Issue 117

5109 Kali Era, Sarvajit Year, Bhadrapada/Asvayuja month
2065 Vikramarka Era, Sarvajit Year, Bhadrapada/Asvayuja month
1929 Salivahana Era, Sarvajit Year, Bhadrapada/Asvayuja month
2007 AD, September

Contents

Home

Management
AJIN

TSJ

MS

Vegetarian Links

Disclaimer

Soliciataion

Contact

VPC

More Links

Vedah

Diet and Exercise

Eating with Awareness
Apples
Fruits and Tea
Exercise and Pregnancy
Exercise, Diabetes and Heart Disease
Your Heart and Global Warming
Colas and Caffeine
Popcorn and Lung Disease

Miscellaneous

Pollution and Disease
Smoking and Mental Disorder, and Your Face!
Acupuncture, Fake or Real, Works
New TB Drug Combination

Recipes

Vegetarian Sushi
Vegan Tempura

Diet and Exercise

Eating with Awareness
Eating less meat could help slow global warming by reducing the number of livestock and thereby decreasing the amount of methane release from the animals, scientists said.

In a special energy and health series of the medical journal The Lancet, experts said people should eat fewer steaks and hamburgers. Reducing global red meat consumption by 10 percent, they said, would cut the gases emitted by cows, sheep and goats that contribute to global warming. If people knew that they were threatening the environment by eating more meat, they might think twice before ordering a burger, say scientists. Gases from animals destined for dinner plates account for nearly a quarter of all emissions worldwide. That leaves reducing demand for meat as the only real option

The amount of meat eaten varies considerably worldwide. In developed countries, people typically eat about 224 grams per day. But in Africa, most people only get about 31 grams a day. With demand for meat increasing worldwide, experts worry that this increased livestock production will mean more gases like methane and nitrous oxide heating up the atmosphere. In China, for instance, people are eating double the amount of meat they used to a decade ago.

Eating less meat or no meat would also improve health in general. Scientists estimate that reducing meat consumption would reduce the numbers of people with heart disease and cancer. Colorectal cancer is the second most deadly form of the disease in the United States, accounting for an estimated 52,180 deaths in 2007, according to the American Cancer Society. Individuals over 50 are most at risk, accounting for 90 percent of the estimated total deaths this year. One study has estimated that the risk of colorectal cancer drops by about a third for every 100 grams of red meat that is cut out of your diet. Experts said that it would probably take decades to wane the public off of its mindless meat-eating tendency.

It may come as a big surprise for many of us to learn that “mindless” eating can have negative health consequences. Our fast-food culture is one where meals have become yet another task we squeeze in during the day.

Balancing meals correctly is important for anyone who wants to be healthy. Plants contain a unique combination of nutrients and compounds that cannot be found in any one supplement or pill. Eating more fruits and veggies can boost your energy, super-size your stamina, reduce your risk of disease, and slims your body. Diets consistently rich in fruits and vegetables are known for reducing the risk of cancer, cutting the chance of heart disease as well as improving a host of other maladies. Striving to eat eight to 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables is easy. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, it shouldn’t take much science to understand that more is better. Five servings a day is good, but eight is better and ten is best. However, you have to reduce other foods accordingly to keep total calorie intake under control.

A healthy, balanced meal is made up of a half plate of low-calorie vegetables and fruits, a quarter plate of whole grains, and a quarter plate of protein - milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, nuts/seeds, nut butters, humus, dry beans and the wide variety of soy products. If using dairy products, choose low-fat or nonfat varieties. The fat that is in dairy products is the type of saturated fat that increases cholesterol levels more than any other type of fat and as bad as the type in red meats. Besides increasing the variety of your meals, soy products also provide many health benefits, including protection against cancers, heart disease and osteoporosis.

Healthy fats include flaxseed, olive, canola, safflower, sunflower and corn oils; nuts; seeds; avocados. It is important that you eat foods with alpha-linolenic acid, a type of fat that can be converted into omega-3 fats in your body. The richest sources of alpha-linolenic acid are flaxseed oil, English walnuts, canola oil and soy oil. A serving of one of these on a daily basis can help you avoid a deficiency of omega-3 oils.

Scientists are beginning to evaluate and better understand the complex role of the mind-body connection in eating behavior. It turns out that when our mind is tuned out during mealtime, the digestive process may be 30% to 40% less effective. This can contribute to digestive distress, such as gas, bloating and bowel irregularities.

Eating mindfully means eating with awareness. Not only awareness of what foods are on your plate, but also awareness of the experience of eating. Mindful eating is being present, moment by moment, for each sensation that happens during eating, such as chewing, tasting and swallowing. If you’ve ever practiced mindfulness in any way, (such as meditation, relaxation or breathing exercises) you are familiar with how easily our minds wander. The same happens when we eat. When you begin to practice mindful eating, one important thing to remember is not to judge yourself when you notice your mind drifting off the experience of eating. Instead, just keep returning to the awareness of that taste, chew, bite or swallow. If this concept is new, try the following exercise.

Do this exercise with a friend. You will need one small slice of an apple for each person. One person reads the instructions listed below while the other person completes the exercise.
1. Take one bite of food, for example, an apple slice, and then close your eyes. Do not begin chew.

2. Try to focus on the apple. Do not pay attention to the ideas running through your mind. It’s normal that your mind will want to wander off. Try to notice anything that comes to mind about taste, texture, temperature and sensations going on in your mouth.

3. Now, begin chewing slowly, just noticing what it feels like. If you notice you’re paying more attention to your thinking than to the chewing, just let go of the thought for the moment and come back to the chewing. Notice each tiny movement of your jaw.

4. You may find yourself wanting to swallow the apple. Try, if you can, to stay present and notice the transition from chewing to swallowing. As you prepare to swallow the chewed apple, follow it toward the back of your tongue and into your throat, until you can no longer feel any sensation of the food remaining.

5. Take a deep breath and exhale.

Put the proper portions of food on your plate and try to make the meal last at least 20 minutes. Turn off or put away all distractions such as phone, TV, newspaper etc. Do not get up until you finish your meal. Follow the exercise as above.

Apples
The new research shows that apples contain many of the same benefits of exotic fruits like pomegranates. Studies at Cornell University have shown that the unique combination of thousands of phytochemicals in apples, mainly concentrated in the peel.

Fruits and Tea
Eating certain fruits and nuts may delay old-age problems like Alzheimer's disease. Blueberries, apples, blackberries, strawberries, spinach, walnuts and that old retirement community standby, prunes, are seen as promising candidates. Studies on rats and mice show the theory holds promise. Epidemiological evidence suggests consumption of tea may forestall the development of problems such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's.
Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, or ORAC value, of some fruits:
Blueberries, 9,019 per cup
Blackberries, 7,701 per cup
Raspberries, 6,058 per cup
Strawberries, 5,938 per cup
Cherries, 4,873 per cup
Plums, 4,118 each
Avocados, 3,334 each
Oranges, 2,540 each
Red Grapes, 2,016 per cup
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Exercise and Pregnancy
Women who jog or play racket sports and ball games early in pregnancy risk losing their baby, according to a study of more than 90,000 pregnant women in Denmark. The researchers found that women who exercised more and engaged in the most vigorous activities were at most risk. More gentle exercise such as swimming did not raise the chances of a miscarriage.

Exercise, Diabetes and Heart Disease
About 20.8 million people in the USA have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the most common kind which is associated with mainly obesity, lack of exercise and to some extent genetics. Diabetes is caused by the body's failure to produce enough insulin or to use it effectively to reduce blood sugar levels. Over time, high sugar levels damage large and small blood vessels, leading to heart disease, stroke, nerve damage, amputations, blindness and kidney disease.

The findings in Annals of Internal Medicine show:
The no-exercise group had no change in hemoglobin A1c
The aerobic exercise group had an average decrease of 0.51% in A1c compared with the no-exercise group.
The strength-training group had an average decrease of 0.38%.
Participants who did both types of exercise had a 0.97% drop.
The average A1c for the exercise groups went from above 7% to at or below 7%; the other group stayed above 7%.

In a study at Leipzig University in Germany, Dr. Robert Hollriegel found that people with serious heart failure who rode a bike for up to 30 minutes a day for four months produced new stem cells in their bones. They also had more small blood vessels in their muscles. Those who didn't exercise had no change in their vessels or muscles. Most patients with heart failure are over 70 years old, and some can barely walk a few steps without stopping for rest. Doctors think that even these patients would benefit from light exercise such as walking or cycling.

Physical activity strains the heart's arteries and muscles by sending 10 times the normal amount of blood to the muscles being used. Stem cells then are dispatched to relieve this stress and may repair any damaged parts. If you continue to exercise, these stem cells help the body adapt to the stress, by building new blood vessels and strengthening muscles. But to maintain such benefits, you must exercise regularly.

Your Heart and Global Warming
Global warming may be melting glaciers and forcing polar bears onto land, but doctors warn it could also affect your heart. A few degrees warmer in the next 50 years, we could definitely have more cardiovascular disease. On the sidelines of the European Society of Cardiology's annual meeting in Vienna this month, some experts said the issue deserves more attention. It's well known that people have more heart problems when it's hot.

During the European heat wave in 2003, there were 35,000 deaths above expected levels in the first two weeks of August. In France alone, nearly 15,000 extra people died when temperatures soared. Experts say much of that was due to heart problems in the elderly worsened by the extreme heat.

In higher temperatures, we sweat to get rid of heat. During that process, blood is sent to the skin where temperatures are cooler, which opens up the blood vessels. In turn, the heart rate rises and blood pressure drops. That combination can be dangerous for older people and those with weakened cardiovascular systems. Extreme events like the recent devastating fires in Greece may complicate the problem. The increasing number of forest fires that have swept through Southeast Asia in the last decade have also brought a spike in heart disease, experts say.

The human body is not designed to handle extreme heat for long periods of time; mechanisms like sweating are only effective as a temporary fix. But that could change if our environment becomes radically different. Some experts speculate that humans might even develop some kind of biological way to better tolerate heat. Or those people who already have such ability will survive according to natural law of survival of the fittest to continue the human race!

Colas and Caffeine
A new study shows that citrus-flavored sodas often have higher caffeine content than the most popular colas. The research also found that caffeine content could vary widely from brand to brand, and even within a brand. The researchers, along with consumer advocates, say labels on packaging should give the caffeine content to help buyers make informed choices. While most cans and bottles of soda don't give caffeine amounts, some national brand beverage companies are already heading in that direction. The study found caffeine content in 12-ounce sodas ranged from 4.9 milligrams for a store brand of cola to 74 milligrams in Vault Zero, a citrus drink. The Food and Drug Administration does not limit the amount of caffeine in foods. FDA said a 0.02 percent caffeine content is generally recognized as safe for cola-type beverages.

Caffeine content of well-known national brands include: Coca-Cola (33.9 milligrams), Diet Pepsi (36.7 milligrams), Pepsi (38.9 milligrams), Dr Pepper (42.6 milligrams), Diet Dr Pepper (44.1 milligrams), Diet Coke (46.3 milligrams), Mountain Dew (54.8 milligrams) and Diet Mountain Dew (55.2 milligrams). By comparison, according to the American Beverage Association Web site, a 12-ounce cup of coffee has between 156 and 288 milligrams of caffeine, and the same amount of tea has 30-135 milligrams.

Popcorn and Lung Disease
Consumers, not just factory workers, may be in danger from fumes from buttery flavoring in microwave popcorn, according to a warning letter to federal regulators from a doctor at a leading lung research hospital. A pulmonary specialist at Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center has written to federal agencies to say doctors there believe they have the first case of a consumer who developed lung disease from the fumes of microwaving popcorn several times a day for years.

Miscellaneous

Pollution and Disease
Large population studies have shown pollution from the exhaust of trucks, buses and coal-burning factories increases the risk of fatal heart attacks and strokes. But researchers have not understood how these microscopic particles actually kill people. Tiny particles of air pollution, less than one-tenth the width of a human hair, can trigger clotting in the blood, U.S. researchers said in a finding that helps explain how air pollution causes heart attacks and strokes, suggesting that interleukin-6 was the driving force.

Smoking and Mental Disorder, and Your Face!
Many pregnant women who smoke are also suffering from depression. According to a study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology about 22 percent of the pregnant women in the study had smoked at some point, and 12 percent were "nicotine dependent" smokers. The women were all aware of the risks of smoking during pregnancy. The researchers found that 30 percent of the smokers, and half of those who were nicotine dependent, also had had a mental health disorder, in most cases depression. The researchers say their findings suggest that pregnant smokers should be screened for mental health problems as part of prenatal care.

Women who smoke are more likely to develop a form of acne than those who do not, research from Italy suggests. The study found over 40% those who smoked had non-inflammatory acne, characterized by blocked pores, large white heads and small cysts. The study fitted into a trend of linking smoking with acne. The study published in the British Journal of Dermatology found.

Acupuncture, Fake or Real, Works
Fake acupuncture works nearly as well as the real thing for low back pain, and either kind performs much better than usual care, German researchers have found. Almost half the patients treated with acupuncture needles felt relief that lasted months. In contrast, only about a quarter of the patients receiving medications and other Western medical treatments felt better. Even fake acupuncture worked better than conventional care, leading researchers to wonder whether pain relief came from the body's reactions to any thin needle pricks or, possibly, the placebo effect. The study, appearing in Archives of Internal Medicine, used a broad definition for low back pain, but ruled out people with back pain caused by spinal fractures, tumors, scoliosis and pregnancy.

New TB Drug Combination
Adding a new antibiotic to the standard mix of drugs used to treat tuberculosis could shave at least two months off the current grueling six-month regimen, U.S. researchers said. By substituting the Bayer antibiotic moxifloxacin for an older drug, researchers said they saw a 17 percent increase in effectiveness. Sold under the brand name Avelox, moxifloxacin is approved for respiratory infections including pneumonia. It is marketed in the United States by Schering-Plough.

People often do not take their full regimen of TB drugs, which has in turn spawned drug resistance, making TB more dangerous and more difficult to treat. Shortening treatment time could help people stick to the prescribed therapy better and reduce the development of resistant strains. About 1.6 million people died from TB in 2005, according to the World Health Organization.

Recipes

For some tantalizing ways to spruce up your fruit and veggie intake, try one of the following preparation ideas when cooking dinner:
Sautee fresh vegetables in a pan with garlic and olive oil.
Blend fresh, frozen or canned fruit with low-fat milk or yogurt and ice in a blender for smoothies.
Toss berries into salads.
Add extra vegetables to marinara sauce, soup or stews.
Try substituting sliced eggplant or portabella mushrooms for meat in lasagna.
Top ice cream, sorbets or frozen yogurts with fresh fruit.
Make homemade veggie meat burgers by adding fresh vegetables into patties.
(http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC267/35320/35327/355549.html?d=dmtHMSContent#use)

Vegetarian Sushi
Think sushi is too tricky to make at home? Follow these tips for preparing light and healthy vegetarian sushi from scratch and you'll be rolling in no time!
Sushi Rice Ingredients
For the sushi rice, you will need:
1 1/2 cups of uncooked short grain rice (sushi rice is best if you can find it)
2 cups of water
1/3 cup of sushi vinegar

You will also need one package of seaweed sheets, or nori. Make sure to buy the large sheets and not the thin strips. You will also need a sushi mat for rolling the sushi and some vegetables to fill it. Watch the video here: http://video.about.com/vegetarian/How-to-make-vegetarian-sushi.htm

Summary:
Most any vegetable will work great. Today we are using cucumber and avocado.

Begin by adding the rice and the water to a large pot. Cover the pot and place it on the stove over high heat. When the water begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and let the rice cook for twenty minutes until all of the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, we will prepare the vegetables. Cut the vegetables into long, thin strips that will fit nicely into the center of the sushi rolls.

When the rice is finished cooking, pour the vinegar over it and fold it in so that the rice is well coated. Let the rice cool until you are able to handle it with your fingers.

Place a sheet of seaweed on the sushi mat, shiny side down. Spoon some rice onto half the sheet of seaweed. Now you will want to wet your fingers so that the rice will not stick to them. Using your hands, spread the rice out over half of the sheet of seaweed. Make sure to get it all the way to the edges. Place some vegetable strips in the middle of the rice and press them down so that they are firmly settled.

Place your thumbs underneath the sushi mat and fold the seaweed over. Use your fingers to tuck the edge of the seaweed firmly under the ingredients. Now, continue rolling until all of the seaweed is wound around the sushi.

To cut the sushi rolls, you will need a sharp knife. Wet the blade of the knife so that it does not stick to the rice in the roll. Cut the sushi roll into pieces about three quarters to one inch wide. Between cuts, turn the roll one quarter turn so that it will remain round and will not get squished as you are cutting.

Vegan Veggie Tempura
This recipe is egg-free!
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp sugar; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 cup water; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; oil for frying; mixed veggies, any kind
PREPARATION: Combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Slowly add the oil and water until smooth and creamy. Chill for at least 15 minutes. Heat several inches of vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Dip the vegetables in the batter, then drop in the oil. Cook for about 3 minutes, until crisp and lightly golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

For Vegetarian Miso Soup Recipes Visit: http://vegetarian.about.com//od/soupsstewsandchili/tp/misosoups.htm?nl=1

Health and Nutrition

Issue 117