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Issue 116
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5109 Kali Era, Sarvajit
Year,
Shravana/Bhadrapada
month
2065
Vikramarka Era, Sarvajit
Year,
Shravana/Bhadrapada
month
1929
Salivahana
Era, Sarvajit
Year, Shravana/Bhadrapada
month
2007 AD, August
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Contents
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Diet and
Exercise
Broccoli
A rare but none the less severe and sometimes fatal skin disease called
epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) has been found to be prevented by a chemical
found in high concentrations in broccoli. The disease's symptoms are blistering
and skin breakage and the agent that helps prevent it is called sulforaphane.
Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is frequently found in health food supplements as it has a high
concentration of minerals, vitamins, protein, enzymes and chlorophyll, probably
because out of the 102 minerals found in soil it is able to absorb 92 of
them. It is hailed as a super food as it contains virtually every main mineral,
vitamin and amino acid that the human body needs for its nutritional requirement
plus the chlorophyll content works to draw out toxins in the body. Wheatgrass
is the wheat plant when it is only 1 to 2 weeks old and the nutritional
content of 15 pounds of it is equal to 350 pounds of vegetables. It also
yields a generous amount of juice per pound when juiced. Some of the reported
benefits for wheatgrass are that it helps to remove heavy metals from the
body, improves the body's healing ability, cleans skin which in turn can
help with psoriasis and eczema problems, aids in preventing tooth decay
and assists regulation of blood sugar problems. http://www.healthypages.co.uk/newsitem.php?news=5599
Go
Green and Vegan
Thinking of helping the planet by buying an eco-friendly car? Go for it.
And you could do more by going vegan, say Gidon Eshel and Pamela Martin
of the University of Chicago. The typical US diet, about 28 per cent of
which comes from animal sources, generates the equivalent of nearly 1.5
tons more carbon dioxide per person per year than a vegan diet with the
same number of calories, say the researchers.
The difference in annual emissions between driving a typical saloon car
and a hybrid car, which runs off a rechargeable battery and gasoline, is just
over 1 ton. If you replace your gas-guzzler or even Toyota Camry with a Toyota
Prius and follow a vegan diet, which is healthier also, your total green
house gas emissions would be less by about 2.5 tons per year. America's
contribution to the greenhouse gas emissions is 1/3rd of the total global
emissions. By changing our life style and cutting down on our consumption,
we could save the world form the impending disaster.
http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~gidon/papers/nutri/nutri3.pdf
http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~gidon/papers/nutri/nutriEI.pdf
http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~gidon/papers/nutri/nutri.html
There have been several studies that reveal that many foods contain cancer-preventive
properties. All one need to do is find out which food contains which phytonutrients
with known anti-cancer properties. By choosing the relevant foods, which
are mostly fruits and vegetables, your health can be maintained. If a particular
ingredient is lacking, it can be added as a pure substance in the form of
a supplement.
Apple
Juice
The National Heart and Lung Institute in the UK have just published the
results of their study revealing the effects that apple juice has on asthma,
in the European Respiratory Journal. It was found that the apple juice does
not need to be freshly squeezed to be effective but can even be the long life
version made from concentrate. By drinking apple juice daily, the chance
of suffering from wheezing is reduced by 50 percent. Wheezing is seen as
a good indicator of asthmatic problems approaching.
Almonds
Many nutritionists are recommending almonds as an excellent source for
many of the body's essential nutrients. It's a perfect nature's package,
containing an antioxidant called flavanoid, also found in green tea. Flavanoids
have the effect of trapping free radicals and stopping unsaturated fatty
acids from oxidizing that would otherwise lead to tissue damage. Almonds
contain the monounsaturated fat which is considered good; it's the same
type found in avocados and olive oil. Fat-soluble flavonoids and vitamin
E work better in your body when they are in the company of good fat. They
also contain calcium, zinc, manganese and potassium. People should
replace dairy food fats such as milk and butter with ones derived from almonds,
according to The Irving Center for Clinical Research at Columbia University.
Waist to Bottom Ratio
The traditional indicator of obesity is BMI. However, it does not
give the entire picture. Scientists believe that the fat around the
stomach is dangerous and measure of it tells you the risk of heart disease.
One way to measure it is to measure your waist around your navel and your
bottom. Divide the first number with the second. For men the ratio
should be below 0.95 and for women below 0.85. Any thing above is an indication
of risk of heart disease.
It's our Fault, not
Virus!
A common virus could be contributing to the obesity epidemic in the United
States. A study presented at the American Chemical Society annual meeting
in Boston in August found that human stem cells exposed to adenovirus-36,
a bug responsible for causing colds and pinkeye, turned into fat cells and
stored fat. In the study, researchers took fat tissue from liposuction patients,
removed adult stem cells from the tissue, and exposed the cells to the virus.
More than half of them turned into fat cells, compared to only a small percentage
of the stem cells that weren't exposed to the virus. The researchers said
that their findings could point the way to a vaccine to prevent obesity
in some people. However, The Associated Press quotes other experts who say
that most obesity is caused not by a virus, but by too many calories and
too little exercise.
A mother's weight could affect her baby's risk for birth defects. A study
published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found
that women who were obese before pregnancy had a higher risk of having babies
with abnormalities of the spine, heart, arms, legs and abdomen. They added
that pregnant women should not turn to diet pills, fasting or other extreme
weight-loss measures.
Exercise, Caffeine
and Cancer
Caffeine and exercise together could provide a double dose of skin cancer
protection. A mouse study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy
of Sciences found that exercise and caffeine prevented cancer development
separately, but together they increased the natural process of destroying
cancerous cells fourfold.
Back
To School
Teach your children to make healthy choices in the school cafeteria.
- Eat items from each of the five food groups.
- Choose more fruits and vegetables. Encourage your child to eat more
servings of fruits and vegetables, for example, by adding lettuce and tomatoes
to sandwiches, choosing gelatin desserts with fruit, or asking for extra
tomato sauce on the spaghetti.
- Avoid unnecessary fats. Encourage your child to choose lower-fat options
when available. For example, spread mustard on a sandwich rather than mayonnaise,
drink low-fat or nonfat milk (whole milk is recommended only for children
younger than 2 years), and choose pretzels over potato chips.
- Skip the vending machine. Some students have short lunch periods and
grab food from vending machines rather than waiting in cafeteria lines. Although
convenient, foods in vending machines, such as chips and granola bars, are
often not healthy.
Packing Healthy Lunches From Home
When packing lunches at home, use the food pyramid as a guide for healthy
eating. Teach your child the importance of eating a variety of foods from
each of the five major food groups. Since most children consume one-third
of their daily calories at their midday meal, a nutritious lunch would typically
include:
- One serving of fruit
- One serving of vegetable
- Two servings of grains (bread, cereals, rice, pasta)
- One serving from the protein group
- One serving from the dairy group
Make lunch more appealing by varying what is to be eaten, unless, of course
your child asks for the same well-balanced lunch every day and eats it. Here
are some suggestions for packing lunches:
- Sandwiches travel well and are favorite lunch-bag items. Make them
with a variety of breads, such as whole-wheat, oatmeal, rye or multigrain
loaves; pita bread; English muffins; bagels; lavash; or flour tortillas.
Fill sandwiches with peanut butter, cheese, hummus or vegetables. Cut the
sandwiches into fun shapes using large cookie cutters.
- Serve potato salad or pasta salad made with multi-color or fun-shaped
noodles. Add beans, peas for additional protein. Avoid the mayonnaise.
- Cut up raw vegetables, such as carrots, celery, green peppers, broccoli,
cauliflower and cucumbers. Send them with a small container of low-fat dip.
- Include a piece of fruit for dessert, washed and ready to eat, or
a container of fruit salad.
- Try cubes of reduced-fat cheese or string cheese with whole-grain
crackers.
- Few kids can resist yogurt, a good source of protein and calcium,
which now comes in many different flavors and forms.
- Choose healthy snacks. Pack pretzels, popcorn, rice cakes, whole-grain
crackers, dry cereal or trail mix.
If your child frequently brings lunch home uneaten, ask why. Didn't you like
the foods? Were they too messy or too difficult to eat? Were the foods not
at the right temperature? What foods are your friends in school eating? Most
of these problems are easily solved by the following:
- Involve your child in deciding what to make for lunch together. Children
are more likely to eat their lunch if they have helped prepare it. Let them
assist with choosing a weekly lunch menu, making a shopping list and then
doing the grocery shopping with you. When possible, let them actually help
you make the lunch, too.
- Be sure all lunch items are easy to eat. Peeling and slicing fruits
and vegetables at home often make them easier to eat at school. For example,
juicy tomatoes may drip on a child's shirt, but wedges could be eaten easily
and neatly with a fork or even fingers. A child with a loose front tooth
could eat apple slices but not easily bite into a whole apple.
- Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot. Use insulated lunch boxes.
Keep foods cold with ice packs or frozen juice boxes. Send hot foods in a
thermos.
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC267/34970/34977/357945.html?d=dmtChildGuide#2
Although summer is still in full swing, school is just around the corner!
So, take some time this month to help your child get ready for school by
following these tips, adapted from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Backpack
Safety:
- Choose the right backpack. Look for wide, padded shoulder straps because
narrow ones dig into shoulders, causing pain and poor circulation. Check
for a padded back, which protects against sharp edges on objects inside the
pack and increases comfort.
- Organize the backpack, using all compartments. Pack heavier items
closest to the center of the back.
- Pack light. Be sure the backpack never weighs more than 10% to 20%
of the student's body weight.
- Always use both shoulder straps. Wearing a backpack over one shoulder
may strain muscles and increase curvature of the spine.
- Consider a rolling backpack. This may be a good choice for students
who must carry a heavy load. However, keep in mind that rolling backpacks
still must be carried up stairs and are quite difficult to roll in snow.
For more visit: http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC267/333/35203/397237.html?d=dmtHMSContent
Miscellaneous
Sleep
and Nap
It is recommended that children ages 3 to 5 years get 11-13 hours of sleep
per night; ages 5-12, 9 to 11 hours; and adolescents, 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 hours.
Although most experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep a night for
adults, the exact amount needed to function at our best varies from person
to person. In a study adults who slept for six hours were 12 percent more
likely to experience major weight gain and 6 percent more likely to become
obese when compared with those who slept seven hours a night. The amount
and quality of sleep affects hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism.
A study at NASA on sleep-deprived military pilots and astronauts showed
that taking a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34 percent and alertness
100 percent. Naps that are too long or taken too late in the day, however,
affect the quality of nighttime sleep, so proper planning is important. Generally,
a 20- to 30-minute nap is enough time to reap the benefits of increased
alertness and performance and improved mood.
Human Evolution
New fossil evidence reveals an overlap of about 500,000 years during which
Homo habilis and Homo erectus must have co-existed in the Turkana basin
area, the region of East Africa where the fossils were unearthed. Their
co-existence makes it unlikely that Homo erectus evolved from Homo habilis.
A broken upper jaw-bone and intact skull from humanlike creatures, or hominids,
are described in Nature.
Thalidomide
and Anti-abortionists in 1962
In 1962, Sherri Finkbine, a TV presenter from Phoenix in Arizona, was denied
an abortion in her home state following intense negative publicity surrounding
her case. The 30-year-old mother decided to terminate her fifth pregnancy
after discovering that tranquilizers she had taken in the first few weeks
of her pregnancy contained the drug Thalidomide. The fetus had no legs and
only one arm. Mrs Finkbine, host of children's television programme
"Romper Room", told her story to the local newspaper, believing it would
alert other mothers in the same situation to the dangers of the drug.
But she became the focus of an intense anti-abortion campaign and worldwide
public condemnation. The negative publicity led her local hospital
in Phoenix to withdraw a tentative offer of a legal abortion for fear they
may be held criminally liable - the law in Arizona required that abortion
can only be carried out to save the mother's life. Mrs Finkbine and
her husband, Robert, a schoolteacher, took the case to the Arizona State
Supreme Court but were unsuccessful. Despite vilification from anti-abortionists
across the United States and the world she flew to Sweden where the operation
was carried out in August. After the operation, it was confirmed that
the fetus had no legs and only one arm.
When she returned to Phoenix Mrs Finkbine's local doctor asked her to register
with another physician. She was dismissed from her job, and her husband
was suspended from his high school teaching post. Their children were hounded,
anonymous death threats poured in by post and telephone and the press swarmed
around their home.
Worldwide, some 8,000 women who took thalidomide as a sedative and to alleviate
morning sickness gave birth to babies with deformities.
New
Era Medicine Center in India
"New Era Medicine" Center is going to be established in India. A
new initiative is underway in India to establish several 'medical cities'
in order to lower the poor ratio of hospital beds to population and to offer
better and all round health care. The tendency has been to import allopathic
medicine and treatment from the West 'as is' into India, but now the aim
of Dr Trehan and other eminent healthcare professionals is to incorporate
the natural treatments and therapies available in India along with allopathic
medicine, all under one roof. Dr Naresh Trehan, who is a surgeon and
also president of the Indian Healthcare Federation, is on course to establish
the 'Medicity' in the Gurgoan region of India. His inspiration came from
the Mayo Clinic in the U.S. which is the worlds most prestigious and largest
medical cities, being a hospital, research and development center and institution
rolled into one.
Alternative
Medicine in Australia
One of the chief areas of concern for health care professionals and government
bodies regarding the whole arena of alternative health medicines and therapies
is the lack of recognized studies and trials of the available alternative
treatments. The Australian government is funding the establishment of the
National Institute for Complementary Medicine (NICM) to the tune of $4 million.
Simple
Test for Cerivcal Cancer
Cervical cancer is largely preventable. It causes about 250,000 deaths
every year and is the second-most common cancer in women. Nearly 80 percent
of those women are in the developing world.
A simple visual screening test is done by a nurse or trained health care
worker who washes a woman's cervix with vinegar and gauze using a speculum
to hold it open. After one minute, any pre-cancerous lesions turn very white
and can be seen with the naked eye under a halogen lamp, according to a
study published in The Lancet. Researchers from the International Agency
for Research on Cancer in France and their colleagues from Tamil Nadu in
India used the technique to screen 49,311 women in Dindigul district, India,
from 2000 to 2003. When pre-cancerous lesions were found, health care workers
gave immediate treatment to destroy the abnormal cervical tissue. All of
the women in the study were healthy and between 30 and 59 years old when
the study began. The research was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation.
Reasons for Sex
Researchers at the University of Texas spent five years and their own money
to study the overlooked why behind sex while others were spending their
time on the how. After exhaustively compiling a list of the 237 reasons
why people have sex, researchers found that young men and women get intimate
for mostly the same motivations. It's more about lust in the body than a
love connection in the heart. Dah!
Another study of sex and seniors finds that many
older people are surprisingly frisky, willing to do, and talk about, intimate
acts that would make their grandchildren blush. And the study finds that people
whose health was excellent or very good were nearly twice as likely to be
sexually active as those were in poor or fair health. Dah! The survey also
bolsters the "use it or lose it" factor seen in previous studies. The federally
funded study, done by respected scientists, was published in New England
Journal of Medicine.
Smoking
Smoking appears to permanently alter the activity of key genes, even though
most cigarette damage is repaired over time, say Canadian researchers, writing
in the journal BMC Genomics. It has been shown that the poisons in cigarette
smoke can alter the activity of genes. If you give up smoking, your risk
of lung cancer falls significantly, but former smokers continue to have a
slightly higher risk of lung cancer compared with someone who has never smoked.
Rates of incurable lung disease are higher than previously thought, a study
across 12 countries suggests. Rates are set to rise further as the population
ages, reported the US researchers in the Lancet study. Smoking is a major
factor in developing the disease and explains much of the difference between
rates in men and women. There was also a strong link with age with the risk
of the disease almost doubling with every 10 years over the age of 40.
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Recipes
Baingan
Ka Bharta (Mashed Eggplant), A Punjabi Indian Recipe
INGREDIENTS: 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil. Divided; 2 eggplants, sliced
in half; 1/3 tsp mustard seed; 2 bay leaves; 2 green chilies, minced; 1
tbsp fresh ginger, grated or minced; 1 onion, diced; 2 tomatoes, chopped;
1/2 tsp turmeric; 1/2 tsp chili powder;1/2 tsp mango powder (optional); 1/2
tsp garam masala (a mixture of curry, cumin and coriander can make a reasonable
substitute); dash salt, to taste; 1/2 tsp lemon juice.
PREPARATION: Drizzle the eggplants with one tablespoon olive oil and bake
at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until soft. Cool and remove peels. Mash
or blend until smooth. In the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil, heat
the mustard seeds, bay leaves, chilies, ginger and onions for a few minutes.
Add the eggplant and remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Allow
to cook for at least 6 to 8 more minutes. Serve hot with rice or Indian
bread.
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianindianrecipes/Vegetarian_and_Vegan_Indian_Food_Recipes.htm
Black Bean
and Mango Salad ( courtesy of Bush's® Beans)
INGREDIENTS: 1 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed; 2 cups mango,
diced; 1 cup sweet red bell pepper, diced; 6 green onions, thinly sliced;
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped; 1/4 cup fresh lime juice; 1 tablespoon olive
oil; 1 seeded Jalapeno pepper, minced or hot sauce to taste; Salt to taste.
PREPARATION: Combine all ingredients, including beans in bowl. Toss and
serve.
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianandvegansalads/r/beanmangosalad.htm
Mango and Peach
Salsa
INGREDIENTS: 2 mangos, peeled and chopped; 2 fresh peaches, peeled and
chopped; 1 sweet onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro;
juice of one lime; dash salt and pepper
PREPARATION: Combine all ingredients and chill. If you have a food processor,
you can process all the ingredients in chunks, rather than dicing and chopping.
Chill before serving
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/saucesdipsspreads/r/MangoSalsa.htm
Chilled
Mango Chipotle Soup
INGREDIENTS: 2 mangoes; juice from 1 lime; 1/2 tsp ginger powder; dash
salt and pepper, to taste; 1 tsp chipotle powder; 2 cups water or vegetable
broth
PREPARATION: Puree all ingredients together in a blender or food processor
until smooth and creamy. Add more spices to taste, and serve cold.
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/coldsoups/r/mangochipotle.htm
Thai
Mango Sticky Sweet Rice Dessert
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup Thai Sweet Rice (also called "sticky rice", available
at Asian markets and grocery stores); 1 ripe mango, cut into bite-size pieces
(look for mangos that are fragrant and easily bruised), or 1 pkg frozen
mango; 1/2 can coconut milk; 2-3 Tbsp. brown sugar (or maple syrup), or
more to taste; 1 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder dissolved in 2 Tbsp.
Water; pinch of salt; 1 tsp. Vanilla.
PREPARATION: Soak the sweet rice in 1 cup water for 20 minutes, or up to
an hour. Add 1 more cup of water and a pinch of salt. Stir into the
rice, lifting any rice grains that have stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Bring to a bubbling boil, then partially cover with a lid (leaving some
room for steam to escape). Turn the heat down to medium-low (#2.5 on the
dial). After 10-20 minutes, the water should all be absorbed by the rice.
Rice Cooking Tip: Don't worry if the rice still seems a little undercooked
when the water is gone. Just remove the pot from the heat, place the lid
on tight, and leave to "steam" cook for 10-15 minutes. The heat within the
rice pot will finish cooking the rice. Put the covered rice in the refrigerator
until cold and sticky. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, warm coconut milk together
with a pinch of salt, sugar, and vanilla on medium heat. Stir until sugar
is dissolved (5 minutes). Add cornstarch or arrowroot powder (dissolved
in the water) to the sauce and stir. As it thickens, turn down heat to low.
Remove from heat. To serve, place scoops of cold sweet rice in bowls. Ladle
warm sauce over to create an “island” of rice. Around the island, place slices
of peeled, fresh mango. (If using frozen mango, be sure to give it enough
time to thaw before serving.) Enjoy!
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/breakfastrecipe1/r/cranpeachcobble.htm
Cranberry
Peach Cobbler Recipe
INGREDIENTS: 5-6 peaches, sliced; 2 tbsp flour; 1/4 cup sugar; 1/3 cup
dried cranberries; 1/4 tsp cinnamon; 2/3 cup quick cooking oats; 1 cup water;
3 tbsp melted margarine; 3/4 cup brown sugar.
PREPARATION: Toss the peaches in the flour and sugar in a large mixing
bowl. Add the cranberries, cinnamon and oats. Place the water and
peach mixture into the crock pot or slow cooker. Pour the the margarine
over the peaches and and sprinkle with the brown sugar.
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/breakfastrecipe1/r/cranpeachcobble.htm
Chinese
Noodle Salad with Ramen
INGREDIENTS: 2 heads green cabbage, shredded; 1/3 cup sesame seeds; 4 green
onions, sliced; 1 package ramen and seasoning packet; 1 tbsp sesame oil;
1/3 cup rice vinegar; 2 tbsp honey or agave nectar; dash black pepper, or
to taste.
PREPARATION: In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, sesame seeds and green
onion. Break the ramen noodles into small pieces, and add to cabbage. In
a separate small bowl whisk together the remining ingredients, including
the ramen flavor packet. Pour over the cabbage and noodles and toss gently
to combine. Let stand for at least one hour before serving.
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Notice: This
material contains only general descriptions and is not
a solicitation to sell any insurance product or security, nor
is it intended as any financial, tax, medical or health care advice.
For information about specific needs or situations, contact your
financial, tax agent or physician.
Back to the Top
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Source:
The primary sources cited
above, New York Times (NYT),
Washington Post (WP), Mercury News,
Bayarea.com, Chicago Tribune, USA Today,
Intellihealthnews, Deccan Chronicle
(DC), the Hindu, Hindustan Times,
Times of India, AP, Reuters, AFP, womenfitness.net,
about.com
etc.
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