percent fruit juice is made purely from the juices of real fruits. And that means you're getting all the antioxidants and vitamins from fruit in one powerful punch. (One study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion even found that kids who drank more than 6 ounces of 100 percent juice had more nutritious diets than their peers.) But there are a few problems with 100 percent real fruit juice: you get way more sugar and calories, for starters. Your glass of 100 percent fruit juice has about twice the amount of calories as a piece of fruit; so, if you're drinking a glass of orange juice, you're getting the caloric equivalent of two to three oranges. And you're not getting the full amount of fiber from 100 percent fruit juice either, as it's stripped away when the juice is processed.
Juice 'Fillers'
You might think that your fruity combination juice is a mix of all your favorite juices - but you're more likely to find apple and grape juices in there. Apple and grape juices are seen as the "fillers" of most juices, because they're cheap to make. So that blueberry-pomegranate juice may contain 100 percent fruit juice of blueberries and pomegranates, but may also have apple and grape juice in it. Pomegranate juice was one of the top "food frauds " found in a recent hot button study of fake ingredients from the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention. As most versions are often diluted with grape and apple juice, pomegranate juice that's straight-up pomegranate is harder and harder to find. Markus Lipp, senior director for Food Standard, told ABC News, "Pomegranate juice is a high-value ingredient and a high-priced ingredient, and adulteration appears to be widespread… It can be adulterated with other food juices… additional sugar, or just water and sugar." How to avoid that sticky problem? Stick to single-fruit juice (like 100 percent pomegranate fruit juice) and read the ingredients labels very carefully. The higher up the ingredient is on the list, the more you'll find of it - so if your juice has apple and grape way up at the top, you're getting a lot of those from your bottle.
Fake Fiber
Because juicing strips away the fiber from natural fruits, some juice makers add additional fiber back into their products. But some juice makers have been found in the past to add in synthetic fiber, making your wholesome juice not quite so natural. For example, one review of supermarket juices published by the nonprofit watchdog Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) found that Welch's 100 Percent Grape Juice with Fiber (which suggests that one serving can give you 10 percent of your daily needs in fiber) was made with maltodextrin, an additive that acts more like a starch-like carbohydrate. However, the study said, the label advertised that the fiber came from the whole grapes, and not an additive. One other juice maker that came under fire for fake fibers? Naked Juice. In 2011, a lawsuit was filed against the company for misleading language on the labeling that ignored the "added synthetic compounds," like "Fibersol-2 (a proprietary synthetic digestion-resistant fiber produced by Archer Daniels Midland and developed by a Japanese chemical company), fructooligosaccharides (a synthetic fiber and sweetener), and inulin (an artificial and invisible fiber added to foods to... increase fiber content without the typical fiber mouthfeel)." You can still find maltodextrin on the ingredient list for Blue Machine Naked Juice.
Artificial (and Natural) Colorings
This one is almost a no-brainer: certain juices will contain dyes in them. The one under the most fire is Red 40, a dye that was linked to childhood ADHD (the link was later disputed by the FDA); another one, Yellow 6, was found in several brands of orange juice in one study. The CSPI points out that these bright colors in juice can often mask what's really in your drink - so you might think you're drinking a berry juice that's really just bright red because of the dye. Of course, that doesn't mean natural colorings are that much better for you. Take the Starbucks debacle when it was found to be using cochineal coloring for its Strawberry Frappuccinos - beetles may be natural, but we don't want them in our juice. And as some point out, using additives like beet concentrate or carrot concentrate for color can cause big problems for those with food allergies, so it's best to read those ingredient labels carefully.
'Flavor Packs'
This last one has everyone talking: ethyl butyrate, one ingredient you might see on your juice ingredient label, is better known as the "flavor pack" that makes your juice so appetizing. Tropicana Juice is one such company to come under fire (and lawsuits) for using flavor packs in orange juice to give it a "distinctive" and consistent taste. As Food Renegade explains: "When the juice is stripped of oxygen it is also stripped of flavor-providing chemicals. Juice companies therefore hire flavor and fragrance companies, the same ones that formulate perfumes for Dior and Calvin Klein, to engineer flavor packs to add back to the juice to make it taste fresh. Flavor packs aren't listed as an ingredient on the label because technically they are derived from orange essence and oil. Yet those in the industry will tell you that the flavor packs, whether made for reconstituted or pasteurized orange juice, resemble nothing found in nature."Coca-Cola's Simply Orange juice is another such example of a product "made with an algorithm." The "Black Book" model, Bloomberg recently revealed, is how Coca-Cola can replicate the same taste of orange juice despite the variables of juice production - using "natural fragrances and flavors."
Click here to see More Juice Frauds
Click green for further info
If the link has expired search the web with the title
__________________________________________
DO NOT buy any of these juices on a regular basis - use fresh fruit -
use a blender = it gives you all (also the healthy pulp)
DO NOT use a juicer
the juicer takes the pulp out
- the pulp is actually the healthiest part of any fruit -
Juice Frauds: What's Really in Your Commercial Juice
Click green for further info
If the link has expired search the web with the title
There's nothing quite like a glass of juice first thing in the morning to kick-start your day. And with so many delicious flavor combinations these days - both to make and to buy - there's no shortage of delicious juices to enjoy. But unless you have lots of time to spare, tons money to spend on costly juicers, and the means to buy lots of fruits and veggies, you may not always find the time to fresh-squeeze your juice every time you want it.
Click: What's in Your Drink? 11 Misleading Beverage Labels
So we know it's tempting to pick up a bottle of juice in the supermarket aisle and call it a day. But the closer you look at the ingredients, the more alarmed you might be. Not every juice is as natural and pure as you might think - what we found, when examining ingredient labels and investigating claims, are some seriously stale ingredients.
Click: 8 'Healthy' Drinks That Are Terrible for You
As with any drink or food you might buy, it never hurts to take a close look at the ingredient label before buying. But what should you look for? There are some key words that can tip you off that your juice might not be as great as you think. There are even drawbacks to the supposedly 100 percent fruit juice label; for one, that 100 percent fruit juice can pack a whole lot more sugar and calories in one serving that the fruit its supposedly made from.
Click: The Best and Worst Juices
Many dietitians and websites recommend eating your fruit, not drinking it; fruit juices won't have any of the fiber that a piece of fruit has because it's been stripped away during the processing. But that doesn't mean you should avoid juices altogether - you just have to know what to look for.
100 Percent Fruit Juice
The term "100 percent fruit juice" sounds innocent and wholesome, right? Sure - but you have to know what you're looking for. The good news is that 100 percent fruit juice is made purely from the juices of real fruits. And that means you're getting all the antioxidants and vitamins from fruit in one powerful punch. (One study published in the American Journal of Health Promotion even found that kids who drank more than 6 ounces of 100 percent juice had more nutritious diets than their peers.) But there are a few problems with 100 percent real fruit juice: you get way more sugar and calories, for starters. Your glass of 100 percent fruit juice has about twice the amount of calories as a piece of fruit; so, if you're drinking a glass of orange juice, you're getting the caloric equivalent of two to three oranges. And you're not getting the full amount of fiber from 100 percent fruit juice either, as it's stripped away when the juice is processed.
Juice 'Fillers'
You might think that your fruity combination juice is a mix of all your favorite juices - but you're more likely to find apple and grape juices in there. Apple and grape juices are seen as the "fillers" of most juices, because they're cheap to make. So that blueberry-pomegranate juice may contain 100 percent fruit juice of blueberries and pomegranates, but may also have apple and grape juice in it. Pomegranate juice was one of the top "food frauds " found in a recent hot button study of fake ingredients from the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention. As most versions are often diluted with grape and apple juice, pomegranate juice that's straight-up pomegranate is harder and harder to find. Markus Lipp, senior director for Food Standard, told ABC News, "Pomegranate juice is a high-value ingredient and a high-priced ingredient, and adulteration appears to be widespread… It can be adulterated with other food juices… additional sugar, or just water and sugar." How to avoid that sticky problem? Stick to single-fruit juice (like 100 percent pomegranate fruit juice) and read the ingredients labels very carefully. The higher up the ingredient is on the list, the more you'll find of it - so if your juice has apple and grape way up at the top, you're getting a lot of those from your bottle.
Fake Fiber
Because juicing strips away the fiber from natural fruits, some juice makers add additional fiber back into their products. But some juice makers have been found in the past to add in synthetic fiber, making your wholesome juice not quite so natural. For example, one review of supermarket juices published by the nonprofit watchdog Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) found that Welch's 100 Percent Grape Juice with Fiber (which suggests that one serving can give you 10 percent of your daily needs in fiber) was made with maltodextrin, an additive that acts more like a starch-like carbohydrate. However, the study said, the label advertised that the fiber came from the whole grapes, and not an additive. One other juice maker that came under fire for fake fibers? Naked Juice. In 2011, a lawsuit was filed against the company for misleading language on the labeling that ignored the "added synthetic compounds," like "Fibersol-2 (a proprietary synthetic digestion-resistant fiber produced by Archer Daniels Midland and developed by a Japanese chemical company), fructooligosaccharides (a synthetic fiber and sweetener), and inulin (an artificial and invisible fiber added to foods to... increase fiber content without the typical fiber mouthfeel)." You can still find maltodextrin on the ingredient list for Blue Machine Naked Juice.
Artificial (and Natural) Colorings
This one is almost a no-brainer: certain juices will contain dyes in them. The one under the most fire is Red 40, a dye that was linked to childhood ADHD (the link was later disputed by the FDA); another one, Yellow 6, was found in several brands of orange juice in one study. The CSPI points out that these bright colors in juice can often mask what's really in your drink - so you might think you're drinking a berry juice that's really just bright red because of the dye. Of course, that doesn't mean natural colorings are that much better for you. Take the Starbucks debacle when it was found to be using cochineal coloring for its Strawberry Frappuccinos - beetles may be natural, but we don't want them in our juice. And as some point out, using additives like beet concentrate or carrot concentrate for color can cause big problems for those with food allergies, so it's best to read those ingredient labels carefully.
'Flavor Packs'
This last one has everyone talking: ethyl butyrate, one ingredient you might see on your juice ingredient label, is better known as the "flavor pack" that makes your juice so appetizing. Tropicana Juice is one such company to come under fire (and lawsuits) for using flavor packs in orange juice to give it a "distinctive" and consistent taste. As Food Renegade explains: "When the juice is stripped of oxygen it is also stripped of flavor-providing chemicals. Juice companies therefore hire flavor and fragrance companies, the same ones that formulate perfumes for Dior and Calvin Klein, to engineer flavor packs to add back to the juice to make it taste fresh. Flavor packs aren't listed as an ingredient on the label because technically they are derived from orange essence and oil. Yet those in the industry will tell you that the flavor packs, whether made for reconstituted or pasteurized orange juice, resemble nothing found in nature."Coca-Cola's Simply Orange juice is another such example of a product "made with an algorithm." The "Black Book" model, Bloomberg recently revealed, is how Coca-Cola can replicate the same taste of orange juice despite the variables of juice production - using "natural fragrances and flavors."
Click here to see More Juice Frauds
Click green for further info
If the link has expired search the web with the title
__________________________________________
Why Baked Chips are Worse Than Fried
In response to the increased attention and concern for America's rising rates of obesity and diabetes, the food industry has responded by creating what they often refer to as "better-for-you" foods. These include, among other things: bags of dried fruit slices, organic bars and cookies, yogurts, smoothies, vegetable crisps, and, of course, baked, not fried, potato chips.
In turn, these items have begun to replace the more traditional junk food found in our children's school vending machines.
But where traditional junk food may have had marginally more calories and a bit more salt, what it never had was a "health halo." No one ever would have confused chips and chocolate bars with healthful choices. Not so with these products, which are regularly touted as truly healthy alternatives to their higher-octane, junk-food counterparts.
And the marketing works--there is widespread buy-in that these products are in fact "better for you," rather than simply "less awful for you." That, in turn, leads people to consider them to be healthy and almost certainly increases their consumption.
The term "health halo" isn't mine. It's one coined by two prolific consumer behavior researchers named Brian Wansink and Pierre Chandon. What their experiments have consistently demonstrated is that the belief that an item is a healthier choice leads to a disproportionate increase in that product's consumption. In other words, people eat so much more of the ever-so-slightly less awful, so-called "better for you" choice that they actually eat more in the way of calories, or salt, or sugarthan they would have had they chosen that food's blatantly junky brother. Had they done so, there would be no kidding themselves into thinking they were making a thoughtful choice.
Let's take a look at some of the so-called "healthy" vending machine choices being sold by Vend Natural:
-- Sensible Food Organic Crunch Dried Snacks--Apple Harvest. The stuff in the bag is 76 percent sugar, and while it has the calories of an actual medium-sized apple, it's only packing one quarter the fiber and, due to the dehydration, one-ninth an apple's weight and bulk. Four teaspoons of nearly straight sugar sure isn't going to be as filling as an actual medium-sized apple.
-- PopChips Barbeque Potato. At 120 calories per 28 grams, this non-fried chip alternative is just 38 calories shy of those found in 28 grams of Lay's Classic Potato Chips. Meanwhile, PopChips has 250 miligrams of sodium, which is 33 percent more than you'd find in those Lay's.
-- Barbara's Bakery Chocolate Chip Snackimals. Yes, the word "organic" appears three times in the first three ingredients. But when compared with classic chocolate animal crackers, these have identical amounts of sugar and only 7.5 percent fewer calories.
-- Stonyfield Farm Organic Yogurt Smoothie--Strawberry. Its 230 calories are only 50 shy of a Snickers bar (2.1 oz.), yet those same 230 calories pack an astonishing 9.5 teaspoons of sugar--2 teaspoons of sugar more than the Snickers!
-- Naked Protein Zone Juice Smoothie. Drop per drop, this has more than two and a half times the calories of Coca-Cola, with nearly an extra half teaspoon of sugar for good measure
And herein lies the rub. As a species, we're always on the hunt for convenience and shortcuts. When it comes to health though, there are no shortcuts. Yet, if we allow ourselves to be duped by marketers and the food industry into believing that their bags and boxes contain handfuls of health, we're liable to eat more handfuls, which will further degrade our health.
My advice is simple and straightforward. More produce and less products. Pack fruit, not spare change. And for heaven's sake, get the damned vending machines out of the schools, and stop teaching children that extruded potato starch with flavoring and hyper-caloric, uber-sugary smoothies and yogurts are healthy, good-for-them, eat-more-of-them choices.
Source:
Internet. U.S. News
____________________________________________
In response to the increased attention and concern for America's rising rates of obesity and diabetes, the food industry has responded by creating what they often refer to as "better-for-you" foods. These include, among other things: bags of dried fruit slices, organic bars and cookies, yogurts, smoothies, vegetable crisps, and, of course, baked, not fried, potato chips.
In turn, these items have begun to replace the more traditional junk food found in our children's school vending machines.
But where traditional junk food may have had marginally more calories and a bit more salt, what it never had was a "health halo." No one ever would have confused chips and chocolate bars with healthful choices. Not so with these products, which are regularly touted as truly healthy alternatives to their higher-octane, junk-food counterparts.
And the marketing works--there is widespread buy-in that these products are in fact "better for you," rather than simply "less awful for you." That, in turn, leads people to consider them to be healthy and almost certainly increases their consumption.
The term "health halo" isn't mine. It's one coined by two prolific consumer behavior researchers named Brian Wansink and Pierre Chandon. What their experiments have consistently demonstrated is that the belief that an item is a healthier choice leads to a disproportionate increase in that product's consumption. In other words, people eat so much more of the ever-so-slightly less awful, so-called "better for you" choice that they actually eat more in the way of calories, or salt, or sugarthan they would have had they chosen that food's blatantly junky brother. Had they done so, there would be no kidding themselves into thinking they were making a thoughtful choice.
Let's take a look at some of the so-called "healthy" vending machine choices being sold by Vend Natural:
-- Sensible Food Organic Crunch Dried Snacks--Apple Harvest. The stuff in the bag is 76 percent sugar, and while it has the calories of an actual medium-sized apple, it's only packing one quarter the fiber and, due to the dehydration, one-ninth an apple's weight and bulk. Four teaspoons of nearly straight sugar sure isn't going to be as filling as an actual medium-sized apple.
-- PopChips Barbeque Potato. At 120 calories per 28 grams, this non-fried chip alternative is just 38 calories shy of those found in 28 grams of Lay's Classic Potato Chips. Meanwhile, PopChips has 250 miligrams of sodium, which is 33 percent more than you'd find in those Lay's.
-- Barbara's Bakery Chocolate Chip Snackimals. Yes, the word "organic" appears three times in the first three ingredients. But when compared with classic chocolate animal crackers, these have identical amounts of sugar and only 7.5 percent fewer calories.
-- Stonyfield Farm Organic Yogurt Smoothie--Strawberry. Its 230 calories are only 50 shy of a Snickers bar (2.1 oz.), yet those same 230 calories pack an astonishing 9.5 teaspoons of sugar--2 teaspoons of sugar more than the Snickers!
-- Naked Protein Zone Juice Smoothie. Drop per drop, this has more than two and a half times the calories of Coca-Cola, with nearly an extra half teaspoon of sugar for good measure
And herein lies the rub. As a species, we're always on the hunt for convenience and shortcuts. When it comes to health though, there are no shortcuts. Yet, if we allow ourselves to be duped by marketers and the food industry into believing that their bags and boxes contain handfuls of health, we're liable to eat more handfuls, which will further degrade our health.
My advice is simple and straightforward. More produce and less products. Pack fruit, not spare change. And for heaven's sake, get the damned vending machines out of the schools, and stop teaching children that extruded potato starch with flavoring and hyper-caloric, uber-sugary smoothies and yogurts are healthy, good-for-them, eat-more-of-them choices.
Source:
Internet. U.S. News
____________________________________________
Facts the Food Industry
Doesn't Want You to Know
More processing means more profits for the "food"industry, but typically makes "food" less healthy
The word food in quotation marks, because it is not food for humans - it is bad food - it kills
Quotation: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants - not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
Another quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant, don't - it kills"
Click green for further info
Bigger, juicier, saltier, sweeter, crunchier. Most of all, more. The food industry and its nonstop marketing has been tabbed by many experts as a major player in the obesity epidemic. "The result of constant exposure to today's 'eat more' food environment," write Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim in their book Why Calories Count, "has been to drive people to desire high-calorie foods and to become 'conditioned overeaters.'"
Even as the food industry takes steps seemingly in the right direction—by launching campaigns to bring healthy products to schools, for example—wellness initiatives are often just marketing ploys, contends David Ludwig,
a pediatrician and coauthor of a commentary published in 2008 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that raised questions about whether big food companies can be trusted to help combat obesity. Ultimately, he has argued, makers of popular junk foods have an obligation to stockholders to maximize profits, which means encouraging consumers to eat more—not less—of a company's products.
Health experts including Ludwig and Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, both of whom have long histories of tracking the food industry, highlighted 10 things that junk food makers don't want you to know about their products and how they promote them. Here's a peek behind the curtain:
1. Junk food makers spend billions advertising unhealthy foods to kids.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, food makers spend some $1.6 billion annually to reach children through the traditional media as well the Internet, in-store advertising, and sweepstakes. An article published in 2006 in the Journal of Public Health Policy puts the number as high as $10 billion annually. The bulk of these ads are for unhealthy products high in calories, sugar, fat, and sodium. Promotions often use cartoon characters or free giveaways to entice kids into the junk food fold. On TV alone, the average child sees about 5,500 food commercials a year (or about 15 per day) that advertise high-sugar breakfast cereals, fast food, soft drinks, candy, and snacks, according to the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Compare that to the fewer than 100 TV ads per year kids see for healthy foods like fruits, veggies, and bottled water.
2. The studies that food producers support tend to minimize health concerns associated with their products.
In fact, according to a review led by Ludwig of hundreds of studies that looked at the health effects of milk, juice, and soda, the likelihood of conclusions favorable to the industry was several times higher among industry-sponsored research than studies that received no industry funding. "If a study is funded by the industry, it may be closer to advertising than science," he says.
3. More processing means more profits, but typically makes food less healthy.
Minimally processed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables obviously aren't where food companies look for profits.
The big bucks stem from turning government-subsidized commodity crops—mainly corn, wheat, and soybeans—into fast foods, snack foods, and beverages.
High-profit products derived from these commodity crops are generally high in calories and low in nutritional value. Ultraprocessed foods, for example, lack fiber, micronutrients, and healthful plant substances called phytochemicals that protect against heart disease and diabetes, Ludwig wrote in a 2011 JAMA commentary. Consider: A 10-ounce, 90-calorie portion of strawberries has 5 grams of fiber, abundant vitamins and minerals, and dozens of phytochemicals, while
a 1-ounce portion of Fruit Gushers also has 90 calories, but virtually none of the fruit benefits.
4. Less-processed foods are generally more filling than their highly processed counterparts. Fresh apples have an abundance of fiber and nutrients that are lost when they are processed into applesauce. And the added sugar or other sweeteners increase the number of calories without necessarily making the applesauce any more filling. Apple juice, which is even more processed, has had almost all of the fiber and nutrients stripped out. This same stripping out of nutrients, says Ludwig, happens with highly refined white bread compared with stone-ground whole-wheat bread.
5. Many supposedly healthy replacement foods are hardly healthier than the foods they replace.
In 2006, for example, major beverage makers agreed to remove sugary sodas from school vending machines. But the industry mounted an intense lobbying effort that persuaded lawmakers to allow sports drinks and vitamin waters that—despite their slightly healthier reputations—still can be packed with sugar and calories.
6. A health claim on the label doesn't necessarily make a food healthy.
Health claims such as "zero trans fats" or "contains whole wheat" may create the false impression that a product is healthy when it's not. While the claims may be true, a product is not going to benefit your kid's health if it's also loaded with salt and sugar or saturated fat, say, and lacks fiber or other nutrients. "These claims are calorie distracters," adds Nestle. "They make people forget about the calories." For example, tropical-fruit flavored Gerber Graduates Fruit Juice Treats show pictures of fresh oranges and pineapple to imply that they're made from real fruit, according to a 2010 report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In reality, the main ingredients are corn syrup, sugar, and white grape juice concentrate - all building ou obesity levels. And Keebler's Townhouse Bistro Multigrain Crackers boast that they're made with "toasted whole wheat," although sugar content far outweighs the whole wheat. "'Made with whole grains' should send up a red flag," says registered dietitian Marisa Moore, a spokesperson with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "If you're eating packaged food, like cereal, bread, or pasta, check the ingredient list to verify that the first ingredient is in fact a whole grain."
Think of the first ingredient listed on a package as the main ingredient; those listed farther down are included in smaller amounts. Although the government is working to develop guidelines for front-of-package labels, no consensus has been reached.
7. Food industry pressure has made nutritional guidelines confusing for consumers.
As Nestle explained in her 2003 book Food Politics, the food industry has a history of preferring scientific jargon to straight talk. As far back as 1977, public health officials attempted to include the advice "reduce consumption of meat" in an important report called Dietary Goals for the United States. The report's authors capitulated to intense pushback from the cattle industry and used this less-direct and more ambiguous advice: "Choose meats, poultry, and fish, which will reduce saturated fat intake." Overall, says Nestle, the government has a hard time suggesting that people eat less of anything.
8. The food industry funds front groups that fight antiobesity public health initiatives.
Unless you follow politics closely, you wouldn't necessarily realize that a group with a name like the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) has anything to do with the food industry. In fact, Ludwig and Nestle point out, this group has lobbied aggressively against obesity-related public health campaigns—such as the one directed at removing junk food from schools—and is funded, according to the Center for Media and Democracy, primarily through donations from big food companies such as Coca-Cola, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and Wendy's.
9. The food industry works aggressively to discredit its critics.
According to a JAMA (= Journal of American Medical Association) article, the Center for Consumer Freedom boasts that "[our strategy] is to shoot the messenger. We've got to attack [activists'] credibility as spokespersons." On its website, the group calls Nestle "one of the country's most hysterical anti-food fanatics."
10. "Pink slime" is on its way out—but it's not gone. Ground meat is commonly bulked up with what critics call "pink slime," butchering scraps that have been cleansed with ammonia. While the industry insists that its "lean, finely textured beef trimmings" are harmless, some experts are questioning the safety of the ubiquitous filler. Following a public outcry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this month that school districts can choose between receiving beef with the trimmings or without, but at a higher fat content. A growing number of grocery stores, including Safeway and Supervalu, have announced that they're ditching so-called "pink slime." Still, it remains USDA-approved, and the food industry is free to use it.
Click green for further info
Source: Internet, U.S. News
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Brazil, Second Largest GMO Producer in World
GMOS, A Global Debate: Brazil's GM SOy Feeds World
Date: July 2013
RIO DE JANEIRO—Brazil is the second largest producer of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the world, behind only the United States. Brazil has about 37 million hectares (92 million acres) of land planted with GM crops, according to agribusiness consultancy agency Céleres (pdf). Click green
That is more than half of the 67.7 million hectares (167.3 million acres) used for agriculture in Brazil overall, according to the 2013 estimates of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics.
The use of transgenic products in Brazil began in the early 1990s, when farmers from the south began to cultivate genetically modified soybeans imported from Argentina. The government began regulating the product commercially in 1995.
The sale of GMOs was banned in 1998 due to a lawsuit by the Brazilian Institute for Consumer Defense. But in 2003, the government again permitted the marketing of GM products with regulations. In the same year, the Brazilian government issued the Labeling Decree (4680/2003), which requires producers and sellers to identify on food packaging products that contain more than 1 percent GM raw materials.
In March 2005, the Bio-Safety Act (11.105/05) went into effect, allowing the use of transgenic organisms without studies on the environmental impact. The act also outlined regulations for biotechnology research and created the organization that oversees this regulation, the Brazilian Technical Committee of National Biosafety (CTNBio).
Brazil has more varieties of GM soybeans than any other crop—a popular crop for export around the world. Céleres reports that 88.8 percent of soybean crops cultivated in Brazil in 2012–2013 were GM.
Is GMO necessary in Brazil?
Francisco Aragão, a researcher at the state-run Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA, Brazilian Enterprise for Agricultural Research), said Brazil needs to use more biotechnology, such as GM, to increase productivity, improve growing conditions, and reduce production costs. EMBRAPA is the research arm of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply.
“There are some problems that conventional methods cannot solve,” Aragão said. He noted the importance of agriculture as not only a source of food, but also of biofuel, textiles, and pharmaceuticals.
Sarah Agapito, agronomist and researcher at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, disputes the idea that GMOs increase productivity or reduce the use of pesticides.
She gave the example of Roundup-Ready (RR) soybeans. Roundup is a herbicide created by agriculture giant Monsanto. Its principal ingredient is glyphosate. The RR soybeans are genetically modified to be glyphosate resistant, so farmers can douse the crops with Roundup and only kill the weeds.
“There is already scientific evidence that the production of RR soybeans has contributed to the emergence of weeds resistant to glyphosate,” Agapito said. She said farmers end up with additional costs, needing to apply more Roundup or other herbicides.
Flavio Finardi Filho, president of CTNBio, said the use of GM seeds is essential, because Brazil’s tropical and humid climate makes it especially susceptible to pests. Plants can be genetically modified to make them resistant to pests and climate conditions.
He said in the last 15 years, agriculture has accounted for approximately 15 percent of the Brazilian GDP.
“Undoubtedly, the competitiveness of agribusiness [relies on] adoption of transgenic as an alternative to overcome limitations and to add new features to agricultural production,” Finardi Filho said.
Gabriel Bianconi, a researcher at ASPTA (Advisory Services for Projects in Alternative Agriculture), said researchers are worried GMO production could lead to the further dominance of a few companies in the global seed market, the contamination of non-GM crops, and the increasing difficulty of producing GM-free crops. ASPTA is a nonprofit that supports family agriculture and sustainable rural development.
Bianconi said Brazil is fully capable of returning to complete non-GM production. The smaller scale family farm production model and organic production already account for 70 percent of Brazil’s basic food items, according to the 2010 agricultural census.
Studies in Brazil on the Effects of GMO Food
Brazilian studies on the human health effects of GMOs are few.
Maria Clara Coelho, a doctoral student at the Brazilian National School of Public Health did a study on the studies.
She reviewed the portals of the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and of the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes). Of 716 articles on GMOs, only eight explore the issue of food safety.
The study concludes that the eight analyzed studies do not approve genetically modified foods as safe, but rather raise concerns about the safe consumption of such foods.
Coelho asked, “What studies provided the basis for the permission of CTNBio for commercial release of GMOs if in the sample [studies] analyzed by us all claim that such foods are not safe?”
According to a report published by human rights advocacy group Earth of Rights in 2011, the evaluations made by CTNBio to check the safety of GMOs in relation to the risks to the environment and human health are kept confidential.
The Epoch Times called CTNBio twice to request information on the studies it has performed. CTNBio asked the Epoch Times to inquire via email. It did not respond to the Epoch Times email within the three weeks preceding the publication of this article.
Professor Rubens Nodari of the Department of Plant Science and Laboratory of Physiology and Genetics of Development at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, said such information is lacking in the country because: “Obviously the companies want to keep the monopoly. But they can only achieve that when governments are subservient.”
Click green for further info
Source: The Epoch Times - endorsed by STAF, Inc. -
Click: The Epoch Times: Original Articleswww.theepochtimes.com/n2/subscribe
Covers breaking international and local news, with editions in US, Canada, Australia, UK, Ireland and New Zealand.
_____________________________________________________________
Doesn't Want You to Know
More processing means more profits for the "food"industry, but typically makes "food" less healthy
The word food in quotation marks, because it is not food for humans - it is bad food - it kills
Quotation: "To stay healthy you need to eat what your body wants - not what you want"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
Another quotation: "If it came from a plant, eat it - if it was made in a plant, don't - it kills"
Click green for further info
Bigger, juicier, saltier, sweeter, crunchier. Most of all, more. The food industry and its nonstop marketing has been tabbed by many experts as a major player in the obesity epidemic. "The result of constant exposure to today's 'eat more' food environment," write Marion Nestle and Malden Nesheim in their book Why Calories Count, "has been to drive people to desire high-calorie foods and to become 'conditioned overeaters.'"
Even as the food industry takes steps seemingly in the right direction—by launching campaigns to bring healthy products to schools, for example—wellness initiatives are often just marketing ploys, contends David Ludwig,
a pediatrician and coauthor of a commentary published in 2008 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that raised questions about whether big food companies can be trusted to help combat obesity. Ultimately, he has argued, makers of popular junk foods have an obligation to stockholders to maximize profits, which means encouraging consumers to eat more—not less—of a company's products.
Health experts including Ludwig and Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, both of whom have long histories of tracking the food industry, highlighted 10 things that junk food makers don't want you to know about their products and how they promote them. Here's a peek behind the curtain:
1. Junk food makers spend billions advertising unhealthy foods to kids.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, food makers spend some $1.6 billion annually to reach children through the traditional media as well the Internet, in-store advertising, and sweepstakes. An article published in 2006 in the Journal of Public Health Policy puts the number as high as $10 billion annually. The bulk of these ads are for unhealthy products high in calories, sugar, fat, and sodium. Promotions often use cartoon characters or free giveaways to entice kids into the junk food fold. On TV alone, the average child sees about 5,500 food commercials a year (or about 15 per day) that advertise high-sugar breakfast cereals, fast food, soft drinks, candy, and snacks, according to the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Compare that to the fewer than 100 TV ads per year kids see for healthy foods like fruits, veggies, and bottled water.
2. The studies that food producers support tend to minimize health concerns associated with their products.
In fact, according to a review led by Ludwig of hundreds of studies that looked at the health effects of milk, juice, and soda, the likelihood of conclusions favorable to the industry was several times higher among industry-sponsored research than studies that received no industry funding. "If a study is funded by the industry, it may be closer to advertising than science," he says.
3. More processing means more profits, but typically makes food less healthy.
Minimally processed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables obviously aren't where food companies look for profits.
The big bucks stem from turning government-subsidized commodity crops—mainly corn, wheat, and soybeans—into fast foods, snack foods, and beverages.
High-profit products derived from these commodity crops are generally high in calories and low in nutritional value. Ultraprocessed foods, for example, lack fiber, micronutrients, and healthful plant substances called phytochemicals that protect against heart disease and diabetes, Ludwig wrote in a 2011 JAMA commentary. Consider: A 10-ounce, 90-calorie portion of strawberries has 5 grams of fiber, abundant vitamins and minerals, and dozens of phytochemicals, while
a 1-ounce portion of Fruit Gushers also has 90 calories, but virtually none of the fruit benefits.
4. Less-processed foods are generally more filling than their highly processed counterparts. Fresh apples have an abundance of fiber and nutrients that are lost when they are processed into applesauce. And the added sugar or other sweeteners increase the number of calories without necessarily making the applesauce any more filling. Apple juice, which is even more processed, has had almost all of the fiber and nutrients stripped out. This same stripping out of nutrients, says Ludwig, happens with highly refined white bread compared with stone-ground whole-wheat bread.
5. Many supposedly healthy replacement foods are hardly healthier than the foods they replace.
In 2006, for example, major beverage makers agreed to remove sugary sodas from school vending machines. But the industry mounted an intense lobbying effort that persuaded lawmakers to allow sports drinks and vitamin waters that—despite their slightly healthier reputations—still can be packed with sugar and calories.
6. A health claim on the label doesn't necessarily make a food healthy.
Health claims such as "zero trans fats" or "contains whole wheat" may create the false impression that a product is healthy when it's not. While the claims may be true, a product is not going to benefit your kid's health if it's also loaded with salt and sugar or saturated fat, say, and lacks fiber or other nutrients. "These claims are calorie distracters," adds Nestle. "They make people forget about the calories." For example, tropical-fruit flavored Gerber Graduates Fruit Juice Treats show pictures of fresh oranges and pineapple to imply that they're made from real fruit, according to a 2010 report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In reality, the main ingredients are corn syrup, sugar, and white grape juice concentrate - all building ou obesity levels. And Keebler's Townhouse Bistro Multigrain Crackers boast that they're made with "toasted whole wheat," although sugar content far outweighs the whole wheat. "'Made with whole grains' should send up a red flag," says registered dietitian Marisa Moore, a spokesperson with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "If you're eating packaged food, like cereal, bread, or pasta, check the ingredient list to verify that the first ingredient is in fact a whole grain."
Think of the first ingredient listed on a package as the main ingredient; those listed farther down are included in smaller amounts. Although the government is working to develop guidelines for front-of-package labels, no consensus has been reached.
7. Food industry pressure has made nutritional guidelines confusing for consumers.
As Nestle explained in her 2003 book Food Politics, the food industry has a history of preferring scientific jargon to straight talk. As far back as 1977, public health officials attempted to include the advice "reduce consumption of meat" in an important report called Dietary Goals for the United States. The report's authors capitulated to intense pushback from the cattle industry and used this less-direct and more ambiguous advice: "Choose meats, poultry, and fish, which will reduce saturated fat intake." Overall, says Nestle, the government has a hard time suggesting that people eat less of anything.
8. The food industry funds front groups that fight antiobesity public health initiatives.
Unless you follow politics closely, you wouldn't necessarily realize that a group with a name like the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) has anything to do with the food industry. In fact, Ludwig and Nestle point out, this group has lobbied aggressively against obesity-related public health campaigns—such as the one directed at removing junk food from schools—and is funded, according to the Center for Media and Democracy, primarily through donations from big food companies such as Coca-Cola, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and Wendy's.
9. The food industry works aggressively to discredit its critics.
According to a JAMA (= Journal of American Medical Association) article, the Center for Consumer Freedom boasts that "[our strategy] is to shoot the messenger. We've got to attack [activists'] credibility as spokespersons." On its website, the group calls Nestle "one of the country's most hysterical anti-food fanatics."
10. "Pink slime" is on its way out—but it's not gone. Ground meat is commonly bulked up with what critics call "pink slime," butchering scraps that have been cleansed with ammonia. While the industry insists that its "lean, finely textured beef trimmings" are harmless, some experts are questioning the safety of the ubiquitous filler. Following a public outcry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this month that school districts can choose between receiving beef with the trimmings or without, but at a higher fat content. A growing number of grocery stores, including Safeway and Supervalu, have announced that they're ditching so-called "pink slime." Still, it remains USDA-approved, and the food industry is free to use it.
Click green for further info
Source: Internet, U.S. News
_________________________________________________________
Brazil, Second Largest GMO Producer in World
GMOS, A Global Debate: Brazil's GM SOy Feeds World
Date: July 2013
RIO DE JANEIRO—Brazil is the second largest producer of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the world, behind only the United States. Brazil has about 37 million hectares (92 million acres) of land planted with GM crops, according to agribusiness consultancy agency Céleres (pdf). Click green
That is more than half of the 67.7 million hectares (167.3 million acres) used for agriculture in Brazil overall, according to the 2013 estimates of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics.
The use of transgenic products in Brazil began in the early 1990s, when farmers from the south began to cultivate genetically modified soybeans imported from Argentina. The government began regulating the product commercially in 1995.
The sale of GMOs was banned in 1998 due to a lawsuit by the Brazilian Institute for Consumer Defense. But in 2003, the government again permitted the marketing of GM products with regulations. In the same year, the Brazilian government issued the Labeling Decree (4680/2003), which requires producers and sellers to identify on food packaging products that contain more than 1 percent GM raw materials.
In March 2005, the Bio-Safety Act (11.105/05) went into effect, allowing the use of transgenic organisms without studies on the environmental impact. The act also outlined regulations for biotechnology research and created the organization that oversees this regulation, the Brazilian Technical Committee of National Biosafety (CTNBio).
Brazil has more varieties of GM soybeans than any other crop—a popular crop for export around the world. Céleres reports that 88.8 percent of soybean crops cultivated in Brazil in 2012–2013 were GM.
Is GMO necessary in Brazil?
Francisco Aragão, a researcher at the state-run Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA, Brazilian Enterprise for Agricultural Research), said Brazil needs to use more biotechnology, such as GM, to increase productivity, improve growing conditions, and reduce production costs. EMBRAPA is the research arm of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply.
“There are some problems that conventional methods cannot solve,” Aragão said. He noted the importance of agriculture as not only a source of food, but also of biofuel, textiles, and pharmaceuticals.
Sarah Agapito, agronomist and researcher at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, disputes the idea that GMOs increase productivity or reduce the use of pesticides.
She gave the example of Roundup-Ready (RR) soybeans. Roundup is a herbicide created by agriculture giant Monsanto. Its principal ingredient is glyphosate. The RR soybeans are genetically modified to be glyphosate resistant, so farmers can douse the crops with Roundup and only kill the weeds.
“There is already scientific evidence that the production of RR soybeans has contributed to the emergence of weeds resistant to glyphosate,” Agapito said. She said farmers end up with additional costs, needing to apply more Roundup or other herbicides.
Flavio Finardi Filho, president of CTNBio, said the use of GM seeds is essential, because Brazil’s tropical and humid climate makes it especially susceptible to pests. Plants can be genetically modified to make them resistant to pests and climate conditions.
He said in the last 15 years, agriculture has accounted for approximately 15 percent of the Brazilian GDP.
“Undoubtedly, the competitiveness of agribusiness [relies on] adoption of transgenic as an alternative to overcome limitations and to add new features to agricultural production,” Finardi Filho said.
Gabriel Bianconi, a researcher at ASPTA (Advisory Services for Projects in Alternative Agriculture), said researchers are worried GMO production could lead to the further dominance of a few companies in the global seed market, the contamination of non-GM crops, and the increasing difficulty of producing GM-free crops. ASPTA is a nonprofit that supports family agriculture and sustainable rural development.
Bianconi said Brazil is fully capable of returning to complete non-GM production. The smaller scale family farm production model and organic production already account for 70 percent of Brazil’s basic food items, according to the 2010 agricultural census.
Studies in Brazil on the Effects of GMO Food
Brazilian studies on the human health effects of GMOs are few.
Maria Clara Coelho, a doctoral student at the Brazilian National School of Public Health did a study on the studies.
She reviewed the portals of the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and of the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes). Of 716 articles on GMOs, only eight explore the issue of food safety.
The study concludes that the eight analyzed studies do not approve genetically modified foods as safe, but rather raise concerns about the safe consumption of such foods.
Coelho asked, “What studies provided the basis for the permission of CTNBio for commercial release of GMOs if in the sample [studies] analyzed by us all claim that such foods are not safe?”
According to a report published by human rights advocacy group Earth of Rights in 2011, the evaluations made by CTNBio to check the safety of GMOs in relation to the risks to the environment and human health are kept confidential.
The Epoch Times called CTNBio twice to request information on the studies it has performed. CTNBio asked the Epoch Times to inquire via email. It did not respond to the Epoch Times email within the three weeks preceding the publication of this article.
Professor Rubens Nodari of the Department of Plant Science and Laboratory of Physiology and Genetics of Development at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, said such information is lacking in the country because: “Obviously the companies want to keep the monopoly. But they can only achieve that when governments are subservient.”
Click green for further info
Source: The Epoch Times - endorsed by STAF, Inc. -
Click: The Epoch Times: Original Articleswww.theepochtimes.com/n2/subscribe
Covers breaking international and local news, with editions in US, Canada, Australia, UK, Ireland and New Zealand.
_____________________________________________________________
Article 1 of 7
Coffee lovers & (green, black, white) tea enthusiasts
A new study out of Japan shows that people who drink both beverages every day
have a lower risk of stroke than those who drink just one or the other (or neither).
Foreword
by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., STAF, Inc.'s founding President
All tea: green, black, white, etc., comes from the same tea bush - just the way (1) whenthe tea leaves are picked and (2) how they have processed further: green, black, white, etc. - thus, it does not really matter whether you drink green or black or white or any other tea - its all mostly about what you like best as your taste: strong, weak or anything between. Combine e.g. black & green tea daily 3: 1. Black tea has the most aroma because it is roasted deeply. A good idea is to pre-prepare the black tea (16- 25 oz. glass bottles or plastic bottles - glass healthier; does not leak harmful chemicals as any plastic can, especially when the liquid is hot) and refrigerate 15 - 30 bottles (depending on the size of your family). For 16 oz. use 3 bags of black tea, 1 bag of green tea or just 4 bags of black tea - black is cheaper than green. Put the tea bags inside the bottles and pour boiled water in (carefully not to burn yourself or break the glass or melt the plastic). Then leave all tightly closed bottles safely on the table or in a closet (so your pets, children or anyone else cannot get hurt).
When the coffee-tea bottles are cool, place them in the refrigerator and leave the teabags in the bottle until in use (stays fresh in the fridge 2+ weeks, about). Then, every morning, prepare fresh strong espresso-type coffee (or to your taste, Arabic, French, etc. - or mix several coffee types in your brewer) and mix the coffee with the pre-prepared strong 2/3 tea and 1/3 coffee (or half & half). Bring the coffee & the tea both together to the boiling point and put in the thermos or any other bottle you take with you to go to work or enjoy it all in your home in the morning. If your time and circumstances allow, prepare the same combination in the afternoon. To help your digestive process, avoid drinking plenty of liquids with your solid food. Added liquids can weaken your stomach acids in digesting well.Find $1, 99c or $1 - $2 / 100 bags tea from a national or otherwise locally leading 99c-store and buy several 100-tea-bag packages (no fancy packages) and keep them in tight plastic backs to keep the aroma & caffeine effect in a good shape. Buy your tea at this low price only in a
99 c- store you know is popular and sells much of any item = your tea will be fresher. E.g. in New York City the locally well-known Jack's 99c-store is a good place to buy your tea and many other items. Do not get lured to the fact that in any 99c-store some items can cost more than in a normal supermarket. Educate yourself as a shopper.
Both in coffee and in any tea the refreshing element is caffeine - some other ingredients in a minor amounts are beneficial for the human health.
_________________________________________________________
Please notice:
In this tab (= page) STAF, Inc.'s editors have placed seven coffee & tea related articles for your view
So many - why? There are plenty of published research facts on this familiar topic. Some of them contradict each other. E.g. there is one Harvard research stating "coffee being harmful" to certain body organs. One thing everyone agrees is: coffee and tea with both so many origins and choices are an important health-improving factor in our daily nutrition.
Like in anything in life, please:
use your own judgment what to adapt from these coffee & tea articles - they are all valuable.
_______________________
Article 1 of 7 The research report article:
Coffee lovers & (green, black, white) tea enthusiasts
A new study out of Japan shows that people who drink both beverages every day
have a lower risk of stroke than those who drink just one or the other (or neither)
Click green for further info
Researchers have been touting the antioxidant properties of green tea for years, and recent studies show that your daily coffee fix boosts more than just your energy levels. But putting the two drinks together of course—may help you reap the health benefits of both. Click - If the link has expired search the web with the title
Click: 13 Health Benefits of Green Tea - If the link has expired search the web with the title
Researchers looked at the coffee and tea consumption habits of almost 82,369 Japanese adults over 13 years and found that people who had a cup of coffee every day were 20 percent less likely to have a stroke (compared to those who didn't drink coffee at all). But that's not to say that coffee is better for you than tea. In fact, the study noted that people who drank four or more cups of green tea a day were also about 20 percent less likely to have a stroke. Since the two drinks help prevent strokes in different ways, drinking both can lower your risk of stroke more than just drinking one or the other, the study authors explained.
Click: 5 Health Reasons to Not Quit Coffee - If the link has expired search the web with the title
"This is the first large-scale study to examine the combined effects of both green tea and coffee on stroke risks," the study's lead author, Dr. Yoshihiro Kokubo of Japan's National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, said in a statement. "You may make a small but positive lifestyle change to help lower the risk of stroke by adding daily green tea to your diet."
The study was published in March, 2013 in the American Heart Association's journal, Stroke. The results took into account differences in participants' age, gender, smoking, alcohol, weight, diet, and exercise habits.
According to the National Stroke Association, a stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery in the brain, or when a blood vessel breaks, causing an interruption of blood flow to the brain. Brain cells begin to die, damaging the brain and affecting the actions—usually speech, movement, and memory—controlled by the part of the brain where the stroke has occurred.
"The regular action of drinking tea [and] coffee largely benefits cardiovascular health because it partly keeps blood clots from forming," Kokubo explained.
Green tea can have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. It also contains compounds known as catechins, which can help regulate blood pressure and improve blood flow, Kokobo told National Public Radio. And coffee has more to it than just caffeine—it also contains quinides, compounds that can help control blood sugar, which cuts your risk of stroke by reducing your risk of Type 2 diabetes. The researchers wrote that the "combination of higher green tea and coffee consumptions contributed to the reduced risk of stroke as an interaction effect for each other," The Daily Mail reported.
Given that tea and coffee are consumed regularly in many countries, the results of the study could apply to people around the world, the researchers wrote. Americans may already be drinking enough coffee and tea to get the benefits: A typical cup of coffee or tea in Japan is just 6 ounces, while a grande coffee at Starbucks is 16 ounces.
How Quickly Can You Spot a Stroke? - If the link has expired search the web with the title
10 Surprising Health Benefits to Drinking Tea - If the link has expired search the web with the title
Source: March, 2013, the American Heart Association's journal Stroke
________________________________
An extra article
How to Make Better Tasting Coffee at Home
When someone like John Moore, vice president of sales and marketing for Dallis Bros. Coffee, tells you, "A great cup of coffee is no small miracle," you believe it.
But beyond the coffee farm and the roasting plant, in the end, some of the responsibility of making a good cup falls on you. Are you using the right grind of coffee for your chosen brewing method? Is the quality of the water you're using good, and have you heated it to the right temperature? Are the beans fresh? Have you been storing them correctly?
All of this and more can affect the quality of the coffee you make for yourself at home. So to that end, we've culled together some expert advice and general rules of thumb for you to use as a guideline for brewing better-tasting coffee.
How Much to Buy
Just as it is important to pay attention to the amount of coffee you brew at one time, it is also key that you not buy more coffee beans than you need. Moore advises that it is best to only buy as much coffee as you think you're going to drink within a week or so. This will help ensure that the coffee you have on hand is always fresh, which is essential to making a better-tasting cup.
Pay Attention to the Roast Date
Especially among today's better-quality specialty brands, it is becoming increasingly more common to find detailed information about the coffee printed right on the bag. Case in point: The "roasted on" date, which in many ways acts as a "best by" date. The closer a coffee is to its roast date when you consume it, the more intense and aggressive the flavors will be.
Tips for Storing
As coffee is quite the temperamental product, there are not many environments that coffee beans or grinds find "friendly," so to speak. "Coffee hates air, light, heat, and moisture," explains Moore. After you first open a bag of coffee, he recommends storing the rest in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. And don't make the mistake of storing coffee in your refrigerator or freezer, as it risks absorbing some of the flavors of surrounding ingredients.
Click: 7 Facts You Didn't Know About Coffee Production
Give Your Coffee Machine a Good Scrub (Just Not with Soap)
When you've gone to the effort to make a really good cup of coffee, the last thing you want is to end up with a cup that doesn't reflect that freshness because it's been a while since you last cleaned your machine. You don't want to taste the remnants from last month's batch in this morning's cup, after all. (Click here for some advice on how to clean your machine.)
Click: More Tips for How to Make Better-Tasting Coffee at home
__________________________________________
Coffee lovers & (green, black, white) tea enthusiasts
A new study out of Japan shows that people who drink both beverages every day
have a lower risk of stroke than those who drink just one or the other (or neither).
Foreword
by Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., STAF, Inc.'s founding President
All tea: green, black, white, etc., comes from the same tea bush - just the way (1) whenthe tea leaves are picked and (2) how they have processed further: green, black, white, etc. - thus, it does not really matter whether you drink green or black or white or any other tea - its all mostly about what you like best as your taste: strong, weak or anything between. Combine e.g. black & green tea daily 3: 1. Black tea has the most aroma because it is roasted deeply. A good idea is to pre-prepare the black tea (16- 25 oz. glass bottles or plastic bottles - glass healthier; does not leak harmful chemicals as any plastic can, especially when the liquid is hot) and refrigerate 15 - 30 bottles (depending on the size of your family). For 16 oz. use 3 bags of black tea, 1 bag of green tea or just 4 bags of black tea - black is cheaper than green. Put the tea bags inside the bottles and pour boiled water in (carefully not to burn yourself or break the glass or melt the plastic). Then leave all tightly closed bottles safely on the table or in a closet (so your pets, children or anyone else cannot get hurt).
When the coffee-tea bottles are cool, place them in the refrigerator and leave the teabags in the bottle until in use (stays fresh in the fridge 2+ weeks, about). Then, every morning, prepare fresh strong espresso-type coffee (or to your taste, Arabic, French, etc. - or mix several coffee types in your brewer) and mix the coffee with the pre-prepared strong 2/3 tea and 1/3 coffee (or half & half). Bring the coffee & the tea both together to the boiling point and put in the thermos or any other bottle you take with you to go to work or enjoy it all in your home in the morning. If your time and circumstances allow, prepare the same combination in the afternoon. To help your digestive process, avoid drinking plenty of liquids with your solid food. Added liquids can weaken your stomach acids in digesting well.Find $1, 99c or $1 - $2 / 100 bags tea from a national or otherwise locally leading 99c-store and buy several 100-tea-bag packages (no fancy packages) and keep them in tight plastic backs to keep the aroma & caffeine effect in a good shape. Buy your tea at this low price only in a
99 c- store you know is popular and sells much of any item = your tea will be fresher. E.g. in New York City the locally well-known Jack's 99c-store is a good place to buy your tea and many other items. Do not get lured to the fact that in any 99c-store some items can cost more than in a normal supermarket. Educate yourself as a shopper.
Both in coffee and in any tea the refreshing element is caffeine - some other ingredients in a minor amounts are beneficial for the human health.
_________________________________________________________
Please notice:
In this tab (= page) STAF, Inc.'s editors have placed seven coffee & tea related articles for your view
So many - why? There are plenty of published research facts on this familiar topic. Some of them contradict each other. E.g. there is one Harvard research stating "coffee being harmful" to certain body organs. One thing everyone agrees is: coffee and tea with both so many origins and choices are an important health-improving factor in our daily nutrition.
Like in anything in life, please:
use your own judgment what to adapt from these coffee & tea articles - they are all valuable.
_______________________
Article 1 of 7 The research report article:
Coffee lovers & (green, black, white) tea enthusiasts
A new study out of Japan shows that people who drink both beverages every day
have a lower risk of stroke than those who drink just one or the other (or neither)
Click green for further info
Researchers have been touting the antioxidant properties of green tea for years, and recent studies show that your daily coffee fix boosts more than just your energy levels. But putting the two drinks together of course—may help you reap the health benefits of both. Click - If the link has expired search the web with the title
Click: 13 Health Benefits of Green Tea - If the link has expired search the web with the title
Researchers looked at the coffee and tea consumption habits of almost 82,369 Japanese adults over 13 years and found that people who had a cup of coffee every day were 20 percent less likely to have a stroke (compared to those who didn't drink coffee at all). But that's not to say that coffee is better for you than tea. In fact, the study noted that people who drank four or more cups of green tea a day were also about 20 percent less likely to have a stroke. Since the two drinks help prevent strokes in different ways, drinking both can lower your risk of stroke more than just drinking one or the other, the study authors explained.
Click: 5 Health Reasons to Not Quit Coffee - If the link has expired search the web with the title
"This is the first large-scale study to examine the combined effects of both green tea and coffee on stroke risks," the study's lead author, Dr. Yoshihiro Kokubo of Japan's National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, said in a statement. "You may make a small but positive lifestyle change to help lower the risk of stroke by adding daily green tea to your diet."
The study was published in March, 2013 in the American Heart Association's journal, Stroke. The results took into account differences in participants' age, gender, smoking, alcohol, weight, diet, and exercise habits.
According to the National Stroke Association, a stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery in the brain, or when a blood vessel breaks, causing an interruption of blood flow to the brain. Brain cells begin to die, damaging the brain and affecting the actions—usually speech, movement, and memory—controlled by the part of the brain where the stroke has occurred.
"The regular action of drinking tea [and] coffee largely benefits cardiovascular health because it partly keeps blood clots from forming," Kokubo explained.
Green tea can have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. It also contains compounds known as catechins, which can help regulate blood pressure and improve blood flow, Kokobo told National Public Radio. And coffee has more to it than just caffeine—it also contains quinides, compounds that can help control blood sugar, which cuts your risk of stroke by reducing your risk of Type 2 diabetes. The researchers wrote that the "combination of higher green tea and coffee consumptions contributed to the reduced risk of stroke as an interaction effect for each other," The Daily Mail reported.
Given that tea and coffee are consumed regularly in many countries, the results of the study could apply to people around the world, the researchers wrote. Americans may already be drinking enough coffee and tea to get the benefits: A typical cup of coffee or tea in Japan is just 6 ounces, while a grande coffee at Starbucks is 16 ounces.
How Quickly Can You Spot a Stroke? - If the link has expired search the web with the title
10 Surprising Health Benefits to Drinking Tea - If the link has expired search the web with the title
Source: March, 2013, the American Heart Association's journal Stroke
________________________________
An extra article
How to Make Better Tasting Coffee at Home
When someone like John Moore, vice president of sales and marketing for Dallis Bros. Coffee, tells you, "A great cup of coffee is no small miracle," you believe it.
But beyond the coffee farm and the roasting plant, in the end, some of the responsibility of making a good cup falls on you. Are you using the right grind of coffee for your chosen brewing method? Is the quality of the water you're using good, and have you heated it to the right temperature? Are the beans fresh? Have you been storing them correctly?
All of this and more can affect the quality of the coffee you make for yourself at home. So to that end, we've culled together some expert advice and general rules of thumb for you to use as a guideline for brewing better-tasting coffee.
How Much to Buy
Just as it is important to pay attention to the amount of coffee you brew at one time, it is also key that you not buy more coffee beans than you need. Moore advises that it is best to only buy as much coffee as you think you're going to drink within a week or so. This will help ensure that the coffee you have on hand is always fresh, which is essential to making a better-tasting cup.
Pay Attention to the Roast Date
Especially among today's better-quality specialty brands, it is becoming increasingly more common to find detailed information about the coffee printed right on the bag. Case in point: The "roasted on" date, which in many ways acts as a "best by" date. The closer a coffee is to its roast date when you consume it, the more intense and aggressive the flavors will be.
Tips for Storing
As coffee is quite the temperamental product, there are not many environments that coffee beans or grinds find "friendly," so to speak. "Coffee hates air, light, heat, and moisture," explains Moore. After you first open a bag of coffee, he recommends storing the rest in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. And don't make the mistake of storing coffee in your refrigerator or freezer, as it risks absorbing some of the flavors of surrounding ingredients.
Click: 7 Facts You Didn't Know About Coffee Production
Give Your Coffee Machine a Good Scrub (Just Not with Soap)
When you've gone to the effort to make a really good cup of coffee, the last thing you want is to end up with a cup that doesn't reflect that freshness because it's been a while since you last cleaned your machine. You don't want to taste the remnants from last month's batch in this morning's cup, after all. (Click here for some advice on how to clean your machine.)
Click: More Tips for How to Make Better-Tasting Coffee at home
__________________________________________
Article 2 of 7
5 health reasons to not quit coffee
As a coffee lover you will always be delighted to hear of new reasons that coffee is good for your health...and there are plenty!
Over 18,000 studies on coffee have been published in the past few decades, revealing these benefits.
1. It protects your heart: Moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than noncoffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee's antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, making it the biggest source of antioxidants in American diets. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries. Immediately after drinking it, coffee raises your blood pressure and heart rate, but over the long term, it actually may lower blood pressure as coffee's antioxidants activate nitric oxide, widening blood vessels.
2. It diverts diabetes: Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells' sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies. Other studies have shown that caffeine can blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost, so if you do drink several cups a day, try mixing in decaf occasionally.
Must-Read: 4 Diet-Busting Coffee-Shop Drinks (and What to Drink Instead)
DRINK PLAIN COFFEE, NOT ALL OBESITY CAUSING INGREDIENTS ADDED
3. Your liver loves it: OK, so the research here is limited, but it looks like the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake reduced liver cancer risk by 43 percent. Again, it's those antioxidants-chlorogenic and caffeic acids-and caffeine that might prevent liver inflammation and inhibit cancer cells.
4. It boosts your brain power: Drinking between 1 and 5 cups a day (admittedly a big range) may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, as well as Parkinson's disease, studies suggest. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.
5. It helps your headaches: And not just the withdrawal headaches caused by skipping your daily dose of caffeine! Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine-about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee-provides relief from headaches, including migraines. Exactly how caffeine relieves headaches isn't clear. But scientists do know that caffeine boosts the activity of brain cells, causing surrounding blood vessels to constrict. One theory is that this constriction helps to relieve the pressure that causes the pain, says Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director of the Headache Clinic at the University of Vermont Medical School.
Now, that's not to say that coffee doesn't have any pitfalls-it does. Some people are super-sensitive to caffeine and get jittery or anxious after drinking coffee; habitual coffee drinkers usually develop a tolerance to caffeine that eliminates this problem (but they then need the caffeine to be alert and ward off withdrawal headaches). Coffee can also disturb sleep, especially as people age. Cutting some of the caffeine and drinking it earlier in the day can curb this effect. Lastly, unfiltered coffee (like that made with a French press) can raise LDL cholesterol, so use a filter for heart health.
But if you like coffee and you can tolerate it well, enjoy it...without the guilt.
Source: Science litterature
_______________________________________________
5 health reasons to not quit coffee
As a coffee lover you will always be delighted to hear of new reasons that coffee is good for your health...and there are plenty!
Over 18,000 studies on coffee have been published in the past few decades, revealing these benefits.
1. It protects your heart: Moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than noncoffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee's antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, making it the biggest source of antioxidants in American diets. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries. Immediately after drinking it, coffee raises your blood pressure and heart rate, but over the long term, it actually may lower blood pressure as coffee's antioxidants activate nitric oxide, widening blood vessels.
2. It diverts diabetes: Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells' sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies. Other studies have shown that caffeine can blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost, so if you do drink several cups a day, try mixing in decaf occasionally.
Must-Read: 4 Diet-Busting Coffee-Shop Drinks (and What to Drink Instead)
DRINK PLAIN COFFEE, NOT ALL OBESITY CAUSING INGREDIENTS ADDED
3. Your liver loves it: OK, so the research here is limited, but it looks like the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake reduced liver cancer risk by 43 percent. Again, it's those antioxidants-chlorogenic and caffeic acids-and caffeine that might prevent liver inflammation and inhibit cancer cells.
4. It boosts your brain power: Drinking between 1 and 5 cups a day (admittedly a big range) may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, as well as Parkinson's disease, studies suggest. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.
5. It helps your headaches: And not just the withdrawal headaches caused by skipping your daily dose of caffeine! Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine-about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee-provides relief from headaches, including migraines. Exactly how caffeine relieves headaches isn't clear. But scientists do know that caffeine boosts the activity of brain cells, causing surrounding blood vessels to constrict. One theory is that this constriction helps to relieve the pressure that causes the pain, says Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director of the Headache Clinic at the University of Vermont Medical School.
Now, that's not to say that coffee doesn't have any pitfalls-it does. Some people are super-sensitive to caffeine and get jittery or anxious after drinking coffee; habitual coffee drinkers usually develop a tolerance to caffeine that eliminates this problem (but they then need the caffeine to be alert and ward off withdrawal headaches). Coffee can also disturb sleep, especially as people age. Cutting some of the caffeine and drinking it earlier in the day can curb this effect. Lastly, unfiltered coffee (like that made with a French press) can raise LDL cholesterol, so use a filter for heart health.
But if you like coffee and you can tolerate it well, enjoy it...without the guilt.
Source: Science litterature
_______________________________________________
Article 3 of 7
Drinking a variety of teas has been proven to be part of a healthy lifestyle
However, drinking strong coffee, black tea & green tea will do
Save your effort to drink other teas daily you may want to once or twice experience the other teas
Click green for further info
A recent Australian study linked black tea to a modest lowering of blood pressure, and I thought it would be fun to share other possible health benefits of drinking tea.
1. Green tea has cancer-fighting properties: A catechin called EGCG found in green tea has been linked in various studies to a reduction in cancer rates. It may help in the reduction of the following types of cancer: bladder colon, esophagus, pancreas, rectum and stomach.
2. Green tea consumption linked to lower risk of coronary artery disease: In a Japanese study, researchers found that the more green tea you drink, the less chance you will have of developing coronary artery disease.
3. Green tea may reduce the risk of blood clots and strokes: "Green tea also lowers fibrinogen, which is a substance in the body that can cause clots and strokes." -- "150 Healthiest Foods on the Planet" by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D
4. Black tea may help soothe away the stresses of life: A 2010 study by UCL (University College London) found that those who drank a cup of black tea where able to de-stress faster when compared to those drinking a placebo.
5. Drinking green tea results in a modest reduction in breast cancer risk.
6. Rooibos (a caffeine-free, herbal tea) may reduce and treat metabolic diseases.
7. Rooibos and honeybush teas may help with skin cancer: In one study, rooibos and honeybush extracts suppressed skin cancers in mice, giving hope for a future in human studies.
8. Rooibos may be anti-aging: Or, at least a study done with quail found that it helped their egg production capabilities last longer. Since birds are a proposed animal for anti-aging studies, this holds hope that rooibos may help humans as well.
9. White tea was found to be more protective against oxidative stress when compared to green tea.
10. Rooibos tea (both red and green) were shown to have the highest protection for male fertility against oxidative stress: In a study that tested the oxidative stress reducing properties of supplements made from green tea, red rooibos, green rooibos, or Chinese green tea, rooibos extracts helped protect sperm health the most.
Drinking a variety of teas has been proven to be part of a healthy lifestyle. The sampling of studies above are just a drop in the bucket of a whole sea of research, which makes my tea-loving self feel very good.
Related stories: Click green - if the link is expired search the internet with the title
How to clean glass with black tea
11 ways to beat depression naturally
8 astonishing benefits of walking
Can the cinnamon challenge kill you?
Source: Science litterature
_______________________________________________________________
Drinking a variety of teas has been proven to be part of a healthy lifestyle
However, drinking strong coffee, black tea & green tea will do
Save your effort to drink other teas daily you may want to once or twice experience the other teas
Click green for further info
A recent Australian study linked black tea to a modest lowering of blood pressure, and I thought it would be fun to share other possible health benefits of drinking tea.
1. Green tea has cancer-fighting properties: A catechin called EGCG found in green tea has been linked in various studies to a reduction in cancer rates. It may help in the reduction of the following types of cancer: bladder colon, esophagus, pancreas, rectum and stomach.
2. Green tea consumption linked to lower risk of coronary artery disease: In a Japanese study, researchers found that the more green tea you drink, the less chance you will have of developing coronary artery disease.
3. Green tea may reduce the risk of blood clots and strokes: "Green tea also lowers fibrinogen, which is a substance in the body that can cause clots and strokes." -- "150 Healthiest Foods on the Planet" by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D
4. Black tea may help soothe away the stresses of life: A 2010 study by UCL (University College London) found that those who drank a cup of black tea where able to de-stress faster when compared to those drinking a placebo.
5. Drinking green tea results in a modest reduction in breast cancer risk.
6. Rooibos (a caffeine-free, herbal tea) may reduce and treat metabolic diseases.
7. Rooibos and honeybush teas may help with skin cancer: In one study, rooibos and honeybush extracts suppressed skin cancers in mice, giving hope for a future in human studies.
8. Rooibos may be anti-aging: Or, at least a study done with quail found that it helped their egg production capabilities last longer. Since birds are a proposed animal for anti-aging studies, this holds hope that rooibos may help humans as well.
9. White tea was found to be more protective against oxidative stress when compared to green tea.
10. Rooibos tea (both red and green) were shown to have the highest protection for male fertility against oxidative stress: In a study that tested the oxidative stress reducing properties of supplements made from green tea, red rooibos, green rooibos, or Chinese green tea, rooibos extracts helped protect sperm health the most.
Drinking a variety of teas has been proven to be part of a healthy lifestyle. The sampling of studies above are just a drop in the bucket of a whole sea of research, which makes my tea-loving self feel very good.
Related stories: Click green - if the link is expired search the internet with the title
How to clean glass with black tea
11 ways to beat depression naturally
8 astonishing benefits of walking
Can the cinnamon challenge kill you?
Source: Science litterature
_______________________________________________________________
Article 4 of 7
This article has evidence that the STAF, Inc.'s advice above
to drink coffee & green tea & black tea in the same combination in the same cup
is a good idea - study & apply the info n both articles
Ikaria
The Greek Island Where People Live to Be 90, 100, 110
Is it the Coffee? The tea? The sea? The nature? Their activity to work peacefully & never retire?
The way they socialize with their neighbors (daily)? The way they grow much of their own food?
Must be all of the above and more
Click green below for further info
Forget the expression “there must be something in the water.” As it turns out, the secret to longevity could be in a
specific brew of coffee.
(click) The Recipe for Preventing a Stroke: 1 Coffee, 4 Green Teas a Day
The Greek island Ikaria first made national news when The New York Times published an article about its inhabitants called “The Place Where People Forget to Die.” One percent of Ikaria’s inhabitants live well into their 90s (as compared to the rest of Europe’s .01 percent), and they tend to stay sharp and healthy until the very end.
The article pointed to a number of reasons why Ikarians live so long: lack of pollution, a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables, moderate consumption of wine, and, interestingly, coffee brewed by a method of boiling.
Because general coffee consumption has been previously associated with various health benefits including protection against type two diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and liver disease, researchers led by Dr. Gerasimos Siasos of the University of Athens set out to discover if the Ikarians’ regular consumption of boiled coffee, specifically, could be connected to their longevity.
"This boiled Greek type of coffee, which is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants and contains only a moderate amount of caffeine, seems to have more health benefits compared to other coffee beverages," Dr. Siasos told Yahoo! Shine.
From the group of 673 Ikarians over 65 who live on the island, the research team randomly selected 71 men and 71 women and compared their endothelial function with their coffee consumption. The endothelium is the layer of cells that surround blood vessels—over time, due to aging and lifestyle habits, it breaks down, leading to cardiovascular disease.
The results of the study, which was published March 18 in the journal Vascular Medicine, showed that subjects who consumed a moderate amount of boiled Greek coffee had better endothelial function than those who consumed coffee brewed by other methods. “Even in those with high blood pressure, boiled Greek coffee consumption was associated with improved endothelial function, without worrying impacts on blood pressure,” Siasos told Shine.
“The new study provides a new connection between nutritional habits and cardiovascular health. Given the extent of coffee drinking across the world, and the fact that even small health effects of at least one type of coffee could have a large impact on public health, this study provides an interesting starting point,” Siasos said. “However, further studies are needed to document the exact beneficial mechanisms of coffee on cardiovascular health.”
Dr. Rob van Dam, an Assistant Professor of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, also recommends that coffee drinkers assess the results of this study with some degree of caution. “We should not make nutrition recommendations based on a single study. Moreover, this was a rather small cross-sectional study. Participants who consumed traditional Greek coffee may well have had other traditional habits such as a healthy diet that may have been responsible for their better endothelial function,” he explained to Yahoo! Shine.
Dr. van Dam also points out that coffee contains cafestol, a stimulator of LDL cholesterol levels, and that those with high cholesterol should avoid boiled coffee. “When you brew coffee with a paper filter, the cafestol gets left behind in the filter. Other methods of coffee preparation, such as the boiled coffee common in Scandinavian countries, French press coffee, or Turkish coffee, are much higher in cafestol. So for people who have high cholesterol levels or who want to prevent having high cholesterol levels, it is better to choose paper filtered coffee or instant coffee, since they have much lower levels of cafestol than boiled or French press coffee.”
Others agree that the results of the study should be taken with a grain of salt, or perhaps, sugar. Matt Milletto, the Vice President of the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland, Oregon, told Yahoo! Shine that Greek coffee is usually prepared with sugar. “I doubt that three teaspoons full of white sugar do wonders for your health.”
But, if you don’t suffer from high cholesterol, and you’d like to give Greek coffee a try, you’re in luck: it’s easy to make at home. “This is a regional style of coffee preparation, and could easily be replicated by grinding coffee very fine (on a burr grinder) and bringing the water and coffee to a boil,” Milletto told Shine. “This method dates back to Ethiopia, the birth place of coffee. Coffee does not grow in Greece, so roasted coffee from your local coffee roaster could be a good choice.”
Click green above & below for further info
Related links: in case the links have expired seek the internet with the title
Top 10 Perks of Coffee
Coffee Drinkers May Live Longer
Is Coffee a Health Drink? 5 Ways Your Java Does Your Body Good
______________________________________
This article has evidence that the STAF, Inc.'s advice above
to drink coffee & green tea & black tea in the same combination in the same cup
is a good idea - study & apply the info n both articles
Ikaria
The Greek Island Where People Live to Be 90, 100, 110
Is it the Coffee? The tea? The sea? The nature? Their activity to work peacefully & never retire?
The way they socialize with their neighbors (daily)? The way they grow much of their own food?
Must be all of the above and more
Click green below for further info
Forget the expression “there must be something in the water.” As it turns out, the secret to longevity could be in a
specific brew of coffee.
(click) The Recipe for Preventing a Stroke: 1 Coffee, 4 Green Teas a Day
The Greek island Ikaria first made national news when The New York Times published an article about its inhabitants called “The Place Where People Forget to Die.” One percent of Ikaria’s inhabitants live well into their 90s (as compared to the rest of Europe’s .01 percent), and they tend to stay sharp and healthy until the very end.
The article pointed to a number of reasons why Ikarians live so long: lack of pollution, a diet heavy in fruits and vegetables, moderate consumption of wine, and, interestingly, coffee brewed by a method of boiling.
Because general coffee consumption has been previously associated with various health benefits including protection against type two diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and liver disease, researchers led by Dr. Gerasimos Siasos of the University of Athens set out to discover if the Ikarians’ regular consumption of boiled coffee, specifically, could be connected to their longevity.
"This boiled Greek type of coffee, which is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants and contains only a moderate amount of caffeine, seems to have more health benefits compared to other coffee beverages," Dr. Siasos told Yahoo! Shine.
From the group of 673 Ikarians over 65 who live on the island, the research team randomly selected 71 men and 71 women and compared their endothelial function with their coffee consumption. The endothelium is the layer of cells that surround blood vessels—over time, due to aging and lifestyle habits, it breaks down, leading to cardiovascular disease.
The results of the study, which was published March 18 in the journal Vascular Medicine, showed that subjects who consumed a moderate amount of boiled Greek coffee had better endothelial function than those who consumed coffee brewed by other methods. “Even in those with high blood pressure, boiled Greek coffee consumption was associated with improved endothelial function, without worrying impacts on blood pressure,” Siasos told Shine.
“The new study provides a new connection between nutritional habits and cardiovascular health. Given the extent of coffee drinking across the world, and the fact that even small health effects of at least one type of coffee could have a large impact on public health, this study provides an interesting starting point,” Siasos said. “However, further studies are needed to document the exact beneficial mechanisms of coffee on cardiovascular health.”
Dr. Rob van Dam, an Assistant Professor of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, also recommends that coffee drinkers assess the results of this study with some degree of caution. “We should not make nutrition recommendations based on a single study. Moreover, this was a rather small cross-sectional study. Participants who consumed traditional Greek coffee may well have had other traditional habits such as a healthy diet that may have been responsible for their better endothelial function,” he explained to Yahoo! Shine.
Dr. van Dam also points out that coffee contains cafestol, a stimulator of LDL cholesterol levels, and that those with high cholesterol should avoid boiled coffee. “When you brew coffee with a paper filter, the cafestol gets left behind in the filter. Other methods of coffee preparation, such as the boiled coffee common in Scandinavian countries, French press coffee, or Turkish coffee, are much higher in cafestol. So for people who have high cholesterol levels or who want to prevent having high cholesterol levels, it is better to choose paper filtered coffee or instant coffee, since they have much lower levels of cafestol than boiled or French press coffee.”
Others agree that the results of the study should be taken with a grain of salt, or perhaps, sugar. Matt Milletto, the Vice President of the American Barista & Coffee School in Portland, Oregon, told Yahoo! Shine that Greek coffee is usually prepared with sugar. “I doubt that three teaspoons full of white sugar do wonders for your health.”
But, if you don’t suffer from high cholesterol, and you’d like to give Greek coffee a try, you’re in luck: it’s easy to make at home. “This is a regional style of coffee preparation, and could easily be replicated by grinding coffee very fine (on a burr grinder) and bringing the water and coffee to a boil,” Milletto told Shine. “This method dates back to Ethiopia, the birth place of coffee. Coffee does not grow in Greece, so roasted coffee from your local coffee roaster could be a good choice.”
Click green above & below for further info
Related links: in case the links have expired seek the internet with the title
Top 10 Perks of Coffee
Coffee Drinkers May Live Longer
Is Coffee a Health Drink? 5 Ways Your Java Does Your Body Good
______________________________________
5 Worst Mistakes to Avoid When Making Your Morning Coffee
Think your coffee is up to snuff? Chances are you're guilty of one of these common mistakes when you make your morning brew. Major Cohen, an 18-year coffee expert and senior project manager in coffee engagement at Starbucks, knows how to make a cup.
"If you approach coffee as if you were a master chef or a master scientist, you can almost never go wrong," says Cohen.
For top precision and accuracy, he measures the coffee beans and water in his morning cup with a gram scale.
If you're not a coffee expert, here some top mistakes and ways to fix your morning brew.
1. Using tap or unfiltered water . A cup of coffee contains 98 percent water. "You have to be the judge of your tap water," says Cohen. If your tap water tastes gross, chances are your coffee will taste just as terrible. Cold, filtered water is your best bet.
Check the water temperature, too.
"If you don't have hot water, it's not going to extract the right flavors when you brew it," he says.
Cohen suggests using a thermometer if the coffee seems weak and all the other factors have been eliminated. At Starbucks stores, coffee is brewed at 205 degrees Fahrenheit and is a slightly cooler 175 degrees when it's served to customers.
2. Storing coffee beans in the freezer. Coffee should be stored in a cool, dry place and away from the moisture of the freezer.
"As you take it in and out, moisture will condense on it and get wet," he says.
Coffee storage should focus on preventing light, heat, air and moisture.
"Would you put fresh fish in the freezer? You never expect it to taste the same," Cohen says, "It's going to be detrimental to the products."
3. Not using enough coffee per cup. If you're eyeballing coffee quantities, you're probably under-estimating. Most people use a drastically lower amount of coffee per cup than is required.
"They do that either because they're trying to be frugal or, in our day and age, trying to stretch their resources as much as they can," he says.
The result is a bitter and watery cup. Using two rounded tablespoons per six ounces of water is generally the rule of thumb for coffee making.
If you like a weaker cup of coffee, Cohen says, it tastes better if you add hot water to it than if you brew it with less beans.
"If people are trying to explore levels of intensity of taste, it's good to experiment with roast," he says.
Trying different roasts, from blonde to dark, is a good way to see what flavor you like the best.
4. Using the wrong grind . From French press to espresso machine, different machines require a different grind.
"The wrong grind is either going to hold the water back too much if its too fine, or its going to let the water run much too quickly," he says.
Your best bet is to follow the instructions that come with the machine. A helpful tip is to think of common household items before you grind the beans. A coffee press requires a coarse grind, which resembles kosher salt. Espresso grinds look like powdered sugar and a fine grind is the texture of granulated sugar. A medium grind would be medium ground cornmeal.
5. Using too much coffee. If you think using more coffee beans in the morning is your best bet, you're wrong. Using too many grounds results in under-extraction and less-than-ideal flavor.
"It does make a stronger cup, but it gets very, very bitter because the solid level will go up to 30 percent," Cohen says. "Imagine if you were making bread and you used too much yeast. The bread is going to rise too much. … The bread is going to be an abysmal failure."
_________________________________
Think your coffee is up to snuff? Chances are you're guilty of one of these common mistakes when you make your morning brew. Major Cohen, an 18-year coffee expert and senior project manager in coffee engagement at Starbucks, knows how to make a cup.
"If you approach coffee as if you were a master chef or a master scientist, you can almost never go wrong," says Cohen.
For top precision and accuracy, he measures the coffee beans and water in his morning cup with a gram scale.
If you're not a coffee expert, here some top mistakes and ways to fix your morning brew.
1. Using tap or unfiltered water . A cup of coffee contains 98 percent water. "You have to be the judge of your tap water," says Cohen. If your tap water tastes gross, chances are your coffee will taste just as terrible. Cold, filtered water is your best bet.
Check the water temperature, too.
"If you don't have hot water, it's not going to extract the right flavors when you brew it," he says.
Cohen suggests using a thermometer if the coffee seems weak and all the other factors have been eliminated. At Starbucks stores, coffee is brewed at 205 degrees Fahrenheit and is a slightly cooler 175 degrees when it's served to customers.
2. Storing coffee beans in the freezer. Coffee should be stored in a cool, dry place and away from the moisture of the freezer.
"As you take it in and out, moisture will condense on it and get wet," he says.
Coffee storage should focus on preventing light, heat, air and moisture.
"Would you put fresh fish in the freezer? You never expect it to taste the same," Cohen says, "It's going to be detrimental to the products."
3. Not using enough coffee per cup. If you're eyeballing coffee quantities, you're probably under-estimating. Most people use a drastically lower amount of coffee per cup than is required.
"They do that either because they're trying to be frugal or, in our day and age, trying to stretch their resources as much as they can," he says.
The result is a bitter and watery cup. Using two rounded tablespoons per six ounces of water is generally the rule of thumb for coffee making.
If you like a weaker cup of coffee, Cohen says, it tastes better if you add hot water to it than if you brew it with less beans.
"If people are trying to explore levels of intensity of taste, it's good to experiment with roast," he says.
Trying different roasts, from blonde to dark, is a good way to see what flavor you like the best.
4. Using the wrong grind . From French press to espresso machine, different machines require a different grind.
"The wrong grind is either going to hold the water back too much if its too fine, or its going to let the water run much too quickly," he says.
Your best bet is to follow the instructions that come with the machine. A helpful tip is to think of common household items before you grind the beans. A coffee press requires a coarse grind, which resembles kosher salt. Espresso grinds look like powdered sugar and a fine grind is the texture of granulated sugar. A medium grind would be medium ground cornmeal.
5. Using too much coffee. If you think using more coffee beans in the morning is your best bet, you're wrong. Using too many grounds results in under-extraction and less-than-ideal flavor.
"It does make a stronger cup, but it gets very, very bitter because the solid level will go up to 30 percent," Cohen says. "Imagine if you were making bread and you used too much yeast. The bread is going to rise too much. … The bread is going to be an abysmal failure."
_________________________________
Article 5 of 7
Top 10 of Coffee Potential Health Benefits
Additional research is still needed. Here some potential benefits explained.
However, there are also research results stating some possible negative effects.
3 - 5 cup of strong or medium strong coffee a day
probably would be a reasonable amount
New research shows that drinking coffee can actually lengthen our lives. And that’s only the latest surprise from medical sleuths who have been assessing coffee’s remarkable health benefits. Recent studies reveal that coffee has previously unsuspected powers to protect against diseases ranging from Type 2 diabetes to breast and prostate cancer, and, possibly, Alzheimer’s disease.
The latest surprise comes from a study of more than 402,000 healthy men and women ages 50 to 71. The research, published in New England Journal of Medicine in May, reported that drinking three or more cups of coffee (or decaf) per day cut risk of death for heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries, accidents, diabetes and infection by 10 percent. (This applies only to nonsmokers who didn’t drink a lot of alcohol.)
Identify the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease.
Coffee contains more than 1,000 compounds that could affect health. Here are 10 more amazing health perks:
Benefit #1: Hot Coffee May Fight Superbug Infections.
Compared to people who don’t drink hot coffee or tea, those who do are 50 percent less likely to harbor MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria in their nose—and may therefore be at significantly lower risk for developing a dangerous superbug infection. MRSA causes 278,000 hospitalizations and more than 6,500 deaths in the US annually.
Benefit #2: Coffee Decreases Diabetes Risk.
Researchers at Harvard who followed more than 125,000 men and women for more than 10 years found that drinking six cups of coffee daily appears to help ward off type 2 diabetes.
In men, a six-or-more cup daily java habit slashed the risk by more than 50 percent compared to men who didn’t drink coffee; among women, sipping six cups daily trimmed risk by nearly 30 percent.
Benefit #3: Coffee Combats Gallstones.
Another Harvard study that tracked more than 46,000 men ages 40 to 75 for 10 years showed that drinking two to three cups of regular coffee (not decaf) daily shrank the risk of gallstones by 40 percent (and may have similar benefits for women).
Coffee seems to stimulate gallbladder contractions and reduce cholesterol in bile that can form gallstones. Other sources of caffeine, including tea and sodas, don’t help.
Benefit #4: Coffee Benefits Digestive Health.
A 10-year study in Japan including 96,000 adults found that drinking three or more cups of java per day halved the colon cancer risk in women.
Benefit #5: Coffee May Stave Off Stroke.
A Swedish study published in 2011 reported that drinking one or more cups of java daily lowered stroke risk by 22 to 25 percent. More than 34,000 women were followed for slightly more than 10 years.
Benefit #6: Coffee Is a Mood-Booster.
A study by Harvard School of Public Health found a 20 percent lower risk of depression in women who drink coffee regularly compared to women who don’t. More than 50,000 midlife women participated.
And for some, coffee actually seems to be lifesaving: Earlier studies showed that the risk of suicide declines as coffee consumption rises. And a study in Finland found a lower risk of severe depression in men who drank the most coffee.
Benefit #7: Coffee Improves Men’s Health.
Guys, here’s a great reason to grab a cup of joe: Another Harvard study published last year followed almost 48,000 men for 20 years and found that the risk of prostate cancer was 20 percent lower in those who drank six or more cups of coffee daily, regular or decaf.
Better yet, those who quaffed the most were 60 percent less likely than nondrinkers to develop a lethal form of prostate cancer. Drinking one to three cups of java reduced the risk of fatal prostate cancer by 30 percent.
9 Warning Signs of Low Testosterone
Benefit #8: Coffee Cuts Breast Cancer Risk.
A study from Sweden’s prestigious Karolinska Institutet suggests that women who drink five or more cups of coffee per day cut risk of aggressive estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer by 57 percent. Exactly what it is about coffee that works against this particular kind of breast cancer isn’t known.
Benefit #9: Coffee Protects Women’s Skin
Yet another study from the Harvard School of Public Health found a 20 percent lower risk of basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer, in women who drank more than three cups of regular coffee daily.
Benefit #10: Coffee Has An Amazing Potential to Protect Against Alzheimer’s.
Studies in Finland have found that people who drank three to five cups of coffee daily when they were middle-aged had a 60 to 70 percent drop in risk for Alzheimer’s later in life.
A 2011 study at Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center is the first to show that caffeinated coffee appears to protect against the memory-robbing disorder in a way not seem with other caffeinated drinks or decaf. The mouse study, published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, found that caffeinated coffee spurs a rise in blood levels of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF), a growth factor that’s greatly diminished in Alzheimer’s patients.
The boost is important, since GCSF causes bone marrow stems to enter the brain and remove harmful beta-amyloid protein that triggers Alzheimer’s. GCSF also forges new brain cell connections and boosts levels of new neurons. “Together, these actions appear to give coffee an amazing potential to protect against Alzheimer’s—but only if you drink moderate amounts,” remarked one of the study authors.
_____________________________________________________________
How the Hum of a Coffee Shop Can Boost Creativity
Click green for further info
Pulling up a seat at your favorite coffee shop may be the most efficient way to write a paper or finish a work project.
But now a new Web site lets you bring the coffee shop to your cubicle.
The site, called Coffitivity, was inspired by recent research showing that the whoosh of espresso machines and caffeinated chatter typical of most coffee shops creates just the right level of background noise to stimulate creativity. The Web site, which is free, plays an ambient coffee shop soundtrack that, according to researchers, helps people concentrate.
In a series of experiments that looked at the effects of noise on creative thinking, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign had participants brainstorm ideas for new products while they were exposed to varying levels of background noise. Their results, published in The Journal of Consumer Research, found that a level of ambient noise typical of a bustling coffee shop or a television playing in a living room, about 70 decibels, enhanced performance compared with the relative quiet of 50 decibels.
A higher level of noise, however, about 85 decibels, roughly the noise level generated by a blender or a garbage disposal, was too distracting, the researchers found.
Ravi Mehta, an assistant professor of business administration at the university who led the research, said that extreme quiet tends to sharpen your focus, which can prevent you from thinking in the abstract.
“This is why if you’re too focused on a problem and you’re not able to solve it,” Dr. Mehta said, “you leave it for some time and then come back to it and you get the solution.”
But moderate levels can distract people just enough so that they think more broadly. “It helps you think outside the box,” he said.
The benefits of moderate noise, however, apply only to creative tasks. Projects that require paying close attention to detail, like proofreading a paper or doing your taxes, Dr. Mehta said, are performed better in quiet environments.
In other studies, he and his colleagues have found that exposure to certain colors can play a role as well. Switching the color of your computer’s background screen to blue enhances performance on creative tasks, for example, while making it red helps with detail-oriented tasks. Large, open rooms with high ceilings may also promote creative thinking, they found.
The creators of the Coffitivity site struck upon their idea after brainstorming on an unrelated start-up in the Richmond, Va., area.
“We had been in and out of coffee shops, and we were getting really good work done,” said ACe Callwood, a founder of the site and the coordinator for entrepreneurship at the Virginia Commonwealth University business school.
One member of the team, Justin Kauszler, noticed that when he returned to his regular work space, in a subdued and sterile office, his productivity took a nose-dive. When Mr. Kauszler’s boss shot down his request to leave the office and work from a coffee shop, he and his colleagues decided that they would bring their favorite coffeehouses to their computers.
With some borrowed audio equipment in hand, they eventually hit on a spot with the ideal noise level, a place called Harrison Street Cafe.
“It had just the right mix of everything,” Mr. Callwood said. “You could get the coffee machine, and you had people talking and eating. It has two levels, and we got the vibe upstairs and downstairs.”
Coffitivity started on March 4, 2013, and that day it got about 120 page views. “I think our moms looked at it a hundred times,” Mr. Callwood joked.
Since then, traffic has “exploded,” he said. “Seoul, Korea, is our top user city. New York City is second, followed by London, L.A. and Chicago.”
Mr. Callwood and his colleagues at Coffitivity say they are now in the process of creating an app and adding new coffee shop soundtracks tailored to specific countries.
“Australians apparently hate American accents,” he said. “We have Australians asking us for different audio sounds.
“We had a rabbi reach out and say, ‘Hey, there’s a Jewish learning center that has this very distinctive sound in Hebrew,’ and he asked if we could put that kind of audio on the site. We told him that if he could get us the audio, we’ll use it.”
Click green for furhter info
Source: The Journal of Consumer Research
_____________________________________________________
==========================================================================================================================================================This Is Your Brain on Coffee
Click green for further info
For hundreds of years, coffee has been one of the two or three most popular beverages on earth. But it’s only recently that scientists are figuring out that the drink has notable health benefits. In one large-scale epidemiological study from last year, researchers primarily at the National Cancer Institute parsed health information from more than 400,000 volunteers, ages 50 to 71, who were free of major diseases at the study’s start in 1995. By 2008, more than 50,000 of the participants had died. But men who reported drinking two or three cups of coffee a day were 10 percent less likely to have died than those who didn’t drink coffee, while women drinking the same amount had 13 percent less risk of dying during the study. It’s not clear exactly what coffee had to do with their longevity, but the correlation is striking.
Other recent studies have linked moderate coffee drinking — the equivalent of three or four 5-ounce cups of coffee a day or a single venti-size Starbucks — with more specific advantages: a reduction in the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, basal cell carcinoma (the most common skin cancer), prostate cancer, oral cancer and breast cancer recurrence.
Perhaps most consequential, animal experiments show that caffeine may reshape the biochemical environment inside our brains in ways that could stave off dementia. In a 2012 experiment at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, mice were briefly starved of oxygen, causing them to lose the ability to form memories. Half of the mice received a dose of caffeine that was the equivalent of several cups of coffee. After they were reoxygenated, the caffeinated mice regained their ability to form new memories 33 percent faster than the uncaffeinated. Close examination of the animals’ brain tissue showed that the caffeine disrupted the action of adenosine, a substance inside cells that usually provides energy, but can become destructive if it leaks out when the cells are injured or under stress. The escaped adenosine can jump-start a biochemical cascade leading to inflammation, which can disrupt the function of neurons, and potentially contribute to neurodegeneration or, in other words, dementia.
In a 2012 study of humans, researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Miami tested the blood levels of caffeine in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, or the first glimmer of serious forgetfulness, a common precursor of Alzheimer’s disease, and then re-evaluated them two to four years later. Participants with little or no caffeine circulating in their bloodstreams were far more likely to have progressed to full-blown Alzheimer’s than those whose blood indicated they’d had about three cups’ worth of caffeine.
There’s still much to be learned about the effects of coffee. “We don’t know whether blocking the action of adenosine is sufficient” to prevent or lessen the effects of dementia, says Dr. Gregory G. Freund, a professor of pathology at the University of Illinois who led the 2012 study of mice. It is also unclear whether caffeine by itself provides the benefits associated with coffee drinking or if coffee contains other valuable ingredients. In a 2011 study by the same researchers at the University of South Florida, for instance, mice genetically bred to develop Alzheimer’s and then given caffeine alone did not fare as well on memory tests as those provided with actual coffee. Nor is there any evidence that mixing caffeine with large amounts of sugar, as in energy drinks, is healthful. But a cup or three of coffee “has been popular for a long, long time,” Dr. Freund says, “and there’s probably good reasons for that.”
Click green for further info
Source: NYT Magazine
____________________________________________
Article 6 of 7
Possible Health Benefits of Any Tea Green - Black - White - all other teas
Experts explain green tea's potential benefits for everything from fighting cancer to helping your heart
It's difficult not to gush about green tea.
More than a decade's worth of research about green tea's health benefits -- particularly its potential to fight cancer and heart disease -- has been more than intriguing, as have limited studies about green tea's role in lowering cholesterol, burning fat, preventing diabetes and stroke, and staving off dementia.
"I believe in green tea based on everything written about it," says Katherine Tallmadge, RD, LD, a nutritionist and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Green tea, white tea, black tea -- I like all of them."
Still, real-world evidence is lacking; most of the consistent findings about green tea's health benefits have come out of the lab.
The few large-scale human studies that have focused on green tea's impact on heart disease and cancer are promising, but many of those were conducted in the East, where green tea is a dietary mainstay. The outcomes are likely influenced by other lifestyle factors such as high consumption of fish and soy protein, says cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association and medical director of the New York University Women's Heart Center.
But Goldberg agrees with other health professionals: green tea has important antioxidants and compounds that help in maintaining good health.
"I believe in green tea based on everything written about it," says Katherine Tallmadge, RD, LD, a nutritionist and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Green tea, white tea, black tea -- I like all of them."
Still, real-world evidence is lacking; most of the consistent findings about green tea's health benefits have come out of the lab.
The few large-scale human studies that have focused on green tea's impact on heart disease and cancer are promising, but many of those were conducted in the East, where green tea is a dietary mainstay. The outcomes are likely influenced by other lifestyle factors such as high consumption of fish and soy protein, says cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association and medical director of the New York University Women's Heart Center.
But Goldberg agrees with other health professionals: green tea has important antioxidants and compounds that help in maintaining good health.
Still, it's difficult not to be intrigued by a few human studies that have shown that drinking at least two cups of green tea daily inhibits cancer growth.
One of them, a study conducted in Japan that involved nearly 500 Japanese women with Stage I and Stage II breast cancer, found that increased green tea consumption before and after surgery was associated with lower recurrence of the cancers.
Studies in China have shown that the more green tea that participants drank, the less the risk of developing stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, prostate cancer,pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer.
Finally, a recent analysis of 22 studies that probed the correlation between high tea consumption and reduced risk for lung cancer concluded that by increasing your daily intake of green (not black) tea by two cups may reduce the risk of developing lung cancer by 18%.
Is Green Tea Good for Your Heart?It seems to be, but there are conflicting results of a few epidemiological studies conducted in the East and West.
In a study that involved 500 Japanese men and women, researchers found that drinking at least four cups of green tea every day may be related to the reduced severity of coronary heart disease among the male participants.
A Dutch study of more than 3,000 men and women found that the more tea consumed, the less severe the clogging of the heart's blood vessels, especially in women.
As Goldberg suggests, lifestyle and overall diet are critical to the outcomes of these studies.
But green tea's antioxidants are dilators, she says, because they improve the flexibility of blood vessels and make them less vulnerable to clogging -- and antioxidant-rich blueberries and pomegranates do the same.
"I think people should know these are important studies, that everyday foods that are an option may actually have health benefits," Goldberg says. "I think green tea, because of its antioxidant value, may have heart benefits, but it's not something we regularly prescribe to people, because there isn't as much evidence as there is in exercise's ability to improve heart health."
Green Tea and WeightGreen tea and its extract have been shown to fight obesity and lower LDL "bad" cholesterol -- two risk factors for heart disease and diabetes -- but in very limited studies. One study in the Netherlands and a study in Japan showed that green tea did both.
In the Dutch study, participants who drank caffeinated green tea lost more weight, but even those who typically drank the decaf variety saw a decrease in their waistlines and body weight. Researchers speculated that the caffeine helps with fat oxidation.
In the Japanese study, 240 men and women were given varying amounts of green tea extract for three months. Those who got the highest amount lost fat and weight and had lower blood pressure and lower LDL "bad" cholesterol.
Taking weight loss supplements that contain green tea extract probably won't hurt, unless you have liver problems.
But the best way to get the most out of green tea -- even if your main goal is losing weight -- is to drink it.
"Taken altogether, the evidence certainly suggests that incorporating at least a few cups of green tea every day will positively affect your health," says Diane McKay, PhD, a Tufts University scientist who studies antioxidants. "It's not going to cure anything and it shouldn't be consumed as a drug, but it can complement the rest of the diet."
McCullough bears the same reminder: eat your fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, and nuts -- and go ahead, drink as much green tea as you want.
"I don't think it can hurt to drink it. I'd focus on dietary sources rather than supplements because there are several compounds in green tea that might need to be consumed together. We just don't know yet," she says.
_____________________________________
Top 10 of Coffee Potential Health Benefits
Additional research is still needed. Here some potential benefits explained.
However, there are also research results stating some possible negative effects.
3 - 5 cup of strong or medium strong coffee a day
probably would be a reasonable amount
New research shows that drinking coffee can actually lengthen our lives. And that’s only the latest surprise from medical sleuths who have been assessing coffee’s remarkable health benefits. Recent studies reveal that coffee has previously unsuspected powers to protect against diseases ranging from Type 2 diabetes to breast and prostate cancer, and, possibly, Alzheimer’s disease.
The latest surprise comes from a study of more than 402,000 healthy men and women ages 50 to 71. The research, published in New England Journal of Medicine in May, reported that drinking three or more cups of coffee (or decaf) per day cut risk of death for heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries, accidents, diabetes and infection by 10 percent. (This applies only to nonsmokers who didn’t drink a lot of alcohol.)
Identify the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease.
Coffee contains more than 1,000 compounds that could affect health. Here are 10 more amazing health perks:
Benefit #1: Hot Coffee May Fight Superbug Infections.
Compared to people who don’t drink hot coffee or tea, those who do are 50 percent less likely to harbor MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria in their nose—and may therefore be at significantly lower risk for developing a dangerous superbug infection. MRSA causes 278,000 hospitalizations and more than 6,500 deaths in the US annually.
Benefit #2: Coffee Decreases Diabetes Risk.
Researchers at Harvard who followed more than 125,000 men and women for more than 10 years found that drinking six cups of coffee daily appears to help ward off type 2 diabetes.
In men, a six-or-more cup daily java habit slashed the risk by more than 50 percent compared to men who didn’t drink coffee; among women, sipping six cups daily trimmed risk by nearly 30 percent.
Benefit #3: Coffee Combats Gallstones.
Another Harvard study that tracked more than 46,000 men ages 40 to 75 for 10 years showed that drinking two to three cups of regular coffee (not decaf) daily shrank the risk of gallstones by 40 percent (and may have similar benefits for women).
Coffee seems to stimulate gallbladder contractions and reduce cholesterol in bile that can form gallstones. Other sources of caffeine, including tea and sodas, don’t help.
Benefit #4: Coffee Benefits Digestive Health.
A 10-year study in Japan including 96,000 adults found that drinking three or more cups of java per day halved the colon cancer risk in women.
Benefit #5: Coffee May Stave Off Stroke.
A Swedish study published in 2011 reported that drinking one or more cups of java daily lowered stroke risk by 22 to 25 percent. More than 34,000 women were followed for slightly more than 10 years.
Benefit #6: Coffee Is a Mood-Booster.
A study by Harvard School of Public Health found a 20 percent lower risk of depression in women who drink coffee regularly compared to women who don’t. More than 50,000 midlife women participated.
And for some, coffee actually seems to be lifesaving: Earlier studies showed that the risk of suicide declines as coffee consumption rises. And a study in Finland found a lower risk of severe depression in men who drank the most coffee.
Benefit #7: Coffee Improves Men’s Health.
Guys, here’s a great reason to grab a cup of joe: Another Harvard study published last year followed almost 48,000 men for 20 years and found that the risk of prostate cancer was 20 percent lower in those who drank six or more cups of coffee daily, regular or decaf.
Better yet, those who quaffed the most were 60 percent less likely than nondrinkers to develop a lethal form of prostate cancer. Drinking one to three cups of java reduced the risk of fatal prostate cancer by 30 percent.
9 Warning Signs of Low Testosterone
Benefit #8: Coffee Cuts Breast Cancer Risk.
A study from Sweden’s prestigious Karolinska Institutet suggests that women who drink five or more cups of coffee per day cut risk of aggressive estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer by 57 percent. Exactly what it is about coffee that works against this particular kind of breast cancer isn’t known.
Benefit #9: Coffee Protects Women’s Skin
Yet another study from the Harvard School of Public Health found a 20 percent lower risk of basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer, in women who drank more than three cups of regular coffee daily.
Benefit #10: Coffee Has An Amazing Potential to Protect Against Alzheimer’s.
Studies in Finland have found that people who drank three to five cups of coffee daily when they were middle-aged had a 60 to 70 percent drop in risk for Alzheimer’s later in life.
A 2011 study at Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center is the first to show that caffeinated coffee appears to protect against the memory-robbing disorder in a way not seem with other caffeinated drinks or decaf. The mouse study, published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, found that caffeinated coffee spurs a rise in blood levels of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF), a growth factor that’s greatly diminished in Alzheimer’s patients.
The boost is important, since GCSF causes bone marrow stems to enter the brain and remove harmful beta-amyloid protein that triggers Alzheimer’s. GCSF also forges new brain cell connections and boosts levels of new neurons. “Together, these actions appear to give coffee an amazing potential to protect against Alzheimer’s—but only if you drink moderate amounts,” remarked one of the study authors.
_____________________________________________________________
How the Hum of a Coffee Shop Can Boost Creativity
Click green for further info
Pulling up a seat at your favorite coffee shop may be the most efficient way to write a paper or finish a work project.
But now a new Web site lets you bring the coffee shop to your cubicle.
The site, called Coffitivity, was inspired by recent research showing that the whoosh of espresso machines and caffeinated chatter typical of most coffee shops creates just the right level of background noise to stimulate creativity. The Web site, which is free, plays an ambient coffee shop soundtrack that, according to researchers, helps people concentrate.
In a series of experiments that looked at the effects of noise on creative thinking, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign had participants brainstorm ideas for new products while they were exposed to varying levels of background noise. Their results, published in The Journal of Consumer Research, found that a level of ambient noise typical of a bustling coffee shop or a television playing in a living room, about 70 decibels, enhanced performance compared with the relative quiet of 50 decibels.
A higher level of noise, however, about 85 decibels, roughly the noise level generated by a blender or a garbage disposal, was too distracting, the researchers found.
Ravi Mehta, an assistant professor of business administration at the university who led the research, said that extreme quiet tends to sharpen your focus, which can prevent you from thinking in the abstract.
“This is why if you’re too focused on a problem and you’re not able to solve it,” Dr. Mehta said, “you leave it for some time and then come back to it and you get the solution.”
But moderate levels can distract people just enough so that they think more broadly. “It helps you think outside the box,” he said.
The benefits of moderate noise, however, apply only to creative tasks. Projects that require paying close attention to detail, like proofreading a paper or doing your taxes, Dr. Mehta said, are performed better in quiet environments.
In other studies, he and his colleagues have found that exposure to certain colors can play a role as well. Switching the color of your computer’s background screen to blue enhances performance on creative tasks, for example, while making it red helps with detail-oriented tasks. Large, open rooms with high ceilings may also promote creative thinking, they found.
The creators of the Coffitivity site struck upon their idea after brainstorming on an unrelated start-up in the Richmond, Va., area.
“We had been in and out of coffee shops, and we were getting really good work done,” said ACe Callwood, a founder of the site and the coordinator for entrepreneurship at the Virginia Commonwealth University business school.
One member of the team, Justin Kauszler, noticed that when he returned to his regular work space, in a subdued and sterile office, his productivity took a nose-dive. When Mr. Kauszler’s boss shot down his request to leave the office and work from a coffee shop, he and his colleagues decided that they would bring their favorite coffeehouses to their computers.
With some borrowed audio equipment in hand, they eventually hit on a spot with the ideal noise level, a place called Harrison Street Cafe.
“It had just the right mix of everything,” Mr. Callwood said. “You could get the coffee machine, and you had people talking and eating. It has two levels, and we got the vibe upstairs and downstairs.”
Coffitivity started on March 4, 2013, and that day it got about 120 page views. “I think our moms looked at it a hundred times,” Mr. Callwood joked.
Since then, traffic has “exploded,” he said. “Seoul, Korea, is our top user city. New York City is second, followed by London, L.A. and Chicago.”
Mr. Callwood and his colleagues at Coffitivity say they are now in the process of creating an app and adding new coffee shop soundtracks tailored to specific countries.
“Australians apparently hate American accents,” he said. “We have Australians asking us for different audio sounds.
“We had a rabbi reach out and say, ‘Hey, there’s a Jewish learning center that has this very distinctive sound in Hebrew,’ and he asked if we could put that kind of audio on the site. We told him that if he could get us the audio, we’ll use it.”
Click green for furhter info
Source: The Journal of Consumer Research
_____________________________________________________
==========================================================================================================================================================This Is Your Brain on Coffee
Click green for further info
For hundreds of years, coffee has been one of the two or three most popular beverages on earth. But it’s only recently that scientists are figuring out that the drink has notable health benefits. In one large-scale epidemiological study from last year, researchers primarily at the National Cancer Institute parsed health information from more than 400,000 volunteers, ages 50 to 71, who were free of major diseases at the study’s start in 1995. By 2008, more than 50,000 of the participants had died. But men who reported drinking two or three cups of coffee a day were 10 percent less likely to have died than those who didn’t drink coffee, while women drinking the same amount had 13 percent less risk of dying during the study. It’s not clear exactly what coffee had to do with their longevity, but the correlation is striking.
Other recent studies have linked moderate coffee drinking — the equivalent of three or four 5-ounce cups of coffee a day or a single venti-size Starbucks — with more specific advantages: a reduction in the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, basal cell carcinoma (the most common skin cancer), prostate cancer, oral cancer and breast cancer recurrence.
Perhaps most consequential, animal experiments show that caffeine may reshape the biochemical environment inside our brains in ways that could stave off dementia. In a 2012 experiment at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, mice were briefly starved of oxygen, causing them to lose the ability to form memories. Half of the mice received a dose of caffeine that was the equivalent of several cups of coffee. After they were reoxygenated, the caffeinated mice regained their ability to form new memories 33 percent faster than the uncaffeinated. Close examination of the animals’ brain tissue showed that the caffeine disrupted the action of adenosine, a substance inside cells that usually provides energy, but can become destructive if it leaks out when the cells are injured or under stress. The escaped adenosine can jump-start a biochemical cascade leading to inflammation, which can disrupt the function of neurons, and potentially contribute to neurodegeneration or, in other words, dementia.
In a 2012 study of humans, researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Miami tested the blood levels of caffeine in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, or the first glimmer of serious forgetfulness, a common precursor of Alzheimer’s disease, and then re-evaluated them two to four years later. Participants with little or no caffeine circulating in their bloodstreams were far more likely to have progressed to full-blown Alzheimer’s than those whose blood indicated they’d had about three cups’ worth of caffeine.
There’s still much to be learned about the effects of coffee. “We don’t know whether blocking the action of adenosine is sufficient” to prevent or lessen the effects of dementia, says Dr. Gregory G. Freund, a professor of pathology at the University of Illinois who led the 2012 study of mice. It is also unclear whether caffeine by itself provides the benefits associated with coffee drinking or if coffee contains other valuable ingredients. In a 2011 study by the same researchers at the University of South Florida, for instance, mice genetically bred to develop Alzheimer’s and then given caffeine alone did not fare as well on memory tests as those provided with actual coffee. Nor is there any evidence that mixing caffeine with large amounts of sugar, as in energy drinks, is healthful. But a cup or three of coffee “has been popular for a long, long time,” Dr. Freund says, “and there’s probably good reasons for that.”
Click green for further info
Source: NYT Magazine
____________________________________________
Article 6 of 7
Possible Health Benefits of Any Tea Green - Black - White - all other teas
Experts explain green tea's potential benefits for everything from fighting cancer to helping your heart
It's difficult not to gush about green tea.
More than a decade's worth of research about green tea's health benefits -- particularly its potential to fight cancer and heart disease -- has been more than intriguing, as have limited studies about green tea's role in lowering cholesterol, burning fat, preventing diabetes and stroke, and staving off dementia.
"I believe in green tea based on everything written about it," says Katherine Tallmadge, RD, LD, a nutritionist and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Green tea, white tea, black tea -- I like all of them."
Still, real-world evidence is lacking; most of the consistent findings about green tea's health benefits have come out of the lab.
The few large-scale human studies that have focused on green tea's impact on heart disease and cancer are promising, but many of those were conducted in the East, where green tea is a dietary mainstay. The outcomes are likely influenced by other lifestyle factors such as high consumption of fish and soy protein, says cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association and medical director of the New York University Women's Heart Center.
But Goldberg agrees with other health professionals: green tea has important antioxidants and compounds that help in maintaining good health.
"I believe in green tea based on everything written about it," says Katherine Tallmadge, RD, LD, a nutritionist and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "Green tea, white tea, black tea -- I like all of them."
Still, real-world evidence is lacking; most of the consistent findings about green tea's health benefits have come out of the lab.
The few large-scale human studies that have focused on green tea's impact on heart disease and cancer are promising, but many of those were conducted in the East, where green tea is a dietary mainstay. The outcomes are likely influenced by other lifestyle factors such as high consumption of fish and soy protein, says cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association and medical director of the New York University Women's Heart Center.
But Goldberg agrees with other health professionals: green tea has important antioxidants and compounds that help in maintaining good health.
Still, it's difficult not to be intrigued by a few human studies that have shown that drinking at least two cups of green tea daily inhibits cancer growth.
One of them, a study conducted in Japan that involved nearly 500 Japanese women with Stage I and Stage II breast cancer, found that increased green tea consumption before and after surgery was associated with lower recurrence of the cancers.
Studies in China have shown that the more green tea that participants drank, the less the risk of developing stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, prostate cancer,pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer.
Finally, a recent analysis of 22 studies that probed the correlation between high tea consumption and reduced risk for lung cancer concluded that by increasing your daily intake of green (not black) tea by two cups may reduce the risk of developing lung cancer by 18%.
Is Green Tea Good for Your Heart?It seems to be, but there are conflicting results of a few epidemiological studies conducted in the East and West.
In a study that involved 500 Japanese men and women, researchers found that drinking at least four cups of green tea every day may be related to the reduced severity of coronary heart disease among the male participants.
A Dutch study of more than 3,000 men and women found that the more tea consumed, the less severe the clogging of the heart's blood vessels, especially in women.
As Goldberg suggests, lifestyle and overall diet are critical to the outcomes of these studies.
But green tea's antioxidants are dilators, she says, because they improve the flexibility of blood vessels and make them less vulnerable to clogging -- and antioxidant-rich blueberries and pomegranates do the same.
"I think people should know these are important studies, that everyday foods that are an option may actually have health benefits," Goldberg says. "I think green tea, because of its antioxidant value, may have heart benefits, but it's not something we regularly prescribe to people, because there isn't as much evidence as there is in exercise's ability to improve heart health."
Green Tea and WeightGreen tea and its extract have been shown to fight obesity and lower LDL "bad" cholesterol -- two risk factors for heart disease and diabetes -- but in very limited studies. One study in the Netherlands and a study in Japan showed that green tea did both.
In the Dutch study, participants who drank caffeinated green tea lost more weight, but even those who typically drank the decaf variety saw a decrease in their waistlines and body weight. Researchers speculated that the caffeine helps with fat oxidation.
In the Japanese study, 240 men and women were given varying amounts of green tea extract for three months. Those who got the highest amount lost fat and weight and had lower blood pressure and lower LDL "bad" cholesterol.
Taking weight loss supplements that contain green tea extract probably won't hurt, unless you have liver problems.
But the best way to get the most out of green tea -- even if your main goal is losing weight -- is to drink it.
"Taken altogether, the evidence certainly suggests that incorporating at least a few cups of green tea every day will positively affect your health," says Diane McKay, PhD, a Tufts University scientist who studies antioxidants. "It's not going to cure anything and it shouldn't be consumed as a drug, but it can complement the rest of the diet."
McCullough bears the same reminder: eat your fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, and nuts -- and go ahead, drink as much green tea as you want.
"I don't think it can hurt to drink it. I'd focus on dietary sources rather than supplements because there are several compounds in green tea that might need to be consumed together. We just don't know yet," she says.
_____________________________________
Article 7 of 7
10 Health Benefits of Drinking Tea
Many people talk about the health benefits of
green or black tea,
but do we really know all about it?
See the next article below: nettle - use as a healthy herbal tea & other info
Can this product used for thousands of years in South-East Asia prevent cancer, high blood pressure, or other often-faced diseases? Green & black tea are similar beneficial effects.
Green tea can reduce the risk of developing colon, pancreas, bladder, stomach, and rectum cancer by sixty percent.
Green tea consumption can decrease the LDL cholesterol, also known as the "bad" cholesterol. This is why people who drink larger amounts of green tea may eat twice the amounts of foods with high levels of cholesterol and have the same cholesterol level than those who don`t usually drink green or black tea.
The unnatural formation of blood cloths that leads to thrombosis (= the formation of a blood clot) may be stopped or slowed down with green tea consumption. Untreated thrombosis may cause heart attack or stroke.
Green/black tea can reduce blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and prevent Type-2 diabetes. This happens due to the polyphenols and polysaccharides, two antioxidants found in green/black tea, which are efficient in lowering blood pressure.
Green tea protects the liver from toxins, and ensures oral health. It also destroys free radicals, boosts the immune system function, helps you maintain fluid balance, and blocks some of the main receptors that cause allergic reactions.
Recent studies proved that the green tea also has antibacterial and antiviral properties. It makes you recover faster from cold or flu, inhibits the spread of disease, and may be used against food bacteria like clostridium, staphylococcus, and botulus.
Although both black and green tea come from the same plant, black tea may not have the same medical benefits - but the difference may be only small. Drink combination black tea & green tea & strong coffee - the practical, "fast, time-saving" solution. Or drink them separately as you wish and as suitable for your daily schedule.
A healthy diet should include green tea, black tea & strong coffee because they all stimulate metabolism and calorie burning process.
Click green for further info
See the next article below: nettle - use as a healthy herbal tea & other info
__________________________________________________
10 Health Benefits of Drinking Tea
Many people talk about the health benefits of
green or black tea,
but do we really know all about it?
See the next article below: nettle - use as a healthy herbal tea & other info
Can this product used for thousands of years in South-East Asia prevent cancer, high blood pressure, or other often-faced diseases? Green & black tea are similar beneficial effects.
Green tea can reduce the risk of developing colon, pancreas, bladder, stomach, and rectum cancer by sixty percent.
Green tea consumption can decrease the LDL cholesterol, also known as the "bad" cholesterol. This is why people who drink larger amounts of green tea may eat twice the amounts of foods with high levels of cholesterol and have the same cholesterol level than those who don`t usually drink green or black tea.
The unnatural formation of blood cloths that leads to thrombosis (= the formation of a blood clot) may be stopped or slowed down with green tea consumption. Untreated thrombosis may cause heart attack or stroke.
Green/black tea can reduce blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and prevent Type-2 diabetes. This happens due to the polyphenols and polysaccharides, two antioxidants found in green/black tea, which are efficient in lowering blood pressure.
Green tea protects the liver from toxins, and ensures oral health. It also destroys free radicals, boosts the immune system function, helps you maintain fluid balance, and blocks some of the main receptors that cause allergic reactions.
Recent studies proved that the green tea also has antibacterial and antiviral properties. It makes you recover faster from cold or flu, inhibits the spread of disease, and may be used against food bacteria like clostridium, staphylococcus, and botulus.
Although both black and green tea come from the same plant, black tea may not have the same medical benefits - but the difference may be only small. Drink combination black tea & green tea & strong coffee - the practical, "fast, time-saving" solution. Or drink them separately as you wish and as suitable for your daily schedule.
A healthy diet should include green tea, black tea & strong coffee because they all stimulate metabolism and calorie burning process.
Click green for further info
See the next article below: nettle - use as a healthy herbal tea & other info
__________________________________________________
Nettle
Cooked nettle is not only
safe to eat, but also a very
high dietary source of iron,
phosphorous, calcium, silicon,
and potassium
_____
Nettle is another one of those hardy herbs that
can be called a world citizen. It has followed
human migrations, springing up wherever
farming practices have disrupted the natural
environment.
The two varieties used in Western herbal medicine today are Urtica dioica (stinging nettle) and
Urtica urens (small nettle). The generic name
Urtica comes from the Latin word “uro,” meaning “I burn.”
Anyone who has had the misfortune of brushing past a nettle without the protective garb
(long pants and Wellington boots) worn by most
farmers will certainly remember the burning
and stinging pain dealt by the common nettle.
The Roman nettle (Urtica pilulifera) was introduced to England by Roman soldiers who would
flog their limbs with stinging nettles to improve
circulation and thus keep themselves warm--
tough men indeed.
The sting shared by all varieties of nettle is due
to an alkaline compound, ammonium bicarbonate, which is found in the small hollow spines
or hairs that cover the extremities of the leaves.
The juice found in the rest of the plant contains
formic acid, which when liberated by cooking,
quickly cancels out the sting produced by the
strong base.
Nutritional and Medicinal Uses
Cooked nettle is not only safe to eat, but also
a very high dietary source of iron, phosphorous, calcium, silicon, and potassium, with a
good amount of vitamin C for proper absorption of the iron.
The young leaves, cut in spring, midsummer,
and autumn, have been used as a vegetable by
people all over the world. Make sure you use
gloves and shears when harvesting, and then
briefly blanch or steam the leaves.
Fresh nettle is quite useful as an herbal tea. It
can be very helpful to those who suffer from
anemia, chronic low blood pressure, and associated symptoms. For these people, it can be prescribed every few days.
The improved transport of oxygen to the vital
organs, head, brain, and major blood vessels can
provide a much needed pick-me-up. It can also
have a very positive effect on skin color, hair
quality, memory, and concentration.
A classically trained herbalist will use iridology to diagnose a patient’s individual blood
pressure patterns and rates of flow to determine whether nettle in medicinal doses would
be an appropriate treatment. An herbalist can
also prescribe other herbs in differing portions
to ensure a balanced increase in blood pressure.
If you are the type of person who tends more
toward hypertension, then you should avoid
taking nettle in large quantities. See a trained
professional before taking nettle in more than
culinary amounts.
Use in Textiles
Nettle fibers have long been used throughout
history to make all sorts of textiles, with the Germanic and Scandinavian cultures using it for sail
making, rope, all sorts of clothing, household
linen, fishing nets, and sewing thread.
The modern word “nettle” comes from the
Anglo-Saxon “netel,” which is derived from the
old Scandinavian word “noedl,” meaning “needle.” Whether this is a reference to its needlelike hairs or its use as a textile is unknown, but
both seem apt.
Nettle fiber was used in central and northern European cultures until the introduction of flax and hemp in more modern times. Nettle was,
however, considered to be stronger than flax
and not so coarse as hemp and superior to cotton in the making of velvet and plush materials.
During World War I, the German army considered nettle to be the only efficient substitute to
cotton, as it could be bleached and dyed, and the
fiber lengths are equal to that of the finest Egyptian cotton. German army uniforms of that time
were found to be made of 85 percent common
stinging nettle, with the fiber also used as a silk
substitute for gas lantern burners and gas masks.
Large plantations were undertaken in both
Germany and Austria; however, cultivation
proved more difficult than expected, and wild
nettle could not meet the large demand.
Gardening and Composting
Adding to the many and varied uses of this plant
is its great usefulness to organic gardeners. Nettle is also counted among the five main herbs
considered to be essential to the preparation
of good compost. Nettle acts as a compost activator, attracting beneficial molds as it breaks
down, and adding valuable minerals that have
been leached out of the topsoil over thousands
of years. Most important of these minerals is
iron, essential for soil fertility and necessary for
all plant growth, especially the fine hair roots
of plants.
Planted as a companion to herbs, nettle has
also been found to double the essential oil production of the plant, as well as increasing the
vigor and perfume of other flowering plants
in the garden.
If the idea of growing nettle in your garden or
as a pot herb doesn’t appeal to you, dried nettle leaves are readily available at most healthfood stores.
Source: Luke Hughes is a classical Western herbalist and horticulturalist based in Sydney, Australia.
__________________________________
Is Cocoa Powder a Powerful Health Producing Food?
Click green for further info
Part 1
Among children ages 2 to 19 in America, 12.7 million are obese. Among adults ages 20 and older, 78.4 million are obese. As the American Heart Association reports, "If current trends in the growth of obesity continue, total healthcare costs attributable to obesity could reach $861 to $957 billion by 2030, which would account for 16 to 18 percent of U.S. health expenditures." The numbers are outstanding, but the reality that the obesity epidemic is endangering our nation's future is nothing new.
Related: 10 Alternatives to Hot Chocolate
Obesity is a major risk factor for a host of health issues and a number of diseases. But according to a recent Penn State study, a solution to this might come from an unexpected place: cocoa powder.
While the experiment was performed on mice, not humans, it demonstrated surprising results with respect to how cocoa can positively affect the body in conjunction to obesity-related inflammation. Markers of diabetes were much lower in cocoa-fed mice than their cocoa-deprived peers. Moreover, they additionally demonstrated a reduced rate of weight gain. During the ten-week experiment, the mice consumed the equivalent of ten tablespoons of cocoa.
_________________________
Part 2 Cocoa: A Serious Superfood ?
Click green for further info
Scanning the covers of magazines and books, it appears that one of the most powerful keywords to prompt purchase of these publications is "superfoods." A quick search on Amazon alone brings up more than 450 book titles that include the term.
Superfood is not a term recognized (or defined) by the USDA, and in nutrition and medical circles is quite controversial. The term is typically used to describe a food that has a higher than average concentration of a nutrient (or multiple nutrients) that has a proven health benefit.
So what does this have to do with chocolate?
A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials, first published in the fall of 2011, then followed by another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in January in 2013, "examined the effect of flavonoid-rich cocoa and all major cardiovascular risk factors." The findings of the review of 24 papers with 1106 participants, as reported in The Journal of Nutrition, and told to SupermarketGuru by one of the researchers, Eric Ding, Ph.D., showed that the cocoa consumption improved blood pressure, insulin resistance, lipid profiles, and flow-medicated vascular dilation. Top line? All seemingly good news for our cardiovascular system. And as a result, there has been a flurry of new articles touting chocolate as the latest superfood.
Reports point to the more than 300 chemicals in chocolate, and it seems as if scientists are always discovering new information about how they work in the human body. Some research has pointed to the antioxidant effects of dark chocolate as well as its mood-elevating properties. In fact, 100 grams of cocoa contains a whopping 13,120 oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), the measure of antioxidant capacity! Antioxidants have the potential to improve overall health, delay the onset of many age-related diseases, reduce the risk of some cancers, improve cardiovascular function, and more.
A study from researchers based at Reading University's School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences in the UK (published in Scientific American) found that consuming cocoa flavanols may improve aspects of eye and brain function. The study looked at acute intake of cocoa flavanols and then tested the subject's vision and cognitive performance and found that both were improved.
While all chocolate contains flavonoids, it is important to choose dark chocolate with a cacao content upward of 70 percent. The higher the cocoa percentage, the more flavanols and antioxidants it contains. Ding did add the fine print: To get the cardiovascular benefits from the cocoa flavanols you would have to eat 33 milk chocolate bars a day! The good news? Switching to dark chocolate means only eating eight to nine bars daily. Do keep in mind that the sugar will offset these amazing benefits — so think about adding minimally processed cocoa powder to smoothies, plain yogurt, and hey, why not make chicken mole?.
Some uses for healthful cocoa
Rich, dark, and intense, cocoa is most commonly tempered with sugar and used in dessert recipes. But cocoa’s acidic, slightly bitter quality makes it a great addition to savory dishes, as well. Just think of it as a spice, and the possibilities begin to unfold. Like coffee, cocoa starts out as a bean. Unsweetened cocoa powder, which is made by grinding roasted cacao (or cocoa) beans and stripping them of their cocoa butter, happens to be a concentrated source of flavonoids, the heart-healthy plant compounds also found in red wine and green tea. These potent antioxidants may help lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease by neutralizing harmful free radicals.
Since there are many cocoa powders on the market, sample a few to find one that you love. Variations in growing and processing will yield different flavors in the finished product. As with spices, it’s best to store cocoa powder in an airtight container in a cool dark location. Stored properly, cocoa powder will stay fresh for up to two years.
CLICK: Chocolate - Wikipedia
The nibs are then ground to cocoa mass, pure chocolate in rough form. ..... lobbied the Food and Drug Administration to change the legal definition of chocolate ..
Click green for further info
_______________________________________
Cooked nettle is not only
safe to eat, but also a very
high dietary source of iron,
phosphorous, calcium, silicon,
and potassium
_____
Nettle is another one of those hardy herbs that
can be called a world citizen. It has followed
human migrations, springing up wherever
farming practices have disrupted the natural
environment.
The two varieties used in Western herbal medicine today are Urtica dioica (stinging nettle) and
Urtica urens (small nettle). The generic name
Urtica comes from the Latin word “uro,” meaning “I burn.”
Anyone who has had the misfortune of brushing past a nettle without the protective garb
(long pants and Wellington boots) worn by most
farmers will certainly remember the burning
and stinging pain dealt by the common nettle.
The Roman nettle (Urtica pilulifera) was introduced to England by Roman soldiers who would
flog their limbs with stinging nettles to improve
circulation and thus keep themselves warm--
tough men indeed.
The sting shared by all varieties of nettle is due
to an alkaline compound, ammonium bicarbonate, which is found in the small hollow spines
or hairs that cover the extremities of the leaves.
The juice found in the rest of the plant contains
formic acid, which when liberated by cooking,
quickly cancels out the sting produced by the
strong base.
Nutritional and Medicinal Uses
Cooked nettle is not only safe to eat, but also
a very high dietary source of iron, phosphorous, calcium, silicon, and potassium, with a
good amount of vitamin C for proper absorption of the iron.
The young leaves, cut in spring, midsummer,
and autumn, have been used as a vegetable by
people all over the world. Make sure you use
gloves and shears when harvesting, and then
briefly blanch or steam the leaves.
Fresh nettle is quite useful as an herbal tea. It
can be very helpful to those who suffer from
anemia, chronic low blood pressure, and associated symptoms. For these people, it can be prescribed every few days.
The improved transport of oxygen to the vital
organs, head, brain, and major blood vessels can
provide a much needed pick-me-up. It can also
have a very positive effect on skin color, hair
quality, memory, and concentration.
A classically trained herbalist will use iridology to diagnose a patient’s individual blood
pressure patterns and rates of flow to determine whether nettle in medicinal doses would
be an appropriate treatment. An herbalist can
also prescribe other herbs in differing portions
to ensure a balanced increase in blood pressure.
If you are the type of person who tends more
toward hypertension, then you should avoid
taking nettle in large quantities. See a trained
professional before taking nettle in more than
culinary amounts.
Use in Textiles
Nettle fibers have long been used throughout
history to make all sorts of textiles, with the Germanic and Scandinavian cultures using it for sail
making, rope, all sorts of clothing, household
linen, fishing nets, and sewing thread.
The modern word “nettle” comes from the
Anglo-Saxon “netel,” which is derived from the
old Scandinavian word “noedl,” meaning “needle.” Whether this is a reference to its needlelike hairs or its use as a textile is unknown, but
both seem apt.
Nettle fiber was used in central and northern European cultures until the introduction of flax and hemp in more modern times. Nettle was,
however, considered to be stronger than flax
and not so coarse as hemp and superior to cotton in the making of velvet and plush materials.
During World War I, the German army considered nettle to be the only efficient substitute to
cotton, as it could be bleached and dyed, and the
fiber lengths are equal to that of the finest Egyptian cotton. German army uniforms of that time
were found to be made of 85 percent common
stinging nettle, with the fiber also used as a silk
substitute for gas lantern burners and gas masks.
Large plantations were undertaken in both
Germany and Austria; however, cultivation
proved more difficult than expected, and wild
nettle could not meet the large demand.
Gardening and Composting
Adding to the many and varied uses of this plant
is its great usefulness to organic gardeners. Nettle is also counted among the five main herbs
considered to be essential to the preparation
of good compost. Nettle acts as a compost activator, attracting beneficial molds as it breaks
down, and adding valuable minerals that have
been leached out of the topsoil over thousands
of years. Most important of these minerals is
iron, essential for soil fertility and necessary for
all plant growth, especially the fine hair roots
of plants.
Planted as a companion to herbs, nettle has
also been found to double the essential oil production of the plant, as well as increasing the
vigor and perfume of other flowering plants
in the garden.
If the idea of growing nettle in your garden or
as a pot herb doesn’t appeal to you, dried nettle leaves are readily available at most healthfood stores.
Source: Luke Hughes is a classical Western herbalist and horticulturalist based in Sydney, Australia.
__________________________________
Is Cocoa Powder a Powerful Health Producing Food?
Click green for further info
Part 1
Among children ages 2 to 19 in America, 12.7 million are obese. Among adults ages 20 and older, 78.4 million are obese. As the American Heart Association reports, "If current trends in the growth of obesity continue, total healthcare costs attributable to obesity could reach $861 to $957 billion by 2030, which would account for 16 to 18 percent of U.S. health expenditures." The numbers are outstanding, but the reality that the obesity epidemic is endangering our nation's future is nothing new.
Related: 10 Alternatives to Hot Chocolate
Obesity is a major risk factor for a host of health issues and a number of diseases. But according to a recent Penn State study, a solution to this might come from an unexpected place: cocoa powder.
While the experiment was performed on mice, not humans, it demonstrated surprising results with respect to how cocoa can positively affect the body in conjunction to obesity-related inflammation. Markers of diabetes were much lower in cocoa-fed mice than their cocoa-deprived peers. Moreover, they additionally demonstrated a reduced rate of weight gain. During the ten-week experiment, the mice consumed the equivalent of ten tablespoons of cocoa.
_________________________
Part 2 Cocoa: A Serious Superfood ?
Click green for further info
Scanning the covers of magazines and books, it appears that one of the most powerful keywords to prompt purchase of these publications is "superfoods." A quick search on Amazon alone brings up more than 450 book titles that include the term.
Superfood is not a term recognized (or defined) by the USDA, and in nutrition and medical circles is quite controversial. The term is typically used to describe a food that has a higher than average concentration of a nutrient (or multiple nutrients) that has a proven health benefit.
So what does this have to do with chocolate?
A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials, first published in the fall of 2011, then followed by another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in January in 2013, "examined the effect of flavonoid-rich cocoa and all major cardiovascular risk factors." The findings of the review of 24 papers with 1106 participants, as reported in The Journal of Nutrition, and told to SupermarketGuru by one of the researchers, Eric Ding, Ph.D., showed that the cocoa consumption improved blood pressure, insulin resistance, lipid profiles, and flow-medicated vascular dilation. Top line? All seemingly good news for our cardiovascular system. And as a result, there has been a flurry of new articles touting chocolate as the latest superfood.
Reports point to the more than 300 chemicals in chocolate, and it seems as if scientists are always discovering new information about how they work in the human body. Some research has pointed to the antioxidant effects of dark chocolate as well as its mood-elevating properties. In fact, 100 grams of cocoa contains a whopping 13,120 oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), the measure of antioxidant capacity! Antioxidants have the potential to improve overall health, delay the onset of many age-related diseases, reduce the risk of some cancers, improve cardiovascular function, and more.
A study from researchers based at Reading University's School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences in the UK (published in Scientific American) found that consuming cocoa flavanols may improve aspects of eye and brain function. The study looked at acute intake of cocoa flavanols and then tested the subject's vision and cognitive performance and found that both were improved.
While all chocolate contains flavonoids, it is important to choose dark chocolate with a cacao content upward of 70 percent. The higher the cocoa percentage, the more flavanols and antioxidants it contains. Ding did add the fine print: To get the cardiovascular benefits from the cocoa flavanols you would have to eat 33 milk chocolate bars a day! The good news? Switching to dark chocolate means only eating eight to nine bars daily. Do keep in mind that the sugar will offset these amazing benefits — so think about adding minimally processed cocoa powder to smoothies, plain yogurt, and hey, why not make chicken mole?.
Some uses for healthful cocoa
Rich, dark, and intense, cocoa is most commonly tempered with sugar and used in dessert recipes. But cocoa’s acidic, slightly bitter quality makes it a great addition to savory dishes, as well. Just think of it as a spice, and the possibilities begin to unfold. Like coffee, cocoa starts out as a bean. Unsweetened cocoa powder, which is made by grinding roasted cacao (or cocoa) beans and stripping them of their cocoa butter, happens to be a concentrated source of flavonoids, the heart-healthy plant compounds also found in red wine and green tea. These potent antioxidants may help lower blood pressure and prevent heart disease by neutralizing harmful free radicals.
Since there are many cocoa powders on the market, sample a few to find one that you love. Variations in growing and processing will yield different flavors in the finished product. As with spices, it’s best to store cocoa powder in an airtight container in a cool dark location. Stored properly, cocoa powder will stay fresh for up to two years.
CLICK: Chocolate - Wikipedia
The nibs are then ground to cocoa mass, pure chocolate in rough form. ..... lobbied the Food and Drug Administration to change the legal definition of chocolate ..
Click green for further info
_______________________________________
The Myth of Healthy Processed Food
Click green for further info
The Egg McMuffin Delight I ate for breakfast this morning was fluffy on the inside and doughy and springy on the outside. It was a quick and satisfying (if temporarily) way to start the day, offering a subtle mix of savory flavors. But most importantly, it was healthy. Made with egg whites only and delivering just 150 calories and 7 grams of fat, this new addition to McDonald's menu stands as a prime example of a cheap, hyper-available, healthy processed food.
Or so argues David Freedman in The Atlantic's July/August cover story entitled "How Junk Food Can End Obesity." In this 10,000-word piece, Freedman tries to make the case for why the food industry - specifically the processed food industry - is the answer to our prayers for a less obese and less-disease stricken nation. His view is that the arugula-munching elitists in the food movement are deluding themselves into thinking that the "obese masses," as he puts it, are going to put down their large fries and Doritos Locos Taco Supremes and start eating kale and grilled salmon any time soon.
It's a fun, contrarian argument - too much so for it's own good. In his defense of processed food, Freedman relies on a flawed understanding of nutrition, food processing and what the so-called food elites, "the Pollanites," really stand for. As a result, his argument comes off as naïve as he accuses real foodists of being.
Take that Egg McMuffin Delight. Why exactly is this healthy? Although it was once thought that eggs were bad because of the fat and cholesterol concentrated in their yolks, that thinking no longer has any scientific validity. Eggs are incredibly nutritious, loaded with vitamins B12 and B2, choline and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin - all of it in the yolks that McDonald's has discarded to make their healthier sandwich. Freedman (and perhaps McDonald's) appears stuck in a 1980s understanding of fats. We now know that just because something has had the fat taken out does mean it's healthy. In fact, many fats are considered beneficial - those in peanut butter, almonds and avocados, for instance. Even the once dreaded saturated animal fats are no longer considered so hostile to our health. And it turns out that cholesterol in food, the substance that once helped demonize eggs, is likely to have little bearing on cholesterol levels found in your blood.
The same goes for calories. Just because something is low in calories doesn't make it nutritious or a good idea for weight loss. Freedman talks quite a lot about the need for reducing calories in the food we eat, and while this can be a useful goal, it's not a silver bullet. Weight loss isn't a simple game of calorie math. If it were, diet soda would help people lose weight; it doesn't. When it comes to calories, quality is just as important as quantity. Low calorie food needs to be satiating (a quality known to be inherent to many whole foods, but the mechanisms of which are not well understood by scientists), otherwise people will just replace the calories later.
Freedman also veers off course when he talks about food processing and the effect it has on nutrition. He writes:
"The fact is, there is simply no clear, credible evidence that any aspect of food processing or storage makes a food uniquely unhealthy."
This is flat out wrong. While not all aspects of food processing are problematic, there are some industrial processes that unquestionably are. And sometimes it's the cumulative effect of many manipulations that make processed food a nutritional disaster. A few examples:
Trans fat. The process that creates this incredibly unhealthy, artificial type of fat is called partial hydrogenation. Again, it's a process. On its own, vegetable oil is not artery hardening, but heat it to high temperatures, stick nickel into it and bubble hydrogen gas through it, as the food industry has done for decades, and voila - trans fats.
Vitamins and fiber. Ask any food scientist and they will acknowledge that manufacturing and processing is often destructive to vitamins like A, B1, C, E and folic acid, as well as dietary fiber. When faced with intense heat and disfiguring processes like extrusion, these healthful components of food don't fare well. Time and oxygen are also enemies for vitamins, and since most packaged foods need to have long shelf lives, this presents an inherent conflict for packaged food manufacturers that want to sell healthy processed food.
High fructose corn syrup. This stuff, along with other forms of sugar, is one of the worst health offenders in our food, but the corn it started out as isn't. While not the most nutritionally endowed vegetable, corn nonetheless has fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B1 and magnesium. In the space between ears of real corn and HFCS is oodles of processing.
I'm not saying that it's impossible to create healthy processed food. But there are real limitations on what packaged food manufacturers like Pepsi, General Mills, ConAgra and Kellogg's can do. That's whyexamples of "healthy" processed supermarket foods are often laughable - Baked Lays, vitaminwater, Keebler Right Bites cookies, Rice Krispies, and most infamously, Froot Loops. Restaurants, on the other hand, stand a fighting chance because they can, at least in theory, work with fresher ingredients. In his article, Freeman confesses his devotion to Carl's Jr.'s Charbroiled Cod Sandwich, a product that I agree represents a step in the right direction, albeit a small one. Carl's Jr. also has a new Cranberry Apple Walnut Grilled Chicken salad, which is a great choice. And McDonald's has its new, 420-calorie Premium Chicken Ranch McWraps with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato and cucumbers.
Yet the fallacy of relying on the food industry to get America eating healthy becomes clear when you realize that these products are outliers and half steps. The honey wheat bun in Carl's Jr.'s cod sandwich has little more than a dusting of whole wheat (the addition of caramel coloring makes it look like it has more). McDonald's wraps have no whole wheat at all, delivering a wallop of unhealthy refined carbs. And surely it's possible to make these products without brewing together 70 or more ingredients, includingflammable chemicals. Up to this point, food scientists haven't focused much on how to reduce their impact on food - preserving, not trampling all over, its natural goodness. I'd love to see them try.
In the meantime, there are fresh and healthy foods already available to most Americans, including many of those "obese masses" Freedman talks about. And they aren't just found at Whole Foods and farmer's markets, but at the most pedestrian and non-elitist of stores - Walmart, Target, Safeway, Price Chopper, Kroger and the thousands of grocery stores that populate American towns and cities.[1] And the foods they offer are not the kale, yellow beets, heirloom tomatoes and organic squash blossoms that Freedman uses to caricature and misrepresent the food movement. It's basic stuff like bananas (just 30 to 90 cents per pound!), bags of baby carrots, spears of broccoli, fresh lean meat, plain yogurt teeming with beneficial bacteria, cartons of eggs, canned beans, bags of nuts, brown rice and frozen peas. Freedman would call me na?ve, but I believe that it's essential to find ways to get people to consume more of these affordable, tasty and basic foods.
Doing this is not the least bit easy or immediate, but that doesn't mean we should abandon the effort. During research for the book I wrote on processed food (which Freedman was not a big fan of), I sat in on a series of free cooking classes offered to low income people. Run by a national organization called Cooking Matters, they struck me as a great model for the sorts of programs we should be thinking about for improving America's eating habits. All of Cooking Matters' recipes cost no more than $10 for a family of four.
But while the solution has to do with education, some government regulation, reform of the perverse farm subsidy system and perhaps taxation, it doesn't have to be an either-or proposition. The food industry can also play a role, though a supporting one. Ceding over the goals of public health to McDonald's and Kraft only seems like a good idea to those who believe that things like Baked Lays and egg white sandwiches with processed cheese are healthy.
Yes, there are food deserts and it's a problem that needs to be addressed, but there probably aren't as many people living in them as you think. The 30 million people the USDA defines as living in a food desert have to travel more than one mile to a grocery store. Is it too much to ask people to drive two or three miles?
Click green for further info
Source: U.S. News
_______________________________________
Click green for further info
The Egg McMuffin Delight I ate for breakfast this morning was fluffy on the inside and doughy and springy on the outside. It was a quick and satisfying (if temporarily) way to start the day, offering a subtle mix of savory flavors. But most importantly, it was healthy. Made with egg whites only and delivering just 150 calories and 7 grams of fat, this new addition to McDonald's menu stands as a prime example of a cheap, hyper-available, healthy processed food.
Or so argues David Freedman in The Atlantic's July/August cover story entitled "How Junk Food Can End Obesity." In this 10,000-word piece, Freedman tries to make the case for why the food industry - specifically the processed food industry - is the answer to our prayers for a less obese and less-disease stricken nation. His view is that the arugula-munching elitists in the food movement are deluding themselves into thinking that the "obese masses," as he puts it, are going to put down their large fries and Doritos Locos Taco Supremes and start eating kale and grilled salmon any time soon.
It's a fun, contrarian argument - too much so for it's own good. In his defense of processed food, Freedman relies on a flawed understanding of nutrition, food processing and what the so-called food elites, "the Pollanites," really stand for. As a result, his argument comes off as naïve as he accuses real foodists of being.
Take that Egg McMuffin Delight. Why exactly is this healthy? Although it was once thought that eggs were bad because of the fat and cholesterol concentrated in their yolks, that thinking no longer has any scientific validity. Eggs are incredibly nutritious, loaded with vitamins B12 and B2, choline and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin - all of it in the yolks that McDonald's has discarded to make their healthier sandwich. Freedman (and perhaps McDonald's) appears stuck in a 1980s understanding of fats. We now know that just because something has had the fat taken out does mean it's healthy. In fact, many fats are considered beneficial - those in peanut butter, almonds and avocados, for instance. Even the once dreaded saturated animal fats are no longer considered so hostile to our health. And it turns out that cholesterol in food, the substance that once helped demonize eggs, is likely to have little bearing on cholesterol levels found in your blood.
The same goes for calories. Just because something is low in calories doesn't make it nutritious or a good idea for weight loss. Freedman talks quite a lot about the need for reducing calories in the food we eat, and while this can be a useful goal, it's not a silver bullet. Weight loss isn't a simple game of calorie math. If it were, diet soda would help people lose weight; it doesn't. When it comes to calories, quality is just as important as quantity. Low calorie food needs to be satiating (a quality known to be inherent to many whole foods, but the mechanisms of which are not well understood by scientists), otherwise people will just replace the calories later.
Freedman also veers off course when he talks about food processing and the effect it has on nutrition. He writes:
"The fact is, there is simply no clear, credible evidence that any aspect of food processing or storage makes a food uniquely unhealthy."
This is flat out wrong. While not all aspects of food processing are problematic, there are some industrial processes that unquestionably are. And sometimes it's the cumulative effect of many manipulations that make processed food a nutritional disaster. A few examples:
Trans fat. The process that creates this incredibly unhealthy, artificial type of fat is called partial hydrogenation. Again, it's a process. On its own, vegetable oil is not artery hardening, but heat it to high temperatures, stick nickel into it and bubble hydrogen gas through it, as the food industry has done for decades, and voila - trans fats.
Vitamins and fiber. Ask any food scientist and they will acknowledge that manufacturing and processing is often destructive to vitamins like A, B1, C, E and folic acid, as well as dietary fiber. When faced with intense heat and disfiguring processes like extrusion, these healthful components of food don't fare well. Time and oxygen are also enemies for vitamins, and since most packaged foods need to have long shelf lives, this presents an inherent conflict for packaged food manufacturers that want to sell healthy processed food.
High fructose corn syrup. This stuff, along with other forms of sugar, is one of the worst health offenders in our food, but the corn it started out as isn't. While not the most nutritionally endowed vegetable, corn nonetheless has fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B1 and magnesium. In the space between ears of real corn and HFCS is oodles of processing.
I'm not saying that it's impossible to create healthy processed food. But there are real limitations on what packaged food manufacturers like Pepsi, General Mills, ConAgra and Kellogg's can do. That's whyexamples of "healthy" processed supermarket foods are often laughable - Baked Lays, vitaminwater, Keebler Right Bites cookies, Rice Krispies, and most infamously, Froot Loops. Restaurants, on the other hand, stand a fighting chance because they can, at least in theory, work with fresher ingredients. In his article, Freeman confesses his devotion to Carl's Jr.'s Charbroiled Cod Sandwich, a product that I agree represents a step in the right direction, albeit a small one. Carl's Jr. also has a new Cranberry Apple Walnut Grilled Chicken salad, which is a great choice. And McDonald's has its new, 420-calorie Premium Chicken Ranch McWraps with grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato and cucumbers.
Yet the fallacy of relying on the food industry to get America eating healthy becomes clear when you realize that these products are outliers and half steps. The honey wheat bun in Carl's Jr.'s cod sandwich has little more than a dusting of whole wheat (the addition of caramel coloring makes it look like it has more). McDonald's wraps have no whole wheat at all, delivering a wallop of unhealthy refined carbs. And surely it's possible to make these products without brewing together 70 or more ingredients, includingflammable chemicals. Up to this point, food scientists haven't focused much on how to reduce their impact on food - preserving, not trampling all over, its natural goodness. I'd love to see them try.
In the meantime, there are fresh and healthy foods already available to most Americans, including many of those "obese masses" Freedman talks about. And they aren't just found at Whole Foods and farmer's markets, but at the most pedestrian and non-elitist of stores - Walmart, Target, Safeway, Price Chopper, Kroger and the thousands of grocery stores that populate American towns and cities.[1] And the foods they offer are not the kale, yellow beets, heirloom tomatoes and organic squash blossoms that Freedman uses to caricature and misrepresent the food movement. It's basic stuff like bananas (just 30 to 90 cents per pound!), bags of baby carrots, spears of broccoli, fresh lean meat, plain yogurt teeming with beneficial bacteria, cartons of eggs, canned beans, bags of nuts, brown rice and frozen peas. Freedman would call me na?ve, but I believe that it's essential to find ways to get people to consume more of these affordable, tasty and basic foods.
Doing this is not the least bit easy or immediate, but that doesn't mean we should abandon the effort. During research for the book I wrote on processed food (which Freedman was not a big fan of), I sat in on a series of free cooking classes offered to low income people. Run by a national organization called Cooking Matters, they struck me as a great model for the sorts of programs we should be thinking about for improving America's eating habits. All of Cooking Matters' recipes cost no more than $10 for a family of four.
But while the solution has to do with education, some government regulation, reform of the perverse farm subsidy system and perhaps taxation, it doesn't have to be an either-or proposition. The food industry can also play a role, though a supporting one. Ceding over the goals of public health to McDonald's and Kraft only seems like a good idea to those who believe that things like Baked Lays and egg white sandwiches with processed cheese are healthy.
Yes, there are food deserts and it's a problem that needs to be addressed, but there probably aren't as many people living in them as you think. The 30 million people the USDA defines as living in a food desert have to travel more than one mile to a grocery store. Is it too much to ask people to drive two or three miles?
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Source: U.S. News
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Below three (3) important articles about our teeth - study well
Article 1 of 3
Dental Implant Surgery
Date: November 29, 2012
Dental implant surgery is a common option for replacing missing teeth. Unlike removable dentures that rest on the gum line, dental implants are a long-term treatment that is surgically implanted into the jaw. These implanted, artificial teeth look like real teeth and have the same functionality as well. They are a more permanent solution to ordinary dentures and bridgework.
Dental Implant Surgery
Dental implant surgery is a surgical procedure in which the dental implants are implanted into the jawbone where they replace the roots of the teeth that are missing. The implants contain titanium that, when implanted into the jaw, fuses with the jawbone. Once fusion occurs, the dental implants hold firmly in place, they do not slip or make noise. There are different types of dental implants available and the way that dental implant surgery is performed will depend on the type of implant that is chosen as well as the condition of the jaw.
Why Go With Dental Implants?
Many people choose dental implants for missing teeth replacement. When trying to make a decision about whether or not to have dental implant surgery, it is important to know why the procedure may be more beneficial to you than other types of dental replacements. Certain conditions and circumstances may make dental implants the better option, such as:
- Having more than one missing tooth
- Having a jawbone that has reached dull growth
- Having ample amounts of bone to secure the implant
- Having healthy oral tissues
- Being unwilling or unable to wear dentures
- Wanting to improve your speech
- Being able and willing to commit several months to complete the process
Are They Safe
Dental implants are considered safe for the majority of people. Individuals with certain medical conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, should check with their health care provider prior to having dental implant surgery. Fortunately, most individuals with these conditions will receive the green light for the procedure, as long as certain precautions are met. Dental implant surgery is not recommended for children as their jaws have not yet reached full growth.
What Are The Risks?
As with any surgical procedure, there are some health risks associated with dental implant surgery. Complications are relatively rare and when they do occur they are generally mild, requiring minimal treatment. Possible health risks associated with dental implant surgery include:
- Infection occurring at the implant site
- Damage to surrounding teeth or blood vessels
- Nerve damage
- Pain
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Sinus problems
A comprehensive dental exam and evaluation is required before the procedure can take place. This will include dental x-rays and taking a mold of the mouth to make a model of the mouth. A variety of specialists, including oral and maxillofacial surgeons, periodontists and doctors will help to create your personal treatment plan.
It is important to speak with your doctor about any underlying medical conditions you have and to list all of the medications, both prescription and over the counter that you are taking, as well as any herbal or natural supplements. Individuals with certain heart conditions and those with orthopedic implants may have to undergo antibiotic treatment prior to having the surgery.
Prior to the surgery, you will have the chance to discuss with your doctor the different anesthesia options available. You will have a choice of local, general or sedation anesthesia. Together with your dental specialist and health care team you can determine which option is the best choice for you.
What To Expect
Dental implant surgery is performed in several stages, with the entire process lasting anywhere from 3 to 9 months. Much of this time includes time off for healing and the growth of new jaw bone.
- The first surgery involves the placement of the dental implant cylinder into the jawbone. A rest period of a few months follows.
- The next surgery involves the placement of the abutment and the new artificial tooth. Another healing period then follows.
- Some individuals will require a bone graft surgery prior to having dental implant surgery. This is common in individuals who have a jawbone that is too soft or is not thick enough to sustain the implant. During a bone graft, a piece of bone is taken from a different part of the jaw or another part of the body and is transplanted to the jawbone.
The amount of surgeries required is very specific to the individual and varies accordingly. No matter how many surgeries are required, you may experience certain side effects after each one, including:
- Swelling of the gums
- Swelling of the face
- Pain at implant site
- Bleeding
Considerations
Occasionally, dental implant surgery is not successful. If the bone does not fuse to the implant, it will have to be removed and the procedure can be repeated. Maintaining good oral hygiene after dental implant surgery can help decrease the risk of complications and problems that may arise with dental implants.
Sources:
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Article 2 of 3
The Importance Of Flossing Your Teeth
Date: November 16, 2012
The old saying goes "Be true to your teeth or they'll be false to you." If you don't take good care of your teeth, you could end up with severe mouth problems or even tooth loss. But brushing your teeth is just part of the dental care regimen. Your toothbrush can't reach all of the nooks and crannies between your teeth, but dental floss can. Read on to learn the importance of flossing your teeth and how not flossing can affect your health.
Why Flossing Is So Important
Flossing your teeth can remove the tiny bits and pieces of food that have become wedged between your teeth throughout the day. If you don't get those bits and pieces out, they will turn into bacteria and eventually plaque.
Plaque is a film of bacteria and sugars that can coat the teeth. Everyone has plaque on their teeth, which is why brushing is important - it gets rid of the plaque. If you don't brush often, plaque can build up and harden. Once it has hardened, it turns into calculus, also known as tartar. Plaque is responsible for many problems with the teeth and gums including:
- Gingivitis - Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease and is characterized by red, swollen gums. Symptoms include tender gums that may bleed during brushing and gums that have receded away from the teeth. Since gingivitis is an early stage of gum disease, it's easy to treat and reverse any damage done to your teeth.
- Periodontal disease or periodontitis - This is the latest stage of gum disease and is characterized by bleeding gums, loose teeth and infections. If the damage to the gums is bad enough, the teeth may have to be removed.
- Dementia - A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that people who brushed their teeth less than once a day were more likely to develop dementia.
- Stroke - Those who have gum disease are more likely to have the type of stroke that is caused by blocked arteries.
- Respiratory disease - If plaque and bacteria reach the lungs, it could cause a lung infection.
Plaque and gum disease can also worsen existing health problems such as diabetes, lung diseases and heart disease. If all of this sounds a little worrisome, just remember that a little piece of floss can keep your health in check.
The Right Time To FlossBecause flossing is so important, it really doesn't matter when you do it, so long as you do it. In the end, it comes down to a matter of preference because no time is really better than another. If you prefer to floss your teeth before you brush your teeth, then feel free to do so. Some experts say that flossing before you brush can be advantageous because it allows the toothpaste to seep in between your teeth and clean those areas that would otherwise be blocked with food particles.
Other experts recommend flossing after brushing because if you loosen food particles before you brush, there's a chance that the toothbrush might shove them back into your teeth. Whenever you decide to floss, just make sure that you do so consistently, at least once a day.
How To Floss Your TeethIf flossing has felt uncomfortable or hasn't removed food particles like you wanted it to, you may have been flossing improperly. Here are the steps for a proper flossing:
- Gently insert the floss between your teeth. Make sure it doesn't snap as this can damage your gums.
- Move the floss up and down between your teeth. Be sure to do so gently so you don't irritate your gums.
- Floss all sides of each of your teeth.
It doesn't matter what you use to floss or if you floss in the mornings, evenings, before brushing or after brushing. What's important is that you incorporate flossing as a part of your dental care regimen and that you do it daily.
Sources:
- Click American Dental Association
- Click Discovery Fit & Health __________________________________________________________________________________
Article 3 of 3
The Link Between Gum Disease And Heart Problems
Date: February 16, 2012
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It has long been known that there was an anecdotal connection between gum disease and heart disease. But now science has evidence to back up this link. In fact, someone is more than twice as likely to have coronary artery disease if they also have periodontitis. So, if having healthy gums and pearly whites wasn't reason enough to have good oral health, maybe a healthy heart will be extra incentive.
The Connection
A study out of the University of Kiel in Germany has identified a specific chromosome that definitively links periodontal disease and heart problems. According to the study of more than 1000 patients, there was a genetic variation present at locus (the location of the gene) 9p31.3 that was identical in both patients with heart disease and periodontal disease. The findings were then verified in an additional group of patients with heart disease and periodontitis.
Now that a specific chromosome abnormality has been identified that links both heart disease patients and periodontal patients, steps can be taken to mitigate risk factors for both. The chromosome abnormality alone will not cause either problem, it will just make a person more susceptible to developing them.
Several theories exist as to exactly how the link works. One is that bacteria invades the body through the mouth, enters the blood stream, and then affects the cardiovascular system. One study in the Journal of Periodontology found that 60 percent of patients who had been diagnosed with coronary artery disease were found to have periodontal bacteria in their arteries. These bacteria can be a factor in the formation of blood clots as well as causing serious cardiac problems like infective endocarditis.
The Role Of Inflammation
Inflammation is a factor in muliple health conditions, which includes cardiovascular disease. Inflammation is part of a complex immune response of vascular tissue in response to harmful stimuli. Inflammation is the body's attempt to heal itself, by rushing blood and other healing substances to the affected area. Without inflammation the body would never be able to heal itself. However chronic inflammation can leave the body vulnerable to diseases and conditions including periodontitis and atherosclerosis. For this reason, inflammation is a function that the body closely regulates.
According to a study published in the American Society of Microbiology's journal Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology, elevated levels of systemic inflammatory mediators promote mechanisms of atherosclerosis. The same elevated inflammatory mediators are seen in those with periodontal disease. Inflammatory mediators are molecules that are releases by immune cells during times when harmful agents invade the body, usually in the form of pathogens like bacteria, though inflammation also occurs in the event of injuries as well.
In the case of atherosclerosis, inflammation can be particularly problematic. Inflammation rushes blood and fluids to the affected blood vessel as an immune response to a damaged or otherwise compromised vessel, but the problem is that the same blood that rushes to an area under immunological attack also brings more fat and cholesterol to the area, increasing the blockage that the body is trying to combat. Science now recognizes that in addition to lowering the levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol, helps, but unless the inflammatory response is also addressed, people are still in danger of more serious complications of heart disease.
New Treatment GuidelinesBecause there is such a strong link between gum disease and heart disease, it may surprise some to find their dentist asking about their heart health or their cardiologist asking about their teeth.
New clinical recommendations outlined in a consensus paper between the American Journal of Periodontology and the American Journals of Cardiology advise that periodontologists inform patients of the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with periodontal disease and assess their risk for future cardiovascular disease and provide guidance for them to reduce their risk factors.
The same paper also recommends that primary care physicians and cardiologists examine the mouth of their patients to look for basic signs of periodontal problems such as oral inflammation, receding gums and tooth loss. If signs of periodontal disease are found, patients should see a dentist to mitigate their risks.
Reducing The RiskSince science is aware of the link between gum disease and cardiovascular health, those who are at risk for one, should take steps to reduce their risk for both conditions. Reducing the risk of gum disease is as simple as practicing good oral hygiene such as:
- Brush teeth at least twice daily
- Floss at least once daily (For tips on flossing, read How To Use Dental Floss For Proper Oral Care.)
- Use a water pick or mouthwash for additional cleaning
- See a dentist for a checkup twice a year
- Be sure to address any dental problems quickly
- Eat a well balanced diet low in fat, salt, sugar and calories and rich in fruits and vegetables and lean protein.
- Get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. Exercise doesn't have to be complicated, something as simple as yard work will do the trick.
- Get at least eight hours of sleep per night, since stress can make cardiovascular disease worse.
- Get a checkup at least once a year, more often if someone has already been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.
Sources:
- Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology
- American Academy of Periodontology
- American Heart Association
- Sage Journals Click green for further info ______________________________________________________________________________
Article 1 of 2
Very important information - study & apply
The ecosystem inside you
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Your body harbors trillions of bacteria that have profound effects on your health, your weight, and even your mood
Don't bacteria make people sick?
Many of them do, and antibiotics that kill them have saved countless lives. But over the past decade, researchers have discovered that the human body hosts 100 trillion mostly benign bacteria, which help digest food, program the immune system, prevent infection, and even influence mood and behavior. The bacteria living on and in us make up our "microbiome,"*) an ecosystem that plays a role, scientists believe, in many conditions that genes and environmental factors alone can't explain, including obesity, autism, depression, asthma, and even cancer. The discovery of the microbiome, said Michael Fischbach, a bioengineer at the University of California, San Francisco, has been "very much like finding an organ we didn't know we had."Where is the microbiome?
Bacteria thrive throughout our bodies — in our mouths and lungs, on our skin and teeth, and especially in our guts. The Human Microbiome Project, a government-supported effort to map our bacterial ecosystems, has discovered that people harbor 10 bacterial cells for every human cell. Every body hosts at least 10,000 different species of bacteria, contributing up to five pounds to body weight. "Half of your stool is not leftover food. It is microbial biomass," said project director Lita Proctor. Last year scientists presented evidence that everyone has one of three gut bacterial profiles, or "enterotypes," characterized by high levels of specific bacterial species. Some argue that enterotypes are as distinct as blood types, and that learning more about them will help us design better drugs and target them more effectively.
How do bacteria influence health?
Microbiome research is in its infancy, but there is already evidence that an imbalance of gut flora may cause gastrointestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease. Bacteria may also help calibrate our basal metabolism. When obese people undergo gastric bypass surgery to lose weight, scientists have observed, their gut bacteria become more like those harbored by thin people, contributing to weight loss. Microbes can even influence mental states by encouraging neurons in the intestines to signal the brain to alter hormone levels. Studies in mice have shown that changes in gut bacteria can relieve — or cause — depression and anxiety. It has also been shown that autistic children — who frequently suffer from gastrointestinal problems — often carry a type of gut bacteria that non-autistic children don't.Why the difference in bacteria?
Some 80 percent of an individual's gut flora comes from his or her mother. A newborn exits the womb microbe-free, but is colonized by the mother's vaginal bacteria as it passes through the birth canal. Babies born via caesarean section, it turns out, enter life with an entirely different, and less diverse, collection of bacteria, which may help explain why they're at increased risk of asthma, obesity, and type-1 diabetes. Breast milk, unlike formula, also delivers maternal bacteria that help the immune system develop.Can the microbiome change?
Yes, for good and for ill. Diet plays a major role in determining what bacteria people host. A recent study found that when certain gut bacteria feed on compounds in red meat or egg yolk, they produce an artery-hardening compound called TMAO. People who rarely eat red meat or egg yolks don't carry the same TMAO-producing bacteria and so can eat those foods occasionally without increasing their heart disease risk. Older people who live independently tend to have more diverse microbiomes than their frailer peers who live in nursing homes — maybe because of their different diets — but it's unclear whether a narrower microbiome causes declining health or is a consequence of it. Antibiotic use can also reduce gut flora. Researchers are still trying to determine what factors "could set the microbiota in a good direction versus a bad direction," said University of Colorado biochemist Rob Knight. "There are very few cases where cause and effect are known."Can bacteria be used to treat illness?
In at least one case, they already are. C. difficile infections — caused by a bacterium that can take over the gut — cause severe diarrhea and kill 14,000 Americans per year. C. difficile is notoriously difficult to eradicate with antibiotics. But researchers have discovered that transplanting a healthy person's stool, via a tube inserted into the patient's stomach, cures the infection almost instantly by repopulating the patient's microbiome with healthy bacteria. Tellingly, C. difficile infections often begin after a person takes antibiotics to treat an unrelated condition. Some experts suggest that the widespread use of antibiotics, which kill good bacteria along with the harmful bacteria they target, could help explain the skyrocketing rates of asthma, obesity, and autism. "Whenever they are used, there is collateral damage, " said New York University microbiologist Martin J. Blaser. "And we are only now fully learning how severe that damage has been." Scientists are now trying to figure out what constitutes a healthy microbiome, in hopes they can treat health problems by tweaking the mix of a person's bacterial species. "The prospects here are endless," Blaser said. "This is the most exciting and important work of my lifetime."The probiotics boom
Pills, drinks, and yogurts containing probiotics — live, beneficial bacteria — have become big business. In 2011, global sales of probiotics reached $28 billion and are expected to reach $42 billion in 2016. But experts remain skeptical of commercial claims, often unverified by clinical trial, that they bolster the immune system, improve digestion, and generally optimize our health. A review of probiotic research by scientists at Yale found that certain strains did appear to reduce diarrhea and alleviate irritable bowel syndrome, and other studies showed that they could shorten colds. But researchers still aren't sure which bacterial strains are helpful for which conditions, and how they interact with a given person's existing microbiome. "The science has been shoddy and flimsy," said bioengineer Michael Fischbach. Probiotics may well be the future of medicine, but they should "be more complicated and also more rigorously tested than today's probiotics," he says. "They'll be something that your doctor prescribes.
*) Click green for further info:"
Microbiome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaen.wikipedia.org/wiki/MicrobiomeA microbiome is the totality of microbes, their genetic elements (genomes), and ....."Toward defining the autoimmune microbiome for type 1 diabetes". The ISME ...Introduction - Case studies - Human microbiome - Hologenome theory of evolution
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Source: Internet news
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Article 2 of 2
Understanding your thyroid gland,
aka ‘the shield’ (aka= also known as)
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A well-maintained, fully functional thyroid will help in weight loss - an important factor.
The thyroid gland got its name from the Greek word for “shield,” inspired by its physical appearance in the neck. In many ways, it acts like a shield by protecting our bodies from losing functional balance. The gland produces and releases thyroid hormone, which is crucial in regulating metabolism — digestion, weight, temperature regulation and reproduction all are affected.
The thyroid works like a thermostat via its connection with the brain. If there is not enough thyroid hormone in the bloodstream, the brain will stimulate the thyroid gland to produce and release more. Blood tests are an easy way to detect both the level of thyroid hormone circulating in the blood — generally free thyroxine (T4) — and the stimulating signal from the brain (TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone). The most common thyroid problems involve abnormal production.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is the term used to describe an underactive thyroid.
Symptoms include:
• Fatigue
• Feeling colder than usual
• Changes in skin and hair
• Weight gain
Causes
A common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder in which cells in the body prevent the thyroid from producing and releasing enough thyroid hormone. Other causes include surgical removal of the thyroid gland for thyroid cancer; treatment of hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland) with radioactive iodine; or being born with an underactive thyroid gland.
Treatment
The treatment for hypothyroidism is to replace thyroid hormone in the form of a pill taken once a day, preferably by itself and on an empty stomach so that it is fully absorbed. The dose is easily adjusted based on blood tests.
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism describes an overactive thyroid gland.
Symptoms include:
• Increased sweating
• Heart palpitations
• Increased anxiety
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
Causes
A number of conditions can cause hyperthyroidism. Opposite to hypothyroidism, cells in the bloodstream called antibodies make the thyroid gland secrete an excessive amount of thyroid hormone.
Treatments
The two most common treatments for hyperthyroidism are radioactive iodine and medication. Radioactive iodine works by destroying part of the thyroid gland to restore a normal level of thyroid hormone in the body; however, it is possible that hypothyroidism may then develop. Radioactive iodine has the benefit of generally being a more permanent treatment, although medications used to treat hyperthyroidism can be very effective in certain people, too. Just as in hypothyroidism, blood tests should be done routinely to monitor treatment.
Thyroid cancer
Thyroid cancer can develop and, in the majority of cases, is curable by surgical removal of the thyroid gland by an experienced surgeon. Radioactive iodine may be used after surgery to destroy any small remaining cancer cells. An endocrinologist should be directly involved in monitoring care.
Extremes of thyroid function can certainly have an impact on your quality of life; the beauty is that with the correct diagnosis and management, these conditions can be greatly improved!
Information provided by Dr. Gregory B. Dodell, who works in endocrinology, diabetes and nutrition at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt hospitals. Click here to view all of his posts. This article first appeared on www.healthbytesnyc.com.
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Article 1 of 3
Food Supply Under Assault
as Climate Heats Up
Date: May 2013
There are precedents but they've all been local and people just abandoned those
areas and moved on.."What's very sobering*) about the situation today:
This is global and there isn't any other place to go on this spaceship Earth.
We need to regard all of these examples as a very powerful motivator to work on the
carbon emissions, to push the parts per million of carbon dioxide back down."
*) sobering - Make or become more serious, sensible, and solemn
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American eaters, let's talk about the birds and the bees: The U.S. food supply—from chickens injected with arsenic to dying bee colonies—is under unprecedented siege from a blitz of man-made hazards, meaning some of your favorite treats someday may vanish from your plate, experts say.
Warmer and moister air ringing much of the planet—punctuated by droughts in other locales—is threatening the prime ingredients in many daily meals, including the maple syrup on your morning pancakes and the salmon on your evening grill as well as the wine in your glass and the chocolate on your dessert tray, according to four recent studies.
At the same time, an unappetizing bacterial outbreak in Florida citrus droves, largely affecting orange trees, is causing fruit to turn bitter. Elsewhere, unappealing fungi strains are curtailing certain coffee yields and devastating some banana plantations, researchers report.
Now, mix in the atmospheric misfortunes sapping two mainstays of American farming—corn and cows. Heavier than normal spring rains have put the corn crop far behind schedule: Only 28 percent of corn fields have been planted this year compared with 85 percent at this time in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, drought in the Southeastern plains and a poor hay yield have culled the U.S. cattle and calf herd to its lowest level since 1952, propelling the wholesale price of a USDA cut of choice beef to a new high on May 3—$201.68 per 100 pounds, eclipsing the old mark of $201.18 from October 2003, the USDA reports.
"We are in the midst of dramatic assault on the security of the food supply," said Dr. Robert S. Lawrence, director of the Center for a Livable Future, part of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The group promotes ecological research into the nexus*) of diet, food production, environment and human health.
*) nexus = connection - link - relation - tie - liaison --
The primary culprit of all this menu mayhem (= violent or damaging disorder; chaos); (2) The crime of maliciously injuring or maiming someone, originally so as to render the victim defenseless. Synonym mutilation) is climate change, which is choking off certain crops already weakened by both genetic tinkering and chemically based farming, some experts contend.
Agricultural history is, of course, laced with tales of crop-munching bug swarms and dirt-baking droughts, leading to famous regional famines. Paleontologists have even argued that the hanging gardens of ancient Babylon dried up because people messed with that micro-climate by slashing too many trees, over-expanding farm fields and exhausting the water supply, Lawrence said.
"So there are precedents but they've all been local and people just abandoned those areas and moved on," he added. "What's very sobering about the situation today: This is global and there isn't any other place to go on this spaceship Earth. We need to regard all of these (examples) as a very powerful motivator to try to work on the carbon emissions, to start pushing that parts per million of carbon dioxide back down."
In May, 2013, the ratio of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere soared to the highest daily average ever recorded by an air monitor station at Mauna Loa in Hawaii—nearly 400 parts per million (ppm), said John Ewald, a spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, who called it "an extremely important milestone." When that gauge was installed in 1958, the observatory measured a CO2 concentration of 313 ppm. The number means there were 313 molecules of carbon dioxide in the air for every 1 million molecules of air.
That warmer and more moist air (caused by the CO2) creates the conditions that certain pathogens thrive on," Lawrence said. "That's the dilemma with things like the coffee fungi and some of the problems with citrus."
The world's collective appetite also is growing as populations rise, leading large, commercial growers and exporters to ship more food internationally—and allowing certain plant-consuming bacteria, fungi and viruses to "hitchhike half way around the world in a day," Lawrence added.
Moreover, to help meet the need to feed those extra mouths, industrial agriculture has increasingly turned to "mono-culture" farming to boost harvests. That means using science to alter plants and sewing huge fields—fencepost to fencepost—with single crops.
"For instance, corn plants in the American Midwest are grown closer together and taller than they have been in the past because we're genetically engineering them to do that," said Lee Hannah, senior fellow at Conservation International, a global nonprofit that advocates for sustainable policies. "That produces a lot more food. But it also makes that corn more vulnerable to disease, which, if it gets into that mono-culture system, can sweep through it much as a disease will go through a city a lot faster than it does a rural countryside.
"We're in a situation where the food supply is more vulnerable than it has ever been," added Hannah, also an adjunct faculty member at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Hannah authored a recent study that predicted climate change may shrink California's wine-growing areas by as much as 70 percent by 2050.
But less wine in our homes could—some conservationists hope—grab the attention of American consumers who can't otherwise get their heads around shrinking polar ice caps.
"Maybe seeing this impact all this has on our ability to raise the food we depend on will get us to the tipping point of real policy change and real action," Lawrence said. "I hope so."
Click the green title below - in case the link has expired search the web with the title
Mass Honeybee Deaths: Getting Worse, Not Better
Corn Crop Planting at Third Slowest Pace in Three Decades
Next Group That May Be Slammed by Debt: Farmers
Source: Internet news See articles 2 & 3 just below
________________________________________________
Food Supply Under Assault
as Climate Heats Up
Date: May 2013
There are precedents but they've all been local and people just abandoned those
areas and moved on.."What's very sobering*) about the situation today:
This is global and there isn't any other place to go on this spaceship Earth.
We need to regard all of these examples as a very powerful motivator to work on the
carbon emissions, to push the parts per million of carbon dioxide back down."
*) sobering - Make or become more serious, sensible, and solemn
Click green for further info
American eaters, let's talk about the birds and the bees: The U.S. food supply—from chickens injected with arsenic to dying bee colonies—is under unprecedented siege from a blitz of man-made hazards, meaning some of your favorite treats someday may vanish from your plate, experts say.
Warmer and moister air ringing much of the planet—punctuated by droughts in other locales—is threatening the prime ingredients in many daily meals, including the maple syrup on your morning pancakes and the salmon on your evening grill as well as the wine in your glass and the chocolate on your dessert tray, according to four recent studies.
At the same time, an unappetizing bacterial outbreak in Florida citrus droves, largely affecting orange trees, is causing fruit to turn bitter. Elsewhere, unappealing fungi strains are curtailing certain coffee yields and devastating some banana plantations, researchers report.
Now, mix in the atmospheric misfortunes sapping two mainstays of American farming—corn and cows. Heavier than normal spring rains have put the corn crop far behind schedule: Only 28 percent of corn fields have been planted this year compared with 85 percent at this time in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, drought in the Southeastern plains and a poor hay yield have culled the U.S. cattle and calf herd to its lowest level since 1952, propelling the wholesale price of a USDA cut of choice beef to a new high on May 3—$201.68 per 100 pounds, eclipsing the old mark of $201.18 from October 2003, the USDA reports.
"We are in the midst of dramatic assault on the security of the food supply," said Dr. Robert S. Lawrence, director of the Center for a Livable Future, part of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The group promotes ecological research into the nexus*) of diet, food production, environment and human health.
*) nexus = connection - link - relation - tie - liaison --
- A connection or series of connections linking two or more things.
- A connected group or series: "a nexus of ideas".
- noun, plural nex·us·es, nex·us - a means of connection; tie; link - a connected series or group - the core or center, as of a matter or situation. - Cell Biology . a specialized area of the cell membrane involved inintercellular communication and adhesion. Origin: 1655–65; < Latin nexus a binding, joining, fastening, equivalent tonect ( ere ) to bind, fasten, tie + -tus suffix of v. action, with tt > s
The primary culprit of all this menu mayhem (= violent or damaging disorder; chaos); (2) The crime of maliciously injuring or maiming someone, originally so as to render the victim defenseless. Synonym mutilation) is climate change, which is choking off certain crops already weakened by both genetic tinkering and chemically based farming, some experts contend.
Agricultural history is, of course, laced with tales of crop-munching bug swarms and dirt-baking droughts, leading to famous regional famines. Paleontologists have even argued that the hanging gardens of ancient Babylon dried up because people messed with that micro-climate by slashing too many trees, over-expanding farm fields and exhausting the water supply, Lawrence said.
"So there are precedents but they've all been local and people just abandoned those areas and moved on," he added. "What's very sobering about the situation today: This is global and there isn't any other place to go on this spaceship Earth. We need to regard all of these (examples) as a very powerful motivator to try to work on the carbon emissions, to start pushing that parts per million of carbon dioxide back down."
In May, 2013, the ratio of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere soared to the highest daily average ever recorded by an air monitor station at Mauna Loa in Hawaii—nearly 400 parts per million (ppm), said John Ewald, a spokesman for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, who called it "an extremely important milestone." When that gauge was installed in 1958, the observatory measured a CO2 concentration of 313 ppm. The number means there were 313 molecules of carbon dioxide in the air for every 1 million molecules of air.
That warmer and more moist air (caused by the CO2) creates the conditions that certain pathogens thrive on," Lawrence said. "That's the dilemma with things like the coffee fungi and some of the problems with citrus."
The world's collective appetite also is growing as populations rise, leading large, commercial growers and exporters to ship more food internationally—and allowing certain plant-consuming bacteria, fungi and viruses to "hitchhike half way around the world in a day," Lawrence added.
Moreover, to help meet the need to feed those extra mouths, industrial agriculture has increasingly turned to "mono-culture" farming to boost harvests. That means using science to alter plants and sewing huge fields—fencepost to fencepost—with single crops.
"For instance, corn plants in the American Midwest are grown closer together and taller than they have been in the past because we're genetically engineering them to do that," said Lee Hannah, senior fellow at Conservation International, a global nonprofit that advocates for sustainable policies. "That produces a lot more food. But it also makes that corn more vulnerable to disease, which, if it gets into that mono-culture system, can sweep through it much as a disease will go through a city a lot faster than it does a rural countryside.
"We're in a situation where the food supply is more vulnerable than it has ever been," added Hannah, also an adjunct faculty member at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Hannah authored a recent study that predicted climate change may shrink California's wine-growing areas by as much as 70 percent by 2050.
But less wine in our homes could—some conservationists hope—grab the attention of American consumers who can't otherwise get their heads around shrinking polar ice caps.
"Maybe seeing this impact all this has on our ability to raise the food we depend on will get us to the tipping point of real policy change and real action," Lawrence said. "I hope so."
Click the green title below - in case the link has expired search the web with the title
Mass Honeybee Deaths: Getting Worse, Not Better
Corn Crop Planting at Third Slowest Pace in Three Decades
Next Group That May Be Slammed by Debt: Farmers
Source: Internet news See articles 2 & 3 just below
________________________________________________
Article 2 of 3
Florida's citrus industry
battles potent foe: a disease with no cure
Date: May 2013
AVON PARK, Fla. — Florida’s citrus industry is grappling with the most serious threat in its history: a bacterial disease with no cure that has infected all 32 of the state’s citrus-growing counties.
Although the disease, (click: citrus greening, was first spotted in Florida in 2005, this year’s losses from it are by far the most extensive. While the bacteria, which causes fruit to turn bitter and drop from the trees when still unripe, affects all citrus fruits, it has been most devastating to oranges, the largest crop. So many have been affected that the United States Department of Agriculture has downgraded its crop estimates five months in a row, an extraordinary move, analysts said.
With the harvest not yet over, orange production has already decreased 10 percent from the initial estimate, a major swing, they said.
“The long and short of it is that the industry that made Florida, that is synonymous with Florida, that is a staple on every American breakfast table, is totally threatened,” said Senator Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who helped obtain $11 million in federal money for research to fight the disease. “If we don’t find a cure, it will eliminate the citrus industry.”
The relentless migration of the disease from southern to northern Florida — and beyond — has deepened concerns this year among orange juice processors, investors, growers and lawmakers. Florida is the second-largest producer of orange juice in the world, behind Brazil, and the state’s $9 billion citrus industry is a major economic force, contributing 76,000 jobs.
The industry, lashed over the years by canker disease, hard freezes and multiple hurricanes, is no stranger to hardship. But citrus greening is by far the most worrisome.
The disease, which can lie dormant for two to five years, is spread by an insect no larger than the head of a pin,
(if the link has expired search the web with the title) the (click: Asian citrus psyllid
It snacks on citrus trees, depositing bacteria that gradually starves trees of nutrients.
Psyllids fly from tree to tree, leaving a trail of infection.
Psyllid = Jumping plant louse: small active cicada-like insect (=locust, cricket) with hind legs adapted for leaping; feeds on plant juices.
Concerted efforts by growers and millions of dollars spent on research to fight the disease have so far failed, growers and scientists said. The situation was worsened this season by an unusual weather pattern, including a dry winter, growers said.
“We have got a real big problem,” said Vic Story, a lifelong citrus grower and the head of
(click: The Story Companies, which owns 2,000 acres of groves in Central Florida and manages an additional 3,000 acres, all of which are affected at varying levels. “It’s definitely the biggest threat in my lifetime, and I’m 68. This is a tree killer.”
Before this year, the losses and increased costs of fighting the disease had already taken a toll on Florida’s citrus industry, which has been in decline for 15 years. In a 2012 report, University of Florida agricultural analysts concluded that between 2006 and 2012, citrus greening cost Florida’s economy $4.5 billion and 8,000 jobs.
Some orange packers and small and midsize growers have sold their groves, razed them for development, or simply abandoned them. Others have postponed replanting lost trees, which take five years to mature, until they know whether a cure will be found. Many more, including the largest growers, are doing what they can to survive; they say they are optimistic they can hold on long enough for researchers to find a treatment.
“This year was a real kick in the gut,” said Adam Putnam, Florida’s agriculture commissioner and a former United States representative, whose family owns citrus groves. “It is now everywhere, and it’s just as bad as the doomsayers said it would be.”
But there was good news this week, too. Coca-Cola announced it would spend $2 billion to plant 25,000 acres of new orange groves. The company, which owns Minute Maid and the Simply juice brands, will buy fruit from two growers in Florida — one local and the other a Brazilian company that has invested in the state.
“To see such a dominant player in the beverage market double down on the future of orange juice in Florida is a real morale boost to the industry and a sign they have confidence we will find a cure for greening,” Mr. Putnam said.
Across the Wheeler Farms groves here in Avon Park and beyond, the evidence of greening is obvious on some trees. Leaves turn yellow, then fall off, leaving behind sparse foliage. That is often the beginning of the end.
The psyllids arrive
The psyllids are thought to have arrived through the Port of Miami a decade ago, scientists said. And while the bacteria does not harm humans, it devastates trees, leaving behind bitter, misshapen oranges.
Greening has crippled citrus production around the world, including in Asia and Africa, researchers at the University of Florida said. A decade ago, psyllids were discovered in Brazil, which, with its abundant rural land, has tried to outrun the disease by removing countless trees and planting new acres.
Aware of the potential consequences, Florida’s thousands of growers have aggressively moved to curtail its spread. They have spent $60 million over six years, money raised mostly from a self-imposed tax, to create a research foundation seeking to eradicate greening. The federal Department of Agriculture also has dedicated millions of dollars to the effort.
More money is coming. The Florida Legislature this month approved $8 million toward greening research, a record sum. And Mr. Nelson is pushing a bill in Congress to set up a research trust fund using money from a tariff on imported orange juice.
Florida is no longer alone in its battle against greening. The disease has spread to Texas, California and Arizona, where officials are anxiously watching developments in Florida. They are also joining the fight to speed up research.
“It’s worrisome that we are still three to five years away, even if we find a silver bullet,” said Mark Wheeler, a grower and chief financial officer of Wheeler Farms, which owns 2,500 acres. “We are to the point now that to stay alive in this type of environment you have to be on top of it 24/7.”
As is, he said, some growers can lose 30 to 40 percent of what they pick in a given year.
Researchers are working on several tracks, among them hindering the insect’s reproductive cycle or its ability to transmit the disease, and developing resistant trees. But they are also advising growers on short-term options.
“Now there is a real sense of urgency,” said Michael W. Sparks, the chief executive officer of Florida Citrus Mutual,
a trade organization for growers. “We are not doing research to publish a paper but research we can get on the back of a tractor.”
In Florida, growers have had to transform how they raise orange and grapefruit trees, a shift that has more than doubled their costs over the past decade.
Baby citrus trees must now be raised in greenhouses before they can be transplanted. And most growers douse their groves with a more powerful cocktail of nutrients and spray insecticide more frequently, which has helped slow the disease’s progress. At first, they tried removing acres of full-grown, fruit-bearing trees in the hopes of eradicating the disease. That failed because psyllids simply flew over from neighboring groves that were either abandoned or not following the same costly regimen of fertilizer and insecticide.
James Graham, a professor of soil microbiology at the University of Florida who works with the grower-funded
(click: Citrus Research and Education Center, said next year’s harvest would be crucial. It will show whether this year’s statewide early fruit drop was an aberration — a bad combination of quirky weather and greening — or proof that the disease is truly entrenched.
Mr. Story, for one, is not giving up. He is scooping up groves that are for sale and plans on planting 300 new acres.
“We think we can do it; we know we can do it,” he said. “We just need somebody to figure out how we can kill this bacteria in these trees.”
Source: Internet news See article 3 just below
_______________________________________________
Article 3 of 3
Mass Honeybee Deaths: Getting Worse, Not Better
Click green for further info
Despite getting fewer headlines in recent years, the population of U.S. honeybees has continued to plunge, with billions dying each year from a condition known as colony collapse disorder (CCD). The demise of the bees is now raising greater concerns about the cost to the nation's food supply and the sustainability of the beekeeping industry itself.
Part of the problem, (click: according to a new report by the Department of Agriculture, is that finding a specific cause of CCD remains elusive.
"It's like a perfect storm of reasons," said Kim Kalpan, a public affairs spokesperson for the research service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"We've eliminated that it's one single cause. We're looking at several causes, including parasites, poor nutrition for the bees, viruses and drought conditions," Kaplan said. "We just don't know what it is at this point.
CCD has been around in the U.S. since 2006, when more than one quarter of the 2.4 million honey bee colonies were lost. Each year, more and more bees die.
According to the USDA, bee losses from CCD this past winter were 31.1 percent of all colonies. That's up from 22 percent the previous winter and slightly higher than the previous six-year loss average of 30.5 percent. It's estimated that 10 million beehives have been lost in the last six years at a cost of $2 billion, according to the USDA.
"It's a major issue because 70 percent of bee keepers are reporting losses higher than is economically possible for them to stay in business," said Kaplan. "Usually, they can sustain a loss of 15 percent a year, but this higher number is really bad."
"What happens is that bees get scarce when beekeepers go out of business, and that means pollination contracts go up in price and that means higher prices for consumers," Kaplan explained.
Besides making honey, honey bees pollinate more than 100 crops including apples, zucchini, berries, broccoli, nuts, asparagus, celery, squash, peaches, soybeans and all citrus fruits. A lack of bees to pollinate them has the government worried.
(Click: In a report issued in October 2012, the USDA said the "survivorship of honeybee colonies is too low for us to be confident in our ability to meet the pollination demands of U.S. agriculture crops."
Almonds provide an example of the concern. In California, where 80 percent of the world's almonds are grown, a lack of local honey bees hives is forcing the state to ship in bees from around the country in order to keep up with demand.
"We have to be worried about the impact on the food supply if we continue to see the loss of hives," said Bernard Weinstein, an economist at SMU. "It's not clear that food prices have been affected by the hive loss yet, but sometime down the road it could be a problem."
While the USDA says it doesn't know the root causes of CCD, it can say what doesn't cause it.
"There have been misinterpreted reports of cell phones, cell phone towers and cordless phones being responsible for CCD," said Kaplan. "We can definitely rule those out."
(click: Droughts put US Energy Supply in Peril
Until a cause of CCD is found, honeybee keepers are being urged to try and keep their bees healthy through good nutrition. Analysts also say the work of pollination may be picked up by other insects and birds, but that would hardly make a remedy. The U.S. is importing some honeybees, but not at levels to really make a difference at this point.
Honeybee hive losses have happened before, according to the USDA. In 1903, 2,000 colonies were lost to an unknown disease in Utah. There have been other periods of major losses in the 1920's and 1960's.
"I don't think honeybees are going to disappear completely," Kaplan said. "But we've got to figure this out before it gets worse."
Source: Internet news
________________________________________________________________________
Florida's citrus industry
battles potent foe: a disease with no cure
Date: May 2013
AVON PARK, Fla. — Florida’s citrus industry is grappling with the most serious threat in its history: a bacterial disease with no cure that has infected all 32 of the state’s citrus-growing counties.
Although the disease, (click: citrus greening, was first spotted in Florida in 2005, this year’s losses from it are by far the most extensive. While the bacteria, which causes fruit to turn bitter and drop from the trees when still unripe, affects all citrus fruits, it has been most devastating to oranges, the largest crop. So many have been affected that the United States Department of Agriculture has downgraded its crop estimates five months in a row, an extraordinary move, analysts said.
With the harvest not yet over, orange production has already decreased 10 percent from the initial estimate, a major swing, they said.
“The long and short of it is that the industry that made Florida, that is synonymous with Florida, that is a staple on every American breakfast table, is totally threatened,” said Senator Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who helped obtain $11 million in federal money for research to fight the disease. “If we don’t find a cure, it will eliminate the citrus industry.”
The relentless migration of the disease from southern to northern Florida — and beyond — has deepened concerns this year among orange juice processors, investors, growers and lawmakers. Florida is the second-largest producer of orange juice in the world, behind Brazil, and the state’s $9 billion citrus industry is a major economic force, contributing 76,000 jobs.
The industry, lashed over the years by canker disease, hard freezes and multiple hurricanes, is no stranger to hardship. But citrus greening is by far the most worrisome.
The disease, which can lie dormant for two to five years, is spread by an insect no larger than the head of a pin,
(if the link has expired search the web with the title) the (click: Asian citrus psyllid
It snacks on citrus trees, depositing bacteria that gradually starves trees of nutrients.
Psyllids fly from tree to tree, leaving a trail of infection.
Psyllid = Jumping plant louse: small active cicada-like insect (=locust, cricket) with hind legs adapted for leaping; feeds on plant juices.
Concerted efforts by growers and millions of dollars spent on research to fight the disease have so far failed, growers and scientists said. The situation was worsened this season by an unusual weather pattern, including a dry winter, growers said.
“We have got a real big problem,” said Vic Story, a lifelong citrus grower and the head of
(click: The Story Companies, which owns 2,000 acres of groves in Central Florida and manages an additional 3,000 acres, all of which are affected at varying levels. “It’s definitely the biggest threat in my lifetime, and I’m 68. This is a tree killer.”
Before this year, the losses and increased costs of fighting the disease had already taken a toll on Florida’s citrus industry, which has been in decline for 15 years. In a 2012 report, University of Florida agricultural analysts concluded that between 2006 and 2012, citrus greening cost Florida’s economy $4.5 billion and 8,000 jobs.
Some orange packers and small and midsize growers have sold their groves, razed them for development, or simply abandoned them. Others have postponed replanting lost trees, which take five years to mature, until they know whether a cure will be found. Many more, including the largest growers, are doing what they can to survive; they say they are optimistic they can hold on long enough for researchers to find a treatment.
“This year was a real kick in the gut,” said Adam Putnam, Florida’s agriculture commissioner and a former United States representative, whose family owns citrus groves. “It is now everywhere, and it’s just as bad as the doomsayers said it would be.”
But there was good news this week, too. Coca-Cola announced it would spend $2 billion to plant 25,000 acres of new orange groves. The company, which owns Minute Maid and the Simply juice brands, will buy fruit from two growers in Florida — one local and the other a Brazilian company that has invested in the state.
“To see such a dominant player in the beverage market double down on the future of orange juice in Florida is a real morale boost to the industry and a sign they have confidence we will find a cure for greening,” Mr. Putnam said.
Across the Wheeler Farms groves here in Avon Park and beyond, the evidence of greening is obvious on some trees. Leaves turn yellow, then fall off, leaving behind sparse foliage. That is often the beginning of the end.
The psyllids arrive
The psyllids are thought to have arrived through the Port of Miami a decade ago, scientists said. And while the bacteria does not harm humans, it devastates trees, leaving behind bitter, misshapen oranges.
Greening has crippled citrus production around the world, including in Asia and Africa, researchers at the University of Florida said. A decade ago, psyllids were discovered in Brazil, which, with its abundant rural land, has tried to outrun the disease by removing countless trees and planting new acres.
Aware of the potential consequences, Florida’s thousands of growers have aggressively moved to curtail its spread. They have spent $60 million over six years, money raised mostly from a self-imposed tax, to create a research foundation seeking to eradicate greening. The federal Department of Agriculture also has dedicated millions of dollars to the effort.
More money is coming. The Florida Legislature this month approved $8 million toward greening research, a record sum. And Mr. Nelson is pushing a bill in Congress to set up a research trust fund using money from a tariff on imported orange juice.
Florida is no longer alone in its battle against greening. The disease has spread to Texas, California and Arizona, where officials are anxiously watching developments in Florida. They are also joining the fight to speed up research.
“It’s worrisome that we are still three to five years away, even if we find a silver bullet,” said Mark Wheeler, a grower and chief financial officer of Wheeler Farms, which owns 2,500 acres. “We are to the point now that to stay alive in this type of environment you have to be on top of it 24/7.”
As is, he said, some growers can lose 30 to 40 percent of what they pick in a given year.
Researchers are working on several tracks, among them hindering the insect’s reproductive cycle or its ability to transmit the disease, and developing resistant trees. But they are also advising growers on short-term options.
“Now there is a real sense of urgency,” said Michael W. Sparks, the chief executive officer of Florida Citrus Mutual,
a trade organization for growers. “We are not doing research to publish a paper but research we can get on the back of a tractor.”
In Florida, growers have had to transform how they raise orange and grapefruit trees, a shift that has more than doubled their costs over the past decade.
Baby citrus trees must now be raised in greenhouses before they can be transplanted. And most growers douse their groves with a more powerful cocktail of nutrients and spray insecticide more frequently, which has helped slow the disease’s progress. At first, they tried removing acres of full-grown, fruit-bearing trees in the hopes of eradicating the disease. That failed because psyllids simply flew over from neighboring groves that were either abandoned or not following the same costly regimen of fertilizer and insecticide.
James Graham, a professor of soil microbiology at the University of Florida who works with the grower-funded
(click: Citrus Research and Education Center, said next year’s harvest would be crucial. It will show whether this year’s statewide early fruit drop was an aberration — a bad combination of quirky weather and greening — or proof that the disease is truly entrenched.
Mr. Story, for one, is not giving up. He is scooping up groves that are for sale and plans on planting 300 new acres.
“We think we can do it; we know we can do it,” he said. “We just need somebody to figure out how we can kill this bacteria in these trees.”
Source: Internet news See article 3 just below
_______________________________________________
Article 3 of 3
Mass Honeybee Deaths: Getting Worse, Not Better
Click green for further info
Despite getting fewer headlines in recent years, the population of U.S. honeybees has continued to plunge, with billions dying each year from a condition known as colony collapse disorder (CCD). The demise of the bees is now raising greater concerns about the cost to the nation's food supply and the sustainability of the beekeeping industry itself.
Part of the problem, (click: according to a new report by the Department of Agriculture, is that finding a specific cause of CCD remains elusive.
"It's like a perfect storm of reasons," said Kim Kalpan, a public affairs spokesperson for the research service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"We've eliminated that it's one single cause. We're looking at several causes, including parasites, poor nutrition for the bees, viruses and drought conditions," Kaplan said. "We just don't know what it is at this point.
CCD has been around in the U.S. since 2006, when more than one quarter of the 2.4 million honey bee colonies were lost. Each year, more and more bees die.
According to the USDA, bee losses from CCD this past winter were 31.1 percent of all colonies. That's up from 22 percent the previous winter and slightly higher than the previous six-year loss average of 30.5 percent. It's estimated that 10 million beehives have been lost in the last six years at a cost of $2 billion, according to the USDA.
"It's a major issue because 70 percent of bee keepers are reporting losses higher than is economically possible for them to stay in business," said Kaplan. "Usually, they can sustain a loss of 15 percent a year, but this higher number is really bad."
"What happens is that bees get scarce when beekeepers go out of business, and that means pollination contracts go up in price and that means higher prices for consumers," Kaplan explained.
Besides making honey, honey bees pollinate more than 100 crops including apples, zucchini, berries, broccoli, nuts, asparagus, celery, squash, peaches, soybeans and all citrus fruits. A lack of bees to pollinate them has the government worried.
(Click: In a report issued in October 2012, the USDA said the "survivorship of honeybee colonies is too low for us to be confident in our ability to meet the pollination demands of U.S. agriculture crops."
Almonds provide an example of the concern. In California, where 80 percent of the world's almonds are grown, a lack of local honey bees hives is forcing the state to ship in bees from around the country in order to keep up with demand.
"We have to be worried about the impact on the food supply if we continue to see the loss of hives," said Bernard Weinstein, an economist at SMU. "It's not clear that food prices have been affected by the hive loss yet, but sometime down the road it could be a problem."
While the USDA says it doesn't know the root causes of CCD, it can say what doesn't cause it.
"There have been misinterpreted reports of cell phones, cell phone towers and cordless phones being responsible for CCD," said Kaplan. "We can definitely rule those out."
(click: Droughts put US Energy Supply in Peril
Until a cause of CCD is found, honeybee keepers are being urged to try and keep their bees healthy through good nutrition. Analysts also say the work of pollination may be picked up by other insects and birds, but that would hardly make a remedy. The U.S. is importing some honeybees, but not at levels to really make a difference at this point.
Honeybee hive losses have happened before, according to the USDA. In 1903, 2,000 colonies were lost to an unknown disease in Utah. There have been other periods of major losses in the 1920's and 1960's.
"I don't think honeybees are going to disappear completely," Kaplan said. "But we've got to figure this out before it gets worse."
Source: Internet news
________________________________________________________________________
Hair Dye and Cancer
Important information to avoid sickness
Click green for further info
Aging usually means gray hair. Getting gray hair means deciding whether to dye it another color or not. Many of us have dyed our hair but concerns of cancer-causing ingredients in hair dye can leave us feeling uncertain about whether to continue.
Some studies performed in the 1970s did show cancer in tested animals from certain ingredients called aromatic amines in hair dye. Due to this finding, most manufacturers removed those ingredients by 1980.
According to the National Cancer Institute, some people who used hair dye before they were removed in 1980 do have a higher risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Bladder cancer risk in professional hairdressers has been found in a meta-analysis that reviewed 42 studies. This is due to their occupational exposure, particularly in those who have worked with hair dyes for over 10 years.
The National Cancer Institute stated that research on hair dyes for personal use did not show increased bladder cancer risk while other studies have shown conflicting results.
Breast cancer risk has not been found to be increased with permanent hair dye use. The Susan G. Komen Foundation website states “cohort and case-control studies have shown the use of permanent hair dyes is not related the risk of breast cancer. A meta-analysis that combined the results of 14 studies confirmed these findings.”
Risks of hair dye use and leukemia have conflicting results with different outcomes for those who used dye before 1980 and those after. The risk was found to be highest in those using hair dye for over 15 years. The National Cancer Institute stated that no increases were seen among those who have used more recent formulations of hair dye.
A 2005 Italian study indicated that use of black hair dye was associated with increased cancer risk but the study did not collect information on the frequency of hair dye use.
Pregnant mothers are also often concerned about the risk of birth defects from exposure to hair dye. About.com stated that animal studies have shown birth defects from high doses of hair dye, but birth defects have not been linked to human studies.
To err on the side of safety, “Motherisk Program at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children recommend that women limit coloring their own hair to three to four times during a pregnancy.”
There are over 5,000 chemicals in permanent hair dye. Some are thought to be carcinogenic but research to prove actual cancer risk is limited and inconsistent. In addition, the research that has been done has not always differentiated between temporary and permanent hair dyes.
What is recommended, since we don’t have a clear answer, is to reduce or limit your exposure to hair dye.
More related articles: click the title
Important information to avoid sickness
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Aging usually means gray hair. Getting gray hair means deciding whether to dye it another color or not. Many of us have dyed our hair but concerns of cancer-causing ingredients in hair dye can leave us feeling uncertain about whether to continue.
Some studies performed in the 1970s did show cancer in tested animals from certain ingredients called aromatic amines in hair dye. Due to this finding, most manufacturers removed those ingredients by 1980.
According to the National Cancer Institute, some people who used hair dye before they were removed in 1980 do have a higher risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Bladder cancer risk in professional hairdressers has been found in a meta-analysis that reviewed 42 studies. This is due to their occupational exposure, particularly in those who have worked with hair dyes for over 10 years.
The National Cancer Institute stated that research on hair dyes for personal use did not show increased bladder cancer risk while other studies have shown conflicting results.
Breast cancer risk has not been found to be increased with permanent hair dye use. The Susan G. Komen Foundation website states “cohort and case-control studies have shown the use of permanent hair dyes is not related the risk of breast cancer. A meta-analysis that combined the results of 14 studies confirmed these findings.”
Risks of hair dye use and leukemia have conflicting results with different outcomes for those who used dye before 1980 and those after. The risk was found to be highest in those using hair dye for over 15 years. The National Cancer Institute stated that no increases were seen among those who have used more recent formulations of hair dye.
A 2005 Italian study indicated that use of black hair dye was associated with increased cancer risk but the study did not collect information on the frequency of hair dye use.
Pregnant mothers are also often concerned about the risk of birth defects from exposure to hair dye. About.com stated that animal studies have shown birth defects from high doses of hair dye, but birth defects have not been linked to human studies.
To err on the side of safety, “Motherisk Program at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children recommend that women limit coloring their own hair to three to four times during a pregnancy.”
There are over 5,000 chemicals in permanent hair dye. Some are thought to be carcinogenic but research to prove actual cancer risk is limited and inconsistent. In addition, the research that has been done has not always differentiated between temporary and permanent hair dyes.
What is recommended, since we don’t have a clear answer, is to reduce or limit your exposure to hair dye.
- Delay the use of hair dye until you have enough gray hair that you want it covered.
- Leave the dye on for only the recommended amount of time.
- Always wear gloves when handling hair dye.
- Make sure to do the allergy patch test 48 hours prior to dying your hair.
- Never mix different hair dye products to avoid unexpected reactions.
- Never dye your eyelashes or eyebrows.
- To stretch the time between total head hair dying sessions, use a root touch up product, which stays on the hair for a shorter period of time.
- Consider using henna, which is largely plant-based.
More related articles: click the title
- Black Henna Temporary Tattoos Can Cause Allergic Reactions
- If Hair Dyes Cause Cancer Do Blondes Really Have More Fun
- Pregnant Women Need More Folic Acid to Protect Their Babies
- Click green for further info ______________________________________________________________________________
A Few Foods That Will Help You to Sleep Peacefully
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A good idea, just before the bedtime, is to walk outside 10 - 15 min. (as a whole family) - helpful, natural relaxation.
Avoid alcohol, perhaps one glass of wine or beer latest 30-60 min. before going to sleep (alcohol is never the best solution to fall a sleep). Avoid sleeping pills - they are the worst solution to aim to get a refreshing sleep.
Test how these healthy foods (in small amounts) will help you. Heavier eating must be finished min. 3 hours before your bedtime. Your bedroom is only for 2 purposes: (1) to sleep, (2) to have sex. Do not keep a TV or other technical "toys" in your bedroom - they have harmful radiation even when off. Sleep is important for many reasons. Growth hormone (also in adults) develops during sleep - it provides health and a longer life.
Eat the "wrong" food close to your bedtime and you’ll be up all night. For example, a University of Cambridge study found that eating protein-rich foods fires up the cells in your brain (called orexin cells) that make you alert and energetic. And if you drink before bed, 4 hours into sleep the alcohol wears off, leaving you in a more activated state.
Aim not to eat anything 2 - 4 hours before bedtime - but if you do, drink 1 - 2 cups of chamomille tea, parsley tea or passionfruit tea or all of these three as a combination.
Better snack on anything BUT if you do, the right bedtime snacks can put you in prime position for a stress-free evening—one with hours and hours of sleep ahead.
Here are a few sleep-inducing snacks-foods to keep in your pantry.
Bananas A little sugar counters the effects of your orexin cells, says Dr. Winter. Try a banana before bed—it will give you just enough sugar to calm your orexin cells, plus magnesium and potassium to help to relax your muscles.
Passionfruit Tea
An Australian study found that when people drank a cup of either passionfruit or parsley tea, the passionfruit drinkers slept more soundly. Researchers believe chemicals called harman alkaloids—high levels of which are unique to the passionfruit flower—act on your nervous system to make you sleepy.
Hummus
While L-tryptophan—the amino acid that supposedly makes you crash after Thanksgiving dinner— does make you sleepy, there are better sources than turkey. Consider elk instead. At 746 milligrams (mg) a portion, it far surpasses turkey (333 mg). Game meats not your thing? Sesame seeds (120 mg) and hummus (usually about 600 mg) are packed with L-tryptophan too.
(click) Hummus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummus
Hummus (Arabic: حُمُّص) is a Middle Eastern and Arabic food dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt ...
Tahini - Chickpea - Category:Hummus
FIX IT WITH FOOD: Check out our list of the 40 Foods with Superpowers—foods that, even in moderation, can strengthen your heart, fortify your bones, and boost your metabolism.
Dates
L-tryprophan works best when combined with carbs. Carbs trigger your body to secrete insulin, which uses up other amino acids in your bloodstream first, leaving more L-tryptophan to sedate, says Dr. Winter. The best foods for the job? Carbs that raise your blood sugar levels fast, since slow-acting carbs don’t produce the same kind of insulin response. Go for a healthy handful of dates—they’re high in carbs and have a fair amount of L-tryptophan. Fruit and air-popped popcorn are other healthy fast-acting carbohydrates.
Chinese Food
GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in your body—in other words, it’s your brain’s brakes to calm the party down. It plays a role in regulating the excitability of neurons throughout your nervous system. The only problem: “It’s not found in food, so you can’t really eat GABA-rich products,” says Dr. Winter. Instead, you can eat foods high in glutamic acid—a precursor to GABA that turns into the neurotransmitter in your body. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the salt of glutamic acid, and it’s usually added to Chinese food.
While MSG sometimes gets a bad reputation because it makes food “addictively” good tasting, the FDA has declared it a safe food additive. MSG can be made simply enough by putting salt on a tomato. Other natural options: raw seaweed/spirulina (6,648 mg glutamic acid), Chinese cabbage (6,232 mg), or low-fat cottage cheese (7,455 mg).
WARNING: if you experience (click green: the symptoms often associated with MSG = Monosodium glutamate) you should avoid it.
(1) gamma-Aminobutyric acid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma-Aminobutyric_acid
Jump to GABAergic drugs: GABAA receptor ligands. Agonists/Positive allosteric modulators: alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, carisoprodol, chloral ...
Function - Structure and conformation - History - Synthesis(2) Monosodium glutamate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate
Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring ...
Cherries
Recent research in the European Journal of Nutrition found that drinking an ounce of cherry juice twice a day—once in the morning and once at night—for a week helped people sleep an extra 25 minutes. Why? It’s laced with L-tryptophan, which can convert into serotonin, and eventually melatonin—the compound that influences your sleep cycle. Increase the melatonin circulating in your body, and you’ll increase the chances of a good night’s sleep, too. Try an ounce of juice or a cup of cherries before bed. Since there are no foods high in melatonin, you want to look for foods that can produce it, says Dr. Winter. A few to keep in mind: milk, yogurt, oats, eggs, and peanuts.
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________________________________________________________
Tuberculosis Is Growing More Resistant to Treatment Worldwide
Anyone can get infected in any country
Tuberculosis kills at least 1.34 million people each year worldwide
Now the disease, once curable with antibiotics, is becoming resistant to multiple drugs
World TB Day in March
Five Things to Know About Tuberculosis
TB is the cause of death for nearly 1.5 million people each year mostly in developing countries.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a lung disease that is caused by bacteria. The symptoms include fever, bloody cough and
fatigue. World Tuberculosis Day is observed March 24 to "raise awareness about the burden of tuberculosis (TB)
worldwide and the status of TB prevention and control efforts," according to the World Health Organization.
Click green for further info
Tuberculosis Is Caused by Bacteria and Spread Through the Air
According to the WHO, the World Health Organization, "when people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected. Anyone can get infected in any country."
Tuberculosis Is Growing More Resistant to Treatment Worldwide
Tuberculosis is growing more resistant to treatment worldwide, according to a study released in August 2012 in the journal The Lancet, a finding that suggests the potentially fatal disease is becoming more difficult and costly to treat.
Although it is curable, the treatment regimen requires patients dutifully to take multiple antibiotics daily for several months, and if there are any deviations from protocol or incomplete courses, drug resistance develops easily.
The WHO estimates that about 5 percent of the cases of this disease are multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, or MDR-TB. In other words, they are caused by bacteria that have developed resistance to two of the first-line tuberculosis drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin.
Worse, as additional antibiotics are being thrown at the disease, forms that are even more resistant have begun to emerge. First reported in 2006, cases of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) are resistant to drugs called fluoroquinolones, as well as to one of the three available intravenous drugs. While MDR-TB is difficult and costly to treat, XDR-TB is even harder.
Tuberculosis kills at least 1.34 million people each year worldwide. And now the disease, once curable with antibiotics, is becoming resistant to multiple drugs.
Although most cases of multidrug-resistant TB are in developing countries, there were 92 U.S. cases reported in 2011, according to WHO data.
More Susceptible to Getting TB
People with weak immune systems or those who have HIV are at greater risk in contracting TB. It is the leading killer of people with HIV, according to WHO.
Also, smoking and tobacco use increases the risk of TB. According to WHO, more than 20 percent of TB cases globally are attributable to smoking.
Drug-Resistant TB Could Bring Back Sanatoria
Like other superbugs, antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis does not succumb to typical treatments. And, left untreated, infected patients can readily pass the sinister strain of bacteria onto family members and others in their communities.
Drug-resistant tuberculosis is not a public health problem in the United States, thanks in part to the strict supervision of at-home tuberculosis treatment.
But in regions of the world increasingly burdened by drug-resistant tuberculosis, the idea of sanatoria might be worth revisiting.
Before the advent of antibiotics, people with infectious diseases like tuberculosis were sent to sanatoria, secluded hospitals that healed through good food, fresh air and sunlight. The isolated buildings also quarantined infected patients, thwarting the spread of contagious and dangerous diseases.
In the '60s, rifampicin removed the need for sprawling sanatoria, some of which, like the Sondalo Tuberculosis Hospital in Italy, housed several thousand patients. But the recent emergence of new, antibiotic-resistant strains of the disease-causing bacteria in South Africa has prompted a call for the return of sanitoria.
Click green for further info
Source: WHO
______________________________________________________
Anyone can get infected in any country
Tuberculosis kills at least 1.34 million people each year worldwide
Now the disease, once curable with antibiotics, is becoming resistant to multiple drugs
World TB Day in March
Five Things to Know About Tuberculosis
TB is the cause of death for nearly 1.5 million people each year mostly in developing countries.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a lung disease that is caused by bacteria. The symptoms include fever, bloody cough and
fatigue. World Tuberculosis Day is observed March 24 to "raise awareness about the burden of tuberculosis (TB)
worldwide and the status of TB prevention and control efforts," according to the World Health Organization.
Click green for further info
Tuberculosis Is Caused by Bacteria and Spread Through the Air
According to the WHO, the World Health Organization, "when people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected. Anyone can get infected in any country."
Tuberculosis Is Growing More Resistant to Treatment Worldwide
Tuberculosis is growing more resistant to treatment worldwide, according to a study released in August 2012 in the journal The Lancet, a finding that suggests the potentially fatal disease is becoming more difficult and costly to treat.
Although it is curable, the treatment regimen requires patients dutifully to take multiple antibiotics daily for several months, and if there are any deviations from protocol or incomplete courses, drug resistance develops easily.
The WHO estimates that about 5 percent of the cases of this disease are multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, or MDR-TB. In other words, they are caused by bacteria that have developed resistance to two of the first-line tuberculosis drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin.
Worse, as additional antibiotics are being thrown at the disease, forms that are even more resistant have begun to emerge. First reported in 2006, cases of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) are resistant to drugs called fluoroquinolones, as well as to one of the three available intravenous drugs. While MDR-TB is difficult and costly to treat, XDR-TB is even harder.
Tuberculosis kills at least 1.34 million people each year worldwide. And now the disease, once curable with antibiotics, is becoming resistant to multiple drugs.
Although most cases of multidrug-resistant TB are in developing countries, there were 92 U.S. cases reported in 2011, according to WHO data.
More Susceptible to Getting TB
People with weak immune systems or those who have HIV are at greater risk in contracting TB. It is the leading killer of people with HIV, according to WHO.
Also, smoking and tobacco use increases the risk of TB. According to WHO, more than 20 percent of TB cases globally are attributable to smoking.
Drug-Resistant TB Could Bring Back Sanatoria
Like other superbugs, antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis does not succumb to typical treatments. And, left untreated, infected patients can readily pass the sinister strain of bacteria onto family members and others in their communities.
Drug-resistant tuberculosis is not a public health problem in the United States, thanks in part to the strict supervision of at-home tuberculosis treatment.
But in regions of the world increasingly burdened by drug-resistant tuberculosis, the idea of sanatoria might be worth revisiting.
Before the advent of antibiotics, people with infectious diseases like tuberculosis were sent to sanatoria, secluded hospitals that healed through good food, fresh air and sunlight. The isolated buildings also quarantined infected patients, thwarting the spread of contagious and dangerous diseases.
In the '60s, rifampicin removed the need for sprawling sanatoria, some of which, like the Sondalo Tuberculosis Hospital in Italy, housed several thousand patients. But the recent emergence of new, antibiotic-resistant strains of the disease-causing bacteria in South Africa has prompted a call for the return of sanitoria.
Click green for further info
Source: WHO
______________________________________________________
70 million dogs and 74 million cats are kept as pets in the U.S.
Dogs are good for the heart,
for the family peace &
for your overall health
____________
A dog looks at its owner and thinks
"You feed me, you give me water, you give me shelter. You must be a god!"
A cat looks at its owner and thinks
"You feed me, you give me water, you give me shelter. I must be a god!
______________
The American Heart Association (AHA) has declared that pets, especially dogs, are good for a person's heart. Further proof that dogs are among the best friends a person could have.
Dr. Glenn N. Levine, director of Baylor University's cardiac care unit, was quoted in a press release from the AHA saying, "Pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, is probably associated with a decreased risk of heart disease."
The AHA writes that owning a dog "may help reduce cardiovascular risk," perhaps due to dogs bugging their owners into taking them for walks on a regular basis. Dog owners were, according to the AHA's studies, 54 percent more likely than non-dog owners to get the suggested amount of exercise.
And the benefits don't stop there. The AHA writes that owning a pet in general "may be associated with lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels" as well as a lower rate of obesity. Pets can also help a person cope with stressful situations. Last month, a team of therapy dogs traveled to Boston to help the victims of the bombings.
Via heart.org:
"In essence, data suggest that there probably is an association between pet ownership and decreased cardiovascular risk,” Levine said. “What’s less clear is whether the act of adopting or acquiring a pet could lead to a reduction in cardiovascular risk in those with pre-existing disease. Further research, including better quality studies, is needed to more definitively answer this question."
In an interview with The New York Times, Levine said, "We didn’t want to make this too strong of a statement. But there are plausible psychological, sociological and physiological reasons to believe that pet ownership might actually have a causal role in decreasing cardiovascular risk."
Good news, no doubt. But one shouldn't expect a dog to offset unhealthy lifestyle choices. "If someone adopts a pet, but still sits on the couch and smokes and eats whatever they want and doesn’t control their blood pressure, that’s not a prudent strategy to decrease their cardiovascular risk," Levine told the Times.
The Times reports that 70 million dogs and 74 million cats are kept as pets in the U.S.
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Source: The American Heart Association (AHA)
___________________________________________________________
The First Lady of Yoga
Date: April 2013
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Vaguely indicating the lower torso, the word “core” has been rippling (as it were) through American fitness programs for about a decade. But the yogini Colleen Saidman Yee likes to be more specific.
“Drop the pubic bone!” she ordered, teaching class during a five-day women’s retreat last month at the Amansala resort in Tulum, Mexico, the long golden hair flowing over her shoulders calling to mind Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus.” “This is going to give you the perineal energy we’ve been talking about so much.”
Another, almost Vreelandesque command: “You can’t let the arches of your feet collapse. The collapse of your arches is the collapse of your sex life.” And another: “Open the groin. The groin gets soft.”
“I thought you said, ‘The lights go off,’ ” muttered one contorted participant.
Thick with estrogen and incense, buffeted by warm Caribbean breezes, the room was indeed dim. But Ms. Saidman Yee, whether perching beatifically in full lotus position before 40-odd prone bodies or prowling among them like a jungle cat, emits at 53 her own curious, almost celestial incandescence. Since marrying Rodney Yee, one of the most popular practitioners of the discipline (which he prefers to call an art form), in 2007, she has brought to it glamour, sensuality without the creepy overtones of recent yoga scandals, and unapologetic commercialism, endorsing wine and posing for Vanity Fair.
“Oh, my God, I’m so not pure,” said Ms. Saidman Yee, a longtime model who favors a line of yoga togs cheekily called Sweaty Betty and sometimes pads to class in gold sequined Uggs. “I never want to be called a guru. All I want to do is guide women into their own bodies so they can be more content.”
The Yees may not be gurus, but they are yoga moguls, oxymoronic though that term may seem. They are directors at Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Integrative Therapy program, lithe Florence Nightingales working with the designer to bring yoga and meditation to hospital patients and disaster victims, Ms. Saidman Yee having refined her caretaking skills alongside Mother Teresa’s disciples in the late 1980s.
“I mean, who wouldn’t want Colleen at their bedside?” asked Ms. Karan over the phone from Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos, one of the many exotic locales where the Yees host coed retreats that can cost participants upward of $4,000 each (not including airfare).
More democratically, the couple collaborate on DVDs for Gaiam, the wellness behemoth with which the tawny, muscled Mr. Yee has partnered since 1998. And they are in talks to open a Manhattan outpost of Yoga Shanti, the studio in Sag Harbor, N.Y., where Ms. Saidman Yee has taught Russell Simmons, Christie Brinkley and the literary agent Esther Newberg. It is a move that could be seismic to a tight-knit if perennially (and perineally) relaxed community of instructors and their acolytes.
“I can’t wait,” Ms. Karan said. “To see her evolve as a yoga teacher with Rodney has been one of the most beautiful movies.”
To some, though, it might seem more “Kramer vs. Kramer” than “Royal Wedding.” The felicitous but messy merger of the Yees, who met when she took his teacher-training class, broke up each of their previous marriages. (The couple now have six children and stepchildren between them.)
Ms. Saidman Yee has also severed ties with a longtime business partner, Jessica Bellofatto, who helped her build Yoga Shanti but now has been exiled to East Hampton after a legal tangle. (“I could not be happier,” Ms. Bellofatto wrote in an e-mail.)
Despite prevailing in this conflict, and though her marriage has burnished her personal brand, Ms. Saidman Yee said she still struggles sometimes with asserting her voice. Indeed, this was a theme explored, with “journaling” and tearful dialogue exercises, throughout the gathering in Tulum, formerly an invitation-only affair organized in part by Mary Richardson Kennedy, the late ex-wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., that this year was open to anyone who Googled it. “Women’s retreats are about finding that what you have to say is worthwhile and needed,” Ms. Saidman Yee said.
Recently Gaiam released her first solo video for the company, “Yoga for Weight Loss,” a title she dismissed as a sales ploy about which she had no input. “Any way to get a woman on the mat,” she said with a shrug.
And during a March appearance on a “Fit Minute” segment on “The Couch,” a local CBS morning show, Ms. Saidman Yee expressed frustration that the producers wanted her merely for a mute demonstration of the poses her husband was describing. “Just another blonde doing Warrior Two,” she wrote in a weary-sounding e-mail afterward.
But Colleen Saidman Yee, the middle child of seven in a Catholic family raised mostly in Bluffton, Ind., has stood out from the moment she was born.
“She was the happiest child we had,” said her father, Nick Zello, who worked swing shifts for Corning Glass Works and, now retired, regularly does yoga in a SilverSneakers program. “Mom would bring her down in the morning and she would just bounce.” (Ms. Saidman Yee’s mother, a homemaker, died last year; her daughter said Joan Didion’s memoir of mourning, “The Year of Magical Thinking,” had provided some solace.)
“You know, there was a lot of kids and not a lot of money, but I never felt I was lacking anything, really,” Ms. Saidman Yee said. She was sitting on the balcony of her room at Amansala between classes, wearing a flowered cotton tunic and dangly earrings. Her eyes matched the pounding surf; a large silver-and-gold Tag Heuer watch glinted from her wrist; an iPad sheathed in purple leather rested nearby.
“I remember one time all the kids were wearing culottes — remember culottes? And I had to have culottes. And my dad bought the fabric and made me culottes on a sewing machine.”
Young Colleen may have been content in her culottes, but she was also extremely driven. “I had a bleeding ulcer from the time I was in third grade because I was such a perfectionist,” she said. When she was in junior high, her mother found her awake at 2 a.m., crumpling up and rewriting assignments. “She said, ‘Colleen, there’s nothing better than an A-plus! You have to go to sleep, you can’t keep doing this to yourself.’ ” Ms. Saidman Yee recalled, adding with satisfaction, “and I came home with an A-plus-plus.”
Tall and gangly, her nickname in high school was Legs, and her father still boasts about her prowess in track.
Colleen received a full scholarship to Ball State University, but this was the woozy 1970s, and she had started dabbling in cocaine, quaaludes (she said she was struck by a car when high) and eventually heroin. She dropped out and married a drummer, Jeff Kaehr. “I just followed the band around and did an enormous amount of drugs,” she said. For one brother’s middle-school graduation, she dressed in a white jumpsuit, inside-out. “Unbuttoned to here,” Ms. Saidman Yee said, indicating her navel. “With no underwear.”
Her mantra at the time: “I’m going to New York, I’m going to New York, I’m going to New York.”
Arriving there by 1979, Ms. Saidman Yee said she locked herself in a bathroom at the Piccadilly Hotel and went through “cold-turkey withdrawal.” She got a job at a restaurant called the Quiet Little Table in the Corner on 38th and Madison, where customers flicked on a green light to summon waitresses in black leotards and fishnet stockings — and a red one for privacy.
“Greta Garbo used to come in every night,” said Ms. Saidman Yee, who was working the coat check one night when the Hungarian modeling agent Zoli, who represented Veruschka and Pat Cleveland, walked in and handed her his card.
“I thought it was the white-slave trade at best,” Ms. Saidman Yee said. “But I called them and went in, and within a very short time I was in Paris.”
Modeling proved a mixed bag. Long before Elle Macpherson, “I was The Body,” Ms. Saidman Yee said, and then corrected herself. “TheAthletic Body. I was very androgynous, even though I was very feminine. I was ripped.”
Popular in Europe, Colleen Kaehr made the cover of Italian Bazaar, landed an ad campaign for Valentino and bought her father a white a 1959 MG-TD. “With red leather interiors, if I remember correctly,” she said.
In the United States, she was more of a workhorse, a self-described “catalog queen” posing for Talbots and Chadwicks of Boston, along with several covers for New York magazine when Anna Wintour was its fashion editor. She hopped agencies, from Elite to Ford, and stayed clean, she said, disco-napping to prepare for late nights out at Studio 54, the Limelight and Area: “I was very much a model in the ’80s in New York City and all that went with that.”
Which would bring her to step aerobics, one of several activities that finally brought The Body to its knees. On a canoe trip with some of her brothers in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, Ms. Saidman Yee said, she was struck by lightning and soon after began to suffer grand mal seizures. Around the same time she appeared with a stratospherically teased coif on the cover of a Cosmopolitan beauty guide, she broke her ribs in a boxing match with Sparkle Lee, an amateur referee.
A roommate urged her to try yoga. “I was like, ‘Eccch, I don’t really feel like going in and stretching, but all right,’ ” Ms. Saidman Yee said. And boom: “I walked out and I felt high. Like everything was clearer and crisper and I could hear better. I hate the word spiritual, but it was a very spiritual moment.” After a back operation to repair a disc ruptured in step class while on a trip for Avon, she ceased allexercise but yoga.
By now she had broken up with Mr. Kaehr and married Robin Saidman, a photographer, and in 1995 they had a daughter, Rachel Cheyenne. Tiring of modeling’s demands on her time, Colleen took the 800-hour teacher-training course at the Jivamukti School in downtown Manhattan, the epicenter of a growing yoga revival.
“A lot of high-profile people would come to class there, even Madonna,” Ms. Saidman Yee said. “I would do privates with, like, Tatum O’Neal and Ellen Barkin.” One of Rachel’s earliest memories is being taken along to Mustique while her mother taught a celebrity she wouldn’t identify; well-connected as she is, Ms. Saidman Yee maintains a certain dizzy indifference to the fame of her clients. “The truth is, I don’t even know a lot of these people,” she said. “Like, Serena Williams came to my class, and I was like ‘really?’ Bon Jovi and people like that. ”
Yoga Shanti, which she opened with Ms. Bellofatto after they met at Jivamukti, started out “dark and seriously kind of depressing,” according to Ms. Newberg, but was nonetheless a magnet for seekers of inner peace both high-profile and low. When Ms. Saidman Yee took over, it became brightly colored, with a gold ceiling and air-conditioning. “It’s an addictive place in the summer,” Ms. Newberg said.
She described Mr. Yee’s arrival to this feminine paradise with affection. “We watched them fall in love,” she said. “She would walk around the studio and find him and pat him, and it was adorable.”
Ms. Bellofatto was reportedly less delighted with the turn of events, but she maintained that her business, which includes a form of yoga calls SUP because it is performed on a stand-up paddleboard in the ocean, is thriving. “I consider myself to be so far removed from Yoga Shanti and Colleen and Rodney,” she wrote.
Mr. Saidman, meanwhile, who now owns a shirt shop called Duck & Weave, did exactly that when questioned about his ex-wife. “I’d better zip it up,” he said.
But at home in Sag Harbor the other day, the Yees were letting it all hang out, showing off a gold-ceilinged room matching the one at Yoga Shanti, where they meditate facing each other every morning, as well as the den where they watch “American Idol,” and fortifying themselves with nuts and smoothies, and coffee for him, before zooming to class in a blue Audi convertible.
Sleep-deprived after a weekend teaching in Miami, Ms. Saidman Yee fretted that the couple’s planned Manhattan studio might hurt other yoga businesses. “I don’t want to cannibalize,” she said.
Mr. Yee seemed less concerned. “It’s something that we really want to do,” he said. “It’s not that we’re discouraged where yoga’s gone, because it’s really great that it reaches out with all of its little fingers to touch everybody, but ...” He trailed off, and soon returned to his favorite pastime: praising his wife. “If I was a Cubist before, she brought Matisse,” he said, comparing their teaching styles. Asked if there was anything she made possible for him, he said, “Retirement!” and laughed.
Regarding the disenchantment some of their students felt after their affair went public, he said serenely: “It’s good to get the pedestal kicked out from under you constantly. And not only is it good for you, but also for the practice we’re involved in. You get this glorified view of yourself.”
“I don’t think that happens to me,” Ms. Saidman Yee said quietly.
“Oh, honey, give me a break.”
Members of the yoga retreat in Tulum had been abuzz over the presence of Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Reese Witherspoon elsewhere at the resort. And at the memory of this, Ms. Saidman Yee, who is often recognized but not generally harassed, reflected on the perils of becoming more well known.
“I was watching Cameron Diaz at Amansala, and she constantly had to eat with her back facing everybody,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I would really like not to be a celebrity.”
Source: NYT
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Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., not-f0r-profit, has developed a new tested Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutritional Program - its monthly food costs for one person is about $93. No other system beats that price.
Yet, a person adapting the new system gets all nutritients a human being needs, will not feel hungry, and, if overweight, she/he will lose weight automatically without anything else to do and nothing else to buy.
Click green above and below for further info, pictures, videos
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Mayor Cory Booker said he will live on food stamps for a week starting Tuesday.
Booker told The Associated Press on Thursday that he will honor the challenge he made to a Twitter follower earlier this month and try living on the monetary equivalent of food stamps for at least a week.
"December 4 to 11. Seven days," Booker said after the ribbon cutting for new loft apartments in Newark. He said he will be limited to $1.40 for each meal.
The North Carolina woman Booker challenged plans to accept, but she is not sure she will do it next week.
The woman, who uses the Twitter handle (at)MWadeNC and goes by the name TwitWit, spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because she says she has received threats.
She said she is upset that Booker didn't consult with her before picking the dates. She said Booker sent her a tweet this week saying his staff would be in touch, but she has heard nothing since.
"I don't think it's fair to be challenged and just find out from the Internet when I'm supposed to take part," she said in a telephone interview. "I would have appreciated the consideration that I have a life as well."
Nevertheless, she said she will participate in the challenge for at least a week, possibly two.
The average monthly food stamp benefit was $133.26 per person in New Jersey in fiscal year 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As mayor, Booker makes about 100 times that amount, $13,400 a month.
Politicians and community leaders around the country have taken on similar challenges in recent years to highlight the difficulty of relying solely on government aid for nutrition.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and U.S. Rep. Bob Brady lived on food stamps for a week earlier this year, and the mayors of Las Vegas and Phoenix, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and the former governor of Oregon all did so within the past few years.
Most participated in the "Food Stamp Challenge," a program from the nonprofit Food Research and Action Center that gives out tools to help organizations and individuals live on a food stamp budget, typically for a week. It even developed a how-to-guide for members of Congress, which includes testimonials from eight politicians.
Celebrity chef Mario Batali and his family also did the challenge earlier this year. An AmeriCorps member serving as the community service coordinator at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut challenged her campus to try it for a week.
Booker, a prolific Twitter user who has 1.2 million followers, has said he wants the public to participate and on Thursday said he will soon announce a celebrity who will also take part.
The North Carolina woman said she thinks it would be "great" if high-profile people tried to live on the equivalent of food stamps.
"I think everybody should do this," she said.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., not-f0r-profit, has developed a new tested Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutritional Program - its monthly food costs for one person is about $93. No other system beats that price.
Yet, a person adapting the new system gets all nutritients a human being needs, will not feel hungry, and, if overweight, she/he will lose weight automatically without anything else to do and nothing else to buy.
- Enlarge Photo Associated Press/Julio Cortez - FILE - In this Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 file photo, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, left, greets 13-year-old Blonbzell Taylor outside of Clinton Hill Community Resource Center, where residents …more
Click green above and below for further info, pictures, videos
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Mayor Cory Booker said he will live on food stamps for a week starting Tuesday.
Booker told The Associated Press on Thursday that he will honor the challenge he made to a Twitter follower earlier this month and try living on the monetary equivalent of food stamps for at least a week.
"December 4 to 11. Seven days," Booker said after the ribbon cutting for new loft apartments in Newark. He said he will be limited to $1.40 for each meal.
The North Carolina woman Booker challenged plans to accept, but she is not sure she will do it next week.
The woman, who uses the Twitter handle (at)MWadeNC and goes by the name TwitWit, spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because she says she has received threats.
She said she is upset that Booker didn't consult with her before picking the dates. She said Booker sent her a tweet this week saying his staff would be in touch, but she has heard nothing since.
"I don't think it's fair to be challenged and just find out from the Internet when I'm supposed to take part," she said in a telephone interview. "I would have appreciated the consideration that I have a life as well."
Nevertheless, she said she will participate in the challenge for at least a week, possibly two.
The average monthly food stamp benefit was $133.26 per person in New Jersey in fiscal year 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As mayor, Booker makes about 100 times that amount, $13,400 a month.
Politicians and community leaders around the country have taken on similar challenges in recent years to highlight the difficulty of relying solely on government aid for nutrition.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and U.S. Rep. Bob Brady lived on food stamps for a week earlier this year, and the mayors of Las Vegas and Phoenix, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and the former governor of Oregon all did so within the past few years.
Most participated in the "Food Stamp Challenge," a program from the nonprofit Food Research and Action Center that gives out tools to help organizations and individuals live on a food stamp budget, typically for a week. It even developed a how-to-guide for members of Congress, which includes testimonials from eight politicians.
Celebrity chef Mario Batali and his family also did the challenge earlier this year. An AmeriCorps member serving as the community service coordinator at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut challenged her campus to try it for a week.
Booker, a prolific Twitter user who has 1.2 million followers, has said he wants the public to participate and on Thursday said he will soon announce a celebrity who will also take part.
The North Carolina woman said she thinks it would be "great" if high-profile people tried to live on the equivalent of food stamps.
"I think everybody should do this," she said.
- Play Video Cory Booker, ‘The Situation’ Spur Twitter
- FILE - In this Oct. 29, 2012, file photo, …
- NJ mayor to honor Twitter food stamp …
- Play Video Mayor Nutter To Visit China Thursda …
Click green areas above for further info, for pictures and for videos
This article is for your private use, only _______________________________________________________________________________ - Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-, headquartered in New York City has developed a fully new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program meant for the U.S. gov. use as the solution to our nation's enormous overweight, obesity & sickness level.
- The monthly cost for one adult person in the tri-state area (= NY, NJ, CT) is only $93 (ninety-three-dollars per month). Yet, a person gets all nutrients any human being needs, can eat as much as necessary not ever to be hungry, and enjoys delicious, healthy food. The new program is also an automatic weightloss program - nothing else to buy, no gimmicks, no counting calories.
- This new STAF, Inc. program is a real solution to our nation's high sickness care costs saving hundreds of billions of dollars every year to the Fed.gov., saving millions of lives every year, and easing much human suffering.
- It took 26 years to develop this new program. First 19 years worldwide research and additionally the past seven years to modify it for the U.S. gov. use as the solution to our health challenges in the U.S.
- In a nationwide televised event, this new program will be introduced in D.C. in 2013 to the whole nation, to the U.S. Congress, W.H., President, and all related gov. agencies.
- Meanwhile, information is in STAF, Inc.'s extensive website: www.staf1org.weebly.com
- Listen also STAF, Inc.'s Radio Shows DrDrCanYouHelpMe - the link on the STAF, Inc.'s website.
- The solution is here available to bring the desired results for you and for our whole nation and in every nation worldwide.
- Respectfully,
- Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
- Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
- STAF, Inc. founding President __________________________________________________________________________________________
Dietary Supplements Terminology and Definitions
In 1994, Congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, defining dietary supplements as products taken by mouth, containing ingredients intended to supplement the diet. What are those ingredients and how do they work? The following list of terms can help you understand what makes up the building blocks of the vitamins and supplements you take.
STAF, Inc.'s opinion is that in most cases eating healthy food is enough - additional vitamin pills, etc. are then not needed.
STAF, Inc. has developed a Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government use as the solution to our rampant overweight, obesity & sickness level.
When you follow that program's guidance for what to eat and how to restore & maintain your health and get rid of all unnecessary overweight, then it is enough to apply what the new STAF, Inc.'s program guides to do.
Terminology and Definitions:
Minerals: Minerals are natural, inorganic chemical elements, such as calcium, iron, selenium and zinc. Dietary supplements are designed with either one mineral or a complex of minerals that work together.
Vitamins: Vitamins are natural, organic substances given letter designations (A, B1 to B12, C, D, E and K). Proper quantities of vitamins are essential to good health, and daily dietary supplements can help your body consistently get the vitamins it needs.
Amino acids: Amino acids are molecules that are the building blocks of protein, the substance that makes up a large portion of the human body. Amino acids in dietary supplements can also be helpful in boosting metabolism.
Herbs: Herbs, or botanicals, are plants that can provide certain therapeutic benefits for the human body when taken in limited doses. Common herbs found in dietary supplements include garlic, St. John's wort, flax, valerian and chamomile.
Nutraceuticals: nutraceuticals are isolated nutrients extracted from foods and added to dietary supplements for a medicinal effect. Examples of nutraceuticals include reserveratrol from red grapes, psyllium from seed husks, flavanoids from citrus fruits and sulforaphane from broccoli.
Fiber: Dietary fiber is made up of the soluble and insoluble non-digestible portions of plants. Nutritional supplements containing dietary fiber can benefit the digestive system, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Antioxidants: Antioxidants are vitamins, nutraceuticals and other substances included in dietary supplements that block or inhibit free radicals -- molecules that can speed up the aging process and contribute to illness.
Probiotics and prebiotics: Both probiotics and prebiotics can promote a healthy balance of "good bacteria" in the gastrointestinal system. Probiotics are actual living organisms, such as acidophilus, that can be ingested through certain foods and dietary supplements. Prebiotics are non-digestible portions of food that stimulate the growth of existing bacteria in the gastrointestinal system.
Hormones: Hormones in are natural chemicals released by our bodies to create an effect in specific cells. In dietary supplements, either natural or synthetic hormones trigger certain effects in our bodies. DHEA, pregnenolone, pineal and melatonin are common hormones found in dietary supplements.
________________
- The content on this site is not intended to substitute for the advice of a qualified physician, pharmacist, or other licensed health-care professional. Contact your health-care provider immediately if you suspect that you have a medical problem. The use of dietary supplements may not have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition __________________________________________________________________________
Here (1) text, (2) video:
The Fattest Place on Earth
- a lesson for America & the world -
__________
The fattest place on earth isn't in America
The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru holds that honor
However, America made Nauru the fattest place
- shame ! shame ! shame ! - on the American lifestyle
Click to the links below to get the facts - text info below
an island paradise has lessons for the U.S. & the world
The western lifestyle introduced by the western businessmen destroyed Nauru's perfect health statistics
The westerners came when mineral riches were found in Nauru
The western food & western lifestyle (as the majority of the population in the USA has) is the cause
for a terrible disease situation in this world’s smallest independent republic, Nauru.
This island country is in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii & Australia.
! ! ! !
Shame - Shame - Shame -Shame on the American deadly lifestyle
The American-style fast food, hamburgers, fried potatoes, processed meat & other American style processed “food” (quotations because fast or processed is not food – it is disease causing, killing poison for any human; fast “food”, read: bad-food) is the reason for Nauru’s serious health challenges.
Nauru made itself wealthy by exporting phosphates (used worldwide as a fertilizer). The industry started in the 1980’s. As the western style, American fast “food “ and other “processed food”, was introduced in Nauru, 95 % of its population is now officially overweight, 85 % of men are clinically obese, and majority of the Nauru population has diabetes and other overweight &diabetes-caused sicknesses. The people in Nauru are literally eating themselves dead.
So are the Americans as are other nations when consuming unnatural nutrition in the form of fast “food” (= bad food) and processed “food”. This health disaster happened in Nauru when they imported the western style fast-“food” as their phosphate industry brought the income. However, the phosphate industry in Nauru has now dried out – but the love of western style “food” has stayed - literally killing the whole nation. The fast food and processed food contains chemicals that create addiction in the consumers.
In the USA today 3 in 10 has diabetes – that number will soar to 1 in 3 in 40 years if Americans continue the same way.
Save The American Family – STAF, Inc.
has developed a real solution, a totally new plan based on the latest science.
The STAF, Inc. Nutritional & Successful Lifestyle plan is the ONLY real hope for solving the problem in America. The Plan must be introduced to the whole nation. STAF, Inc. has the knowledge how to have the Americans adapting this new plan to save our lives and to save our country. As the result, millions of human lives will be saved every year - hundreds of billions of money will be saved every year, trillions within time.
_________________________________________________________
The Fattest Place on Earth
- a lesson for America & the world -
__________
The fattest place on earth isn't in America
The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru holds that honor
However, America made Nauru the fattest place
- shame ! shame ! shame ! - on the American lifestyle
Click to the links below to get the facts - text info below
- The Fattest Place on Earth | Video - ABC News abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/fattest-place-earth-12533987
The Fattest Place on Earth. With planet's highest obesity rate, an island paradise haslessons for the U.S.. 01/03/2011. Related Links: Kendra Wilkinson: 'I Could ... - The Fattest Place On Earth (VIDEO)www.huffingtonpost.com/.../the-fattest-place-on-earth_n_8...
an island paradise has lessons for the U.S. & the world
The western lifestyle introduced by the western businessmen destroyed Nauru's perfect health statistics
The westerners came when mineral riches were found in Nauru
The western food & western lifestyle (as the majority of the population in the USA has) is the cause
for a terrible disease situation in this world’s smallest independent republic, Nauru.
This island country is in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii & Australia.
! ! ! !
Shame - Shame - Shame -Shame on the American deadly lifestyle
The American-style fast food, hamburgers, fried potatoes, processed meat & other American style processed “food” (quotations because fast or processed is not food – it is disease causing, killing poison for any human; fast “food”, read: bad-food) is the reason for Nauru’s serious health challenges.
Nauru made itself wealthy by exporting phosphates (used worldwide as a fertilizer). The industry started in the 1980’s. As the western style, American fast “food “ and other “processed food”, was introduced in Nauru, 95 % of its population is now officially overweight, 85 % of men are clinically obese, and majority of the Nauru population has diabetes and other overweight &diabetes-caused sicknesses. The people in Nauru are literally eating themselves dead.
So are the Americans as are other nations when consuming unnatural nutrition in the form of fast “food” (= bad food) and processed “food”. This health disaster happened in Nauru when they imported the western style fast-“food” as their phosphate industry brought the income. However, the phosphate industry in Nauru has now dried out – but the love of western style “food” has stayed - literally killing the whole nation. The fast food and processed food contains chemicals that create addiction in the consumers.
In the USA today 3 in 10 has diabetes – that number will soar to 1 in 3 in 40 years if Americans continue the same way.
Save The American Family – STAF, Inc.
has developed a real solution, a totally new plan based on the latest science.
The STAF, Inc. Nutritional & Successful Lifestyle plan is the ONLY real hope for solving the problem in America. The Plan must be introduced to the whole nation. STAF, Inc. has the knowledge how to have the Americans adapting this new plan to save our lives and to save our country. As the result, millions of human lives will be saved every year - hundreds of billions of money will be saved every year, trillions within time.
_________________________________________________________
__________________________
See next below
The Nutrition Source
Complete information in all details
_____________________________
See next below
The Nutrition Source
Complete information in all details
_____________________________
The Nutrition Source
Source: (1) Harvard University of Public Health - (2) STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
(1) Click every green topic, (2) study every topic & (3) apply all information
Source: Harvard University School of Public Health & STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
_________________________________________
Source: (1) Harvard University of Public Health - (2) STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit
Quotation "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
(Dr. Christian, STAF, Inc.)
(1) Click every green topic, (2) study every topic & (3) apply all information
- Home
- Nutrition A to Z
- Healthy Eating Plate
- What Should I Eat?
- Healthy Drinks
- Salt and Sodium
- Healthy Weight
- Staying Active
- Preventing Diabetes
- Recipes
- Healthy Food Service
- Your Nutrition Questions Answered
- Nutrition in the News
- Nutrition Books by Faculty
- More Information
- About Us
- Contact Us
Source: Harvard University School of Public Health & STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-
_________________________________________
__________________________
See next above
The Nutrition Source
Complete information in all details
_____________________________
See next above
The Nutrition Source
Complete information in all details
_____________________________
Important information
Click and connect to this info - necessary to study
Click the green title to connect:
Mediterranean diet cuts heart disease risk by 30%: 'Landmark’ study
provides compelling evidence that it’s the type, not the level of fat, that counts for cardio health
People following an energy unrestricted plant-based diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts can reduce their risk of a major cardiovascular event by 30% compared with people following a purely low-fat diet, according to a “landmark” new study.
go to:
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science/Mediterranean-diet-cuts-heart-disease-risk-by-30-Landmark-study-provides-compelling-evidence-that-it-s-the-type-not-the-level-of-fat-that-counts-for-cardio-health
_______________________________________________
Click and connect to this info - necessary to study
Click the green title to connect:
Mediterranean diet cuts heart disease risk by 30%: 'Landmark’ study
provides compelling evidence that it’s the type, not the level of fat, that counts for cardio health
People following an energy unrestricted plant-based diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts can reduce their risk of a major cardiovascular event by 30% compared with people following a purely low-fat diet, according to a “landmark” new study.
go to:
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science/Mediterranean-diet-cuts-heart-disease-risk-by-30-Landmark-study-provides-compelling-evidence-that-it-s-the-type-not-the-level-of-fat-that-counts-for-cardio-health
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Academic Resume for
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
This updated Academic Resume material has the following information:
(1) Detailed information how this leading professional will benefit your organization - definitely in a more effective manner than most professionals you could locate even worldwide. Dr. Christian will find the solutions to any situation, will raise your income, and will create substantial savings in your operational expenses as well as in your health care costs.
When it comes to creating good ideas and highly profitable deals for you and for your organization, his talents are yours to hire.
He is a creative and highly experienced negotiator - send him anywhere to meet anyone and he will give you the desired results.
(2) Professional experience & Academic background info = Resume (2 pages)
(3) The description of Dr. Christian's recent project
(4) An impressive endorsement letter and its introduction
Dr. Christian's picture in tab: blog in this same website.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking forward to fruitfully benefiting
your organization in every aspect
with exceptionally impressive international
experience & high-level competence.
Dr. C.
____________________________________________
Looking forward to fruitfully benefiting
your organization in every aspect
with exceptionally impressive international
experience & high-level competence.
Dr. C.
____________________________________________
Expect Great Things
____________________________________
____________________________________
The 2-page professional experience & academic background info here
ACADEMIC RESUME page 1 & page 2
RESUME page 1
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D. _______________ (Page 1)
(401) 427-2227 - cell: (203) 788-1876 - e-mail: [email protected]
U.S. mail: GPO 339, New York, NY 10116 - 0339
>>>PRESIDENT-VP /SALES-MARKETING-RESEARCH DIRECTOR /CONSULTANT Strategic Planning / Growth Strategies / Start-Ups / Turn-around Management / Consumer Products & Services
Known internationally as the real proactive, persistent Top-Producer and by applying innovative action principles he will: (1) solve ALL your challenges with his Ph.D. level competence in Business & Sciences, (2) bring out the best in your staff, slash the employee absentee up to 75 %, bring savings in Health Care costs, streamline operations in wide range by most modern solutions, and (3) increase your profits in double figures.
“Fireproofed” in several industries with impressive track record positions in 3 continents with demanding responsibilities and consulting assignments relating to: Wall Street & Global Investments, Consulting, Language Institute, Casino; Publishing, Real Estate, Health & Nutrition, Not-for-Profit Organizations, College & Educational (named “Most Inspiring Educator of the Year”), Car Dealerships, Broadcasting (is Radio & TV Show Host), Professional & Creative Writing (educational, business, technical, legal, other), Public Seminar Leader.
Professional growth for over 20 years through positions from entry level sales and customer service all the way to HR Director, Director of Training, Program & Product Development Director, Sales/Marketing & Research Director, Senior VP, President/CEO, College Professor, College President.
Skilled in all areas of executive management. Consistently exceeded all company objectives.
University Education from B.A. all the way to Ph.D. in the following:
Columbia University (New York City), Helsinki University (Europe), New York City University (New York City), Clayton College (Birmingham).
Personal: Home language: English. Married to a US-born, CA-raised lady, two (2) New York City born sons (age: 11 and 9)
Present position:
2005 – Save The American Family – STAF, Inc. - www.staf1org.weebly.com – the website designed - all its material (study it as a writing sample) prepared & written by Dr. Christian von Christophers (the person introduced in this resume).
STAF, Inc., headquartered in New York, nationwide, not-for-profit, CEO,
also: as STAF, Inc.’s Public Spokesperson running for the organization nationwide/worldwide 2 Radio/TV Shows as the sole Host creating & writing all material (show links – see the website). Planning & executing all company operations. Writing new books, motivational programs, language programs, creating marketing strategies, increasing publicity & sales.
Previous - 3- positions:
(The following -3- previous positions I held all during the same years until moving to the USA.)
(1) American Know-How, Inc., Wall Street, New York, CEO for the European Office, investments (created a new Bond type, DVC, for the worldwide market), consulting, training, publishing (reason position ended: moved to USA);
(2) PKK College; as the new College President made the revenue-losing College into the industry leader and the largest College in Europe with over 2 300 employees. (reason position ended: moved to USA),
(3) Casino Northern Lights, Europe; Full-Service Casino-Hotel with Bars, Lounges, Restaurants, Shows; as its new CEO rescued it from disaster and made it successful (reason position ended: moved to USA)
____________________
ACADEMIC RESUME page 2
Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D. _______________ (Page 2)
Selected Achievements and Special Skills
To Exceptionally Benefit Your Organization
What Your Organization Needs Is Here
For increased success, your organization needs talented individuals with a proven track record of having “brains” brains that create new solutions & new achievements of higher level.
“Real talents” is the key.
Early signs for exceptional talents:
Dr. Christian started school in Europe 2 (two) years younger than any other kid.
After graduation known as the youngest School Principal (age 19) and
then as the youngest College President (age 24).
Since age 5 performed continuously in Radio nationwide (excellent piano playing, singing, song writing-composing & performing arts talents).
As adult a well-known public figure, a household name on a level that his political supporters in Europe wanted him to run for the Presidency of the “old” country (they all said “he’ll win the election”). After a careful evaluation of the suggestion, he said “No thanks, my heart, my wife, and my two (2) young sons (then 1 & 3 years of age) are in America”.
In High School: Class President, Best Student & Valedictorian.
In College: Student Union President already in his first year. The only person in the history of his first Alma Mater to be elected as a Student Union Leader in his freshman year.
Some Professional Achievements
Internationally published author (volume wise among the most published educational writers in Europe with the present goal: volume wise among the world’s most published).
See below (end of page) a sample of some famous quotes created & written by Dr. Christian (study as a writing sample).
Strong verbal, written, conversational & public platform performance skills.
Proficient in solving problems & implementing solutions under tight deadlines.
Hands-on-Executive, capable of efficiently managing all levels of budgets.
In complicated negotiations, demanding sales, legal & other processes named as “The Closer”.
Known to continue in a difficult task & to produce desired results even when others have given up, thus known as “the miracle producer in mission impossibles”.
Creative writer (books, winning sales & ad scripts, other). Traveled all major continents, communicates in several languages.
Personable & presentable anywhere to anyone as the Ambassador for your organization, capable of always leaving a memorable impression alive.
Dr. Christian's photo: www.staf1org.weebly.com or www.gcg1org.weebly.com – the blog tab.
Outstanding human relationship skills
(is a Certified Successological Counselor – Therapist – Life Coach).
Specialist in Behavioral Sciences, founder of the new Science Successology® (Reg. US Pat.Off. in 1991)
& creator of the professional title Successologist™.
Developer of © Copyrighted methods, techniques, health & lifestyle systems & therapies for wide international use.
Inventor of patentable medical devices.
With all of the above & more: capable in an extraordinary manner of improving the positive results in every area of activities in YOUR organization.
To negotiate: call (862) 235-7017 or (401) 427-2227 - cell: (203) 788-1876 ____________________________
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" (Aristotle) _______
Sample of -5- Quotes by Dr. Christian
– 5 quotes that are created & written by Dr. Christian:
“In truth alone hides wisdom – in wisdom happiness and success” (Dr. Christian)
“Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power” (Dr. Christian)
“The more attention is paid to the smallest of the details, the bigger the results”
(Dr. Christian)
“Character is what you do when no one is watching” (Dr. Christian)
“To stay healthy is to eat what your body wants, not what you want” (Dr. Christian)
Many of Dr. Christian’s quotes (all written & created by him) will be appearing in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
Because his quotes serve him as some of his own life principles he lives by, they will show the high level of effectiveness & wit you will gain when you invite Dr. Christian to build new success in your organization.
_____________________________
* * Your Organization Will Succeed Better with Dr. Christian’s
Clearly Superior Experience & Talents * *
Do you seriously believe you (easily) find as talented individuals as Dr. Christian has proven to be?
You need the most qualified, the most effective solution provider, the most capable professional.
As you do see - Dr. Christian is.
________________________________________________
Recent project
As the lead author, Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., the founding President of the Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-, developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use to be included in the U.S. health care system as the solution to the enormous obesity & other wrong lifestyle challenges in the USA - all leading to multitudes of sicknesses in our nation and in other nations worldwide. When applied nationwide, this new program will save every year hundreds of billions of dollars for the federal government, ease much human suffering, and save millions of human lives.
In a nationwide televised event in Washington D.C., Dr. Christian will introduce this new system to the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate, the White House & The President, and to all related federal agencies.
No one else has ever before created a similar program that has proven to bring the desired results - the results that have been searched after for a long time by many other specialists.
This new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program took the past seven (7) years to be modified for the U.S. needs. The program is based on nineteen (19) years of previous worldwide research. This means: it has taken over a quarter of a century to develop and create, totally 26 years. No other Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program in the world has so many years effective research, material creation, and testing as this program has.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients,
in correct combinations, costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly.
The bigger the family, the less $ per/person.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
This program will save substantial amounts for every American family in food expenses, yet covers & provides everything & all nutrients in correct amounts & correct combinations any human being needs daily. New in this program is also this fact: everyone can afford to follow the program - even a person working on the minimum wage or living on any social security. That is an important key - what good is any program if only a few can afford it. In addition: all food ingredients a person needs to apply this program are available in every supermarket. We do not sell you any food - we give you precious, easy-to-follow guidance what to buy and how to prepare it yourself in your own home for fully healthy meals. All recipes provided in full details - delicious, delicious. All information anyone needs is in this new program. Brief details about the amazingly low cost in the home page - more in this tab: University/College.
This new system is also an automatic weight loss program - nothing additional to buy, no gimmicks, all natural with no negative side effects and most importantly: it will bring the weight loss results, easily & effortlessly.
It is a program that has, for the first time, the solution how to motivate the U.S. public to apply the program - an important key for a real success. Tested widely to bring the desired results.
The same program is suitable worldwide for every country and for every nation. The foreign governments are welcome to contact STAF, Inc. through the contact information in the home page in this website.
Quotation by Dr. Christian: "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
The website showing the details of this new program is this same one you are on now: www.staf1org.weebly.com
You will find brief information on this site's home page and over 80 pages in tab: University/College
Additional material will be still added - also the footnotes are still not placed.
About 35 % of information for this whole program is still not placed in this website (for Copyright reasons). The same program will be sold worldwide to the governments of developed & developing countries.
The related Radio Show hosted by Dr. Christian in tab: Radio/TV Shows - it has the link to the original radio show recordings 24/7. College/University/CEU credits available for the listeners to the original recordings on the web. Based on the original recordings the Show material is modified and distributed nationwide & worldwide.
The Show title "DrDrCanYouHelpMe" (Tab (in this website): Radio/TV Shows has the link to the show recordings.)
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., is available for any organization (or country) to come to teach this result-bringing Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutritional Program to your people no matter what size your staff or your country - a few or a million. The easy-to-apply principles will keep your staff healthy and restore their lost health (resulting from a wrong, unhealthy lifestyle). Your organization will benefit in a BIG way: (1) less absentees, (2) less sickness, (3) better, more effective work results - all saving you and your organization substantial amounts in health care costs.
SAVE THE AMERICAN FAMILY - STAF, Inc., not-for-profit, is the publisher of this new program.
STAF, Inc. has been educating new trainers to be available nationwide to bring these important results for you and for your organization.
STAF, Inc. trainers are available to come to any school, college, or university to teach your students to learn the Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutritional Program details. As the result your school, college, and university will function much smoother in every aspect, you save in health care costs, you have less behavioral challenges - your students learn better and get higher results.
STAF, Inc. also sends a trainer to a single family to train your family privately in all these details. Your family members will have a better, healthier life. Your family spirit will be happier in every aspects. Your marriage will be happier.
Your health care expenses are much less. Good health provides a longer, more satisfying life.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan:
Less suffering - more life™
For training negotiations contact STAF, Inc.:email: [email protected]
STAF, Inc. training services are available nationwide and worldwide
Academic studies & some details relating to Dr. Christian's professional experience:
In addition to Health Sciences, Dr. Christian von Christophers has a University degree in Business & Economics, Communication, Education & Political Science, and he communicates in six (6) languages.
Dr CvC started his career in Europe as a School Principal (was the youngest school principal - only 19), became a College President (at the age of 24 - was the youngest College President). Dr. Christian was leading that College successfully to become the largest College in its geographical area in Europe.
He also has European legal training and was a co-owner of a law office in Europe.
He continued his studies in the USA starting at the Columbia University (NYC) and completed his exceptionally broad academic studies in several other U.S. Colleges. In total he has studied 16 different academic disciplines in 2 continents.
Dr. Christian is also musically talented - plays music and has a good singing voice (on the level of a Broadway show performer).
In 2003 he became a Certified Piano Teacher (CUNY- Queens College Music School) and is a singing trainer for any level.
He is also a Church Choir leader.
Dr. Christian is an experienced public solo performer: sings & plays the music himself using the keyboard.
He is available to train, to perform & to entertain, available also for
He developed a fast learning method for keyboard playing - in six (6) months your playing sounds like you are a pro.
Dr. Christian founded the movement "Keyboard In Every Hand"™. Music & singing has great mental & physical health benefits. Every child willing deserves to learn to play keyboard. Every family can afford a keyboard - at $100 you'll get a good-enough a keyboard. Not every family can afford a 5K piano - a piano you cannot carry with you anywhere you go, but your keyboard you can. Playing music and learning to sing is a life-time beneficial matter. It is never too learn to start keyboard training - you can start at any age. If your child is interested aim to have him/her starting at the age of 3 except if the child wants to start earlier.
Music training (playing & family singing) is suggested as a part of the new Healthy Lifestyle program described in this material and in this STAF, Inc. website.
Dr. Christian married a U.S. California born & raised lady, and his 2 sons (12 & 10) are born in New York City.
He has traveled & done research in all major continents and has visited all U.S. States except Alaska.
He is willing to relocate (even to Alaska). He is available to come anywhere in the U.S. and in the world to train, to teach, to run seminars, and to lecture.
No matter what the size of your organization, his presence in your organization will help you in a grand manner.
An endorsement letter by one of Dr. Christian's private clients
is added below next with the introduction to the endorsement.
Additional information you'll find: go to the tab: Testimonials in this same website, and see there (at the beginning of that tab) an informative endorsement letter and its introduction. The information you'll see will prove to you that you & your organization need Dr. Christian's presence.
Dr. Christian's picture in tab: blog in this same website.
______________________________________________________________________
As the lead author, Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., the founding President of the Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit-, developed a new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program for the U.S. government's use to be included in the U.S. health care system as the solution to the enormous obesity & other wrong lifestyle challenges in the USA - all leading to multitudes of sicknesses in our nation and in other nations worldwide. When applied nationwide, this new program will save every year hundreds of billions of dollars for the federal government, ease much human suffering, and save millions of human lives.
In a nationwide televised event in Washington D.C., Dr. Christian will introduce this new system to the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate, the White House & The President, and to all related federal agencies.
No one else has ever before created a similar program that has proven to bring the desired results - the results that have been searched after for a long time by many other specialists.
This new Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program took the past seven (7) years to be modified for the U.S. needs. The program is based on nineteen (19) years of previous worldwide research. This means: it has taken over a quarter of a century to develop and create, totally 26 years. No other Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutrition Program in the world has so many years effective research, material creation, and testing as this program has.
The biggest news is this: the correct, health-restoring & health-maintaining food with all necessary daily nutrients,
in correct combinations, costs ONLY about $95 per one (adult) person monthly.
The bigger the family, the less $ per/person.
The saved money this new STAF, Inc. program guides you to place in safe investments - STAF, Inc. endorses only a few investment adviser companies as reliable. With the saved money your family can create substantial wealth within time. Also a millionaire?
This program will save substantial amounts for every American family in food expenses, yet covers & provides everything & all nutrients in correct amounts & correct combinations any human being needs daily. New in this program is also this fact: everyone can afford to follow the program - even a person working on the minimum wage or living on any social security. That is an important key - what good is any program if only a few can afford it. In addition: all food ingredients a person needs to apply this program are available in every supermarket. We do not sell you any food - we give you precious, easy-to-follow guidance what to buy and how to prepare it yourself in your own home for fully healthy meals. All recipes provided in full details - delicious, delicious. All information anyone needs is in this new program. Brief details about the amazingly low cost in the home page - more in this tab: University/College.
This new system is also an automatic weight loss program - nothing additional to buy, no gimmicks, all natural with no negative side effects and most importantly: it will bring the weight loss results, easily & effortlessly.
It is a program that has, for the first time, the solution how to motivate the U.S. public to apply the program - an important key for a real success. Tested widely to bring the desired results.
The same program is suitable worldwide for every country and for every nation. The foreign governments are welcome to contact STAF, Inc. through the contact information in the home page in this website.
Quotation by Dr. Christian: "Knowledge is no power - only applied knowledge is power"
The website showing the details of this new program is this same one you are on now: www.staf1org.weebly.com
You will find brief information on this site's home page and over 80 pages in tab: University/College
Additional material will be still added - also the footnotes are still not placed.
About 35 % of information for this whole program is still not placed in this website (for Copyright reasons). The same program will be sold worldwide to the governments of developed & developing countries.
The related Radio Show hosted by Dr. Christian in tab: Radio/TV Shows - it has the link to the original radio show recordings 24/7. College/University/CEU credits available for the listeners to the original recordings on the web. Based on the original recordings the Show material is modified and distributed nationwide & worldwide.
The Show title "DrDrCanYouHelpMe" (Tab (in this website): Radio/TV Shows has the link to the show recordings.)
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., is available for any organization (or country) to come to teach this result-bringing Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutritional Program to your people no matter what size your staff or your country - a few or a million. The easy-to-apply principles will keep your staff healthy and restore their lost health (resulting from a wrong, unhealthy lifestyle). Your organization will benefit in a BIG way: (1) less absentees, (2) less sickness, (3) better, more effective work results - all saving you and your organization substantial amounts in health care costs.
SAVE THE AMERICAN FAMILY - STAF, Inc., not-for-profit, is the publisher of this new program.
STAF, Inc. has been educating new trainers to be available nationwide to bring these important results for you and for your organization.
STAF, Inc. trainers are available to come to any school, college, or university to teach your students to learn the Healthy Lifestyle & Correct Nutritional Program details. As the result your school, college, and university will function much smoother in every aspect, you save in health care costs, you have less behavioral challenges - your students learn better and get higher results.
STAF, Inc. also sends a trainer to a single family to train your family privately in all these details. Your family members will have a better, healthier life. Your family spirit will be happier in every aspects. Your marriage will be happier.
Your health care expenses are much less. Good health provides a longer, more satisfying life.
STAF, Inc.'s slogan:
Less suffering - more life™
For training negotiations contact STAF, Inc.:email: [email protected]
STAF, Inc. training services are available nationwide and worldwide
Academic studies & some details relating to Dr. Christian's professional experience:
In addition to Health Sciences, Dr. Christian von Christophers has a University degree in Business & Economics, Communication, Education & Political Science, and he communicates in six (6) languages.
Dr CvC started his career in Europe as a School Principal (was the youngest school principal - only 19), became a College President (at the age of 24 - was the youngest College President). Dr. Christian was leading that College successfully to become the largest College in its geographical area in Europe.
He also has European legal training and was a co-owner of a law office in Europe.
He continued his studies in the USA starting at the Columbia University (NYC) and completed his exceptionally broad academic studies in several other U.S. Colleges. In total he has studied 16 different academic disciplines in 2 continents.
Dr. Christian is also musically talented - plays music and has a good singing voice (on the level of a Broadway show performer).
In 2003 he became a Certified Piano Teacher (CUNY- Queens College Music School) and is a singing trainer for any level.
He is also a Church Choir leader.
Dr. Christian is an experienced public solo performer: sings & plays the music himself using the keyboard.
He is available to train, to perform & to entertain, available also for
He developed a fast learning method for keyboard playing - in six (6) months your playing sounds like you are a pro.
Dr. Christian founded the movement "Keyboard In Every Hand"™. Music & singing has great mental & physical health benefits. Every child willing deserves to learn to play keyboard. Every family can afford a keyboard - at $100 you'll get a good-enough a keyboard. Not every family can afford a 5K piano - a piano you cannot carry with you anywhere you go, but your keyboard you can. Playing music and learning to sing is a life-time beneficial matter. It is never too learn to start keyboard training - you can start at any age. If your child is interested aim to have him/her starting at the age of 3 except if the child wants to start earlier.
Music training (playing & family singing) is suggested as a part of the new Healthy Lifestyle program described in this material and in this STAF, Inc. website.
Dr. Christian married a U.S. California born & raised lady, and his 2 sons (12 & 10) are born in New York City.
He has traveled & done research in all major continents and has visited all U.S. States except Alaska.
He is willing to relocate (even to Alaska). He is available to come anywhere in the U.S. and in the world to train, to teach, to run seminars, and to lecture.
No matter what the size of your organization, his presence in your organization will help you in a grand manner.
An endorsement letter by one of Dr. Christian's private clients
is added below next with the introduction to the endorsement.
Additional information you'll find: go to the tab: Testimonials in this same website, and see there (at the beginning of that tab) an informative endorsement letter and its introduction. The information you'll see will prove to you that you & your organization need Dr. Christian's presence.
Dr. Christian's picture in tab: blog in this same website.
______________________________________________________________________
Notice:
The client giving the endorsement letter below has also agreed to be available by phone to discuss further his experiences relating to
Dr. Christian's result-bringing counseling.
The referred client endorsement letter is such a powerful statement that it truly shows the point. See the letter and you will agree.
To connect with the client, send an email: [email protected]
The client giving the endorsement letter below has also agreed to be available by phone to discuss further his experiences relating to
Dr. Christian's result-bringing counseling.
The referred client endorsement letter is such a powerful statement that it truly shows the point. See the letter and you will agree.
To connect with the client, send an email: [email protected]
_____________________________
Introduction to the endorsement letter below
As any business or organization, so also your organization, is only as good as its staff is.
Dr. Christian von Christophers (referred below as Dr. C.) is an internationally leading expert, an experienced specialist, to guide & train your whole staff, no matter what size, to function more effectively, yet happier & more content, and to produce results on a higher scale.
Improving your staff’s satisfaction level, raising sales or improving services & have the public co-operating, is always a human relationship & motivational skill.
They are in many ways the same methods & techniques as used in any effective emotional, mental, or behavioral counseling and therapy.
Dr. C. has developed several techniques and methods for world wide use to ease the human suffering.
He has also developed more effective and enjoyable learning & training techniques.
Dr. C. is the founder of Successology (Reg.U.S.Pat.Off. 1991) – the new science for success.
The enclosed endorsement letter given to Dr. C. by one of his counseling clients proves that Dr. C. is a professional who does not give up before the desired results have been developed.
The client testifies that, in his case, several other well-known specialists, during several years, could not get any results for him. Dr. C. did and gave the client his life back.
In the same manner, Dr. C. will in your organization be the one who will find the answers.
Dr. C. is described as the specialist in “Missions Impossible”.
He believes that to any human situation and challenge there is always a positive solution – and he will find it.
The client's opinion is truly an exceptionally positive and effective endorsement.
This endorsement strongly proves that when others may fail, he still competently succeeds.
With the same principles, also in your organization, he will bring the desired results you truly want.
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., will bring new success for you. ______________________________
To Whom It May Concern:
* Printed with the Client’s Permission
I have known Dr. Christian over many years.
In every way he always finds ways to create harmony and balance for the human race.
With his incredible abilities he has been able to assist me with undeniable Healing!
Regardless of how much he has on his table he always manages to come through for me.
Dr. Christian amazed me with his Purity of intent, he is by far the most talented Therapist I have ever known.
I truly feel that everyone should take advantage of any opportunity to meet or talk with him as it is rare to come in contact with a master of his level.
I have worked with only the best and Dr. Christian clearly reflects the highest gifts.
Joel Fertakos
Baltimore, Md.
___________________________
Client’s Background Information
This client had gone for over 15 years to different doctors and therapists and no one could solve his problems.
The client had steep difficulties in every area of life. The challenges paralyzed him fully for a very long time, years after years. According to the Client, Dr. Christian, was the first and only one who finally gave him his life back.
I, Dr. Christian, have witnessed it to happen for him in this process.
_____________________________________
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., is an exceptionally competent, result-producing counselor.
It is hard to find an as competent professional as he has proven to be.
Dr. Christian is a highly experienced Life Coach, Counselor, Therapist & Successologist™
He gets the desired results when others have failed.
In your business the principles for great success are
the same principles as in any individual counseling.
NOW your organization can benefit from Dr. Christian’s outstanding talents.
Your organization will benefit from Dr. C’s presence in a grand manner.
____________________________________________________________________________
Resume information continues under the landscape picture below
___________________________________________________________________________________
Introduction to the endorsement letter below
As any business or organization, so also your organization, is only as good as its staff is.
Dr. Christian von Christophers (referred below as Dr. C.) is an internationally leading expert, an experienced specialist, to guide & train your whole staff, no matter what size, to function more effectively, yet happier & more content, and to produce results on a higher scale.
Improving your staff’s satisfaction level, raising sales or improving services & have the public co-operating, is always a human relationship & motivational skill.
They are in many ways the same methods & techniques as used in any effective emotional, mental, or behavioral counseling and therapy.
Dr. C. has developed several techniques and methods for world wide use to ease the human suffering.
He has also developed more effective and enjoyable learning & training techniques.
Dr. C. is the founder of Successology (Reg.U.S.Pat.Off. 1991) – the new science for success.
The enclosed endorsement letter given to Dr. C. by one of his counseling clients proves that Dr. C. is a professional who does not give up before the desired results have been developed.
The client testifies that, in his case, several other well-known specialists, during several years, could not get any results for him. Dr. C. did and gave the client his life back.
In the same manner, Dr. C. will in your organization be the one who will find the answers.
Dr. C. is described as the specialist in “Missions Impossible”.
He believes that to any human situation and challenge there is always a positive solution – and he will find it.
The client's opinion is truly an exceptionally positive and effective endorsement.
This endorsement strongly proves that when others may fail, he still competently succeeds.
With the same principles, also in your organization, he will bring the desired results you truly want.
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., will bring new success for you. ______________________________
To Whom It May Concern:
* Printed with the Client’s Permission
I have known Dr. Christian over many years.
In every way he always finds ways to create harmony and balance for the human race.
With his incredible abilities he has been able to assist me with undeniable Healing!
Regardless of how much he has on his table he always manages to come through for me.
Dr. Christian amazed me with his Purity of intent, he is by far the most talented Therapist I have ever known.
I truly feel that everyone should take advantage of any opportunity to meet or talk with him as it is rare to come in contact with a master of his level.
I have worked with only the best and Dr. Christian clearly reflects the highest gifts.
Joel Fertakos
Baltimore, Md.
___________________________
Client’s Background Information
This client had gone for over 15 years to different doctors and therapists and no one could solve his problems.
The client had steep difficulties in every area of life. The challenges paralyzed him fully for a very long time, years after years. According to the Client, Dr. Christian, was the first and only one who finally gave him his life back.
I, Dr. Christian, have witnessed it to happen for him in this process.
_____________________________________
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D., is an exceptionally competent, result-producing counselor.
It is hard to find an as competent professional as he has proven to be.
Dr. Christian is a highly experienced Life Coach, Counselor, Therapist & Successologist™
He gets the desired results when others have failed.
In your business the principles for great success are
the same principles as in any individual counseling.
NOW your organization can benefit from Dr. Christian’s outstanding talents.
Your organization will benefit from Dr. C’s presence in a grand manner.
____________________________________________________________________________
Resume information continues under the landscape picture below
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
The resume information Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
starts above - several pages
Go up to find similar 5 (five) lines as you see here and with the green colored title
Resume for
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
Dr. Christian's picture in tab: blog in this same website
____________________
Your organization can choose to hire
Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.,
in the following manner:
(1) as an independent contractor (for any time period);
(2) as a consultant (for any time period) provided by The Save The American Family - STAF, Inc., -not-for-profit- ;
(3) as a temporary or permanent employee in your organization (for any time period);
(4) or with any combinations of these options (for any time period);
(5) seminars & training assignments (of any length) nationwide & worldwide are available;
(6) As a SIP = Specialty Itinerary Professional (of any length) traveling to different locations (nationwide/worldwide)
functioning in any business activities. *) SIP is a copyrighted "title" owned by STAF, Inc.
Any of the above options can be applied - the choice is yours.
For negotiations (1) call 212-946-1234 or (2) email: success1[email protected]
_____________________
Expect Great Things
____________________________________
____________________________________
The resume information Dr. Christian von Christophers, Ph.D., N.D., D.D.
is above - several pages
Dr. Christian von Christophers' picture in this website in the tab: blog
Print out the full resume (or any part of it):
(1) highlite the full resume (mouse), (2) copy the full resume (Ctrl C), (3) transfer to your word program in your own computer, (4) print out (colored or B/W) - for printing use as page set-up: top: 0.2, bottom 0.2, left side 0.5, right side o.3 - using this page set-up your copy will match the resume line and page set-up - then the final print is presentable and will look clean and nice.
_________
Back to the beginning of this tab: use 2 keys CTRL Home in your computer keyboard
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FALLRIVER, MA January 2014
(1) who was selected as your City Administrator,
(2) with what experience &
(3) with what academic and other education or training
In many circumstances the resumes for a public service position are openly available - how is it in your town?
Is there any "insider" friendship or nepotism in this new choice?
____________________
is above - several pages
Dr. Christian von Christophers' picture in this website in the tab: blog
Print out the full resume (or any part of it):
(1) highlite the full resume (mouse), (2) copy the full resume (Ctrl C), (3) transfer to your word program in your own computer, (4) print out (colored or B/W) - for printing use as page set-up: top: 0.2, bottom 0.2, left side 0.5, right side o.3 - using this page set-up your copy will match the resume line and page set-up - then the final print is presentable and will look clean and nice.
_________
Back to the beginning of this tab: use 2 keys CTRL Home in your computer keyboard
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FALLRIVER, MA January 2014
(1) who was selected as your City Administrator,
(2) with what experience &
(3) with what academic and other education or training
In many circumstances the resumes for a public service position are openly available - how is it in your town?
Is there any "insider" friendship or nepotism in this new choice?
____________________
NOTICE: Important info for every web visitor
The web provider, weebly.com, is working on this page and on this whole website to find out the reason for the technical malfunctioning. The orderly, original set up for article topics, lines and additional links with the complete texts is not holding. Mostly it seems to be happening in tab: Natural Weight Loss™ & in tab: University & College.
The lines are jumping unevenly, changing the font size and boldness is changing by itself after the website work. All is fine when STAF, Inc.'s editors save & publish the new information. When next time starting to work on the editing and placing new material, some pages may appear messed up - it happens after STAF, Inc.'s editors exit the whole website.
H0wever, all information stays in this extensive website & is available in full in every page and for every article.
STAF, Inc. is sorry for the inconvenience - the web provider will repair this technical malfunctioning.
All material in this website is being used in College & University education for every degree level. Despite the "jumping lines & other technical difficulties", you will and every web visitor still will get the high level science information.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.,-not-for-profit-
The web provider, weebly.com, is working on this page and on this whole website to find out the reason for the technical malfunctioning. The orderly, original set up for article topics, lines and additional links with the complete texts is not holding. Mostly it seems to be happening in tab: Natural Weight Loss™ & in tab: University & College.
The lines are jumping unevenly, changing the font size and boldness is changing by itself after the website work. All is fine when STAF, Inc.'s editors save & publish the new information. When next time starting to work on the editing and placing new material, some pages may appear messed up - it happens after STAF, Inc.'s editors exit the whole website.
H0wever, all information stays in this extensive website & is available in full in every page and for every article.
STAF, Inc. is sorry for the inconvenience - the web provider will repair this technical malfunctioning.
All material in this website is being used in College & University education for every degree level. Despite the "jumping lines & other technical difficulties", you will and every web visitor still will get the high level science information.
Save The American Family - STAF, Inc.,-not-for-profit-