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Issue 128
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5110 Kali Era, Sarvadhari
Year, Sravana
month
2066
Vikramarka Era, Sarvadhari
Year, Sravana
month
1930
Salivahana
Era, Sarvadhari
Year, Sravana
month
2008
AD, August
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Contents
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Diet and Exercise
Healthy Living Longer
In The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last year, Dr. Rivlin noted
that changes in body composition, like loss of bone and muscle and accumulation
of body fat, typically accompany aging and can affect health in a variety
of ways: poor posture that impairs breathing; falls and fractures; loss of
mobility; a reduced metabolic rate; and weight gain that can lead to diabetes,
heart and blood vessel disease and some forms of cancer. But these
changes in body composition, he added, “are not an invariable accompaniment
of aging.” Much can be done to limit and even reverse them, he said, including
restricting calories and limited saturated fat and replacing simple sugars
with whole grains rich in fiber.
A second critical measure for the 70-year-olds is to “make regular exercise
a part of their daily lifestyle,” including aerobic activities that raise
the heart rate; weight-bearing activities that strengthen muscles and bones;
and stretching exercises that reduce stiffness and improve flexibility and
balance.
Another age-related concern is cognitive decline, which is more likely in
people with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of modifiable risk factors that
includes abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and abnormal
cholesterol levels.
The primary modifiable predictors of longevity were: not smoking; preventing
diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure; and exercising regularly.
“Compared with nonsurvivors, men with exceptional longevity had a healthier
lifestyle, had a lower incidence of chronic diseases and were three to five
years older at disease onset,” the Boston team reported in February in The
Archives of Internal Medicine. “They had better late-life physical function
and mental well-being. More than 68 percent rated their late-life health
as excellent or very good, and less than 8 percent reported fair or poor
health.”
Other long-term studies have also pinpointed exercise as the single most
potent predictor of healthy longevity, in women as well as in men. It is
not that very old people like Judge Ibañez can exercise because they
are healthy, these findings indicate. Rather, they achieve a healthy old
age because they exercise.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/health/26brod.html?em
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Miscellaneous
Prostate Cancer
Researchers are gathering preliminary evidence on several dietary factors
that may influence the risk.
Saturated fat: Population studies show that Asian men living in Asia have
a 2 percent lifetime risk of prostate cancer; when they move to the United
States, the risk in the next generation jumps to 10 percent. One possible
reason: the fatty Western diet. A number of studies have shown that men who
eat more animal fat have a higher rate of prostate cancer.
Vitamin D: Recent studies show that men who have higher intakes of vitamin
D have a lower risk of advanced prostate cancer.
Lycopene: Higher intake of a substance called lycopene — an antioxidant found
in produce such as tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit and guava — also
seems to be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. Some studies
have linked prostate cancer to a low intake of fresh fruits and vegetables
in general.
Calcium: A few studies have linked prostate cancer to a higher intake of
calcium, which is found mainly in dairy products.
For most men over age 75, treatment based on prostate cancer screening causes
more harm than benefit. That’s the position of the U.S. Preventive Services
Task Force, which issued new guidelines on prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
screening for older men. There is not sufficient evidence that detecting
and treating prostate cancer in men over 75 leads to fewer cancer deaths,
the task force said in a statement. But treatment can lead to erectile dysfunction
and bladder control and bowel problems. The new guidelines were published
in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Inactive American
Kids
Many immigrant children get even less vigorous exercise than their U.S.-born
counterparts, the largest study of its kind suggests. Plenty of earlier evidence
shows that U.S. children are pretty inactive. The new study of nearly 70,000
children simply found even lower levels of activity among immigrants.
Almost 18 percent of foreign-born children with immigrant parents got no
vigorous exercise on any days of the week, and 56 percent didn't participate
in organized sports. By contrast, 11 percent of U.S.-born children with American
parents got no vigorous exercise, and 41 percent didn't participate in sports.
Given the obesity epidemic and immigrants accounting for about 13 percent
of the U.S. population, it is important to know whether there are ethnic
differences in physical activity and sedentary behaviors, according to researchers
at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services's Maternal and Child
Health Bureau.
Here's how the researchers explain their results: Immigrant families surveyed
were on the whole poorer than nonimmigrants and lived in less safe neighborhoods.
That means they likely had less time for exercise and sports, and worse access
to places to engage in those activities. But also, many immigrant parents
place a high emphasis on reading, language lessons, studying and other inactive
pursuits. Rates for other immigrants who got no vigorous activity were 13
percent for blacks, almost 10 percent for whites and 7 percent for Asians
and Indians. For no participation in sports, the rates were 49 percent for
blacks, 38 percent for Asians and Indians and 32 percent for whites.
The results in Hispanics are troubling because of high rates of obesity and
diabetes -- both related to inactivity -- among Hispanics, the nation's largest
immigrant group. More research is needed to verify results in Asians and
Indians because relatively few Asians and Indians were studied. Archives
of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
In addition, parents looking for healthy meal choices for their children
are likely to find slim pickings on the menus of the nation's top restaurant
chains, according to a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Nearly every possible combination of the children's meals at Kentucky Fried
Chicken, Taco Bell, Sonic, Jack in the Box, and Chick-fil-A are too high
in calories, the report said. The report notes that eating out now
accounts for a third of children's daily caloric intake, twice the amount
consumed away from home 30 years ago. The report found that 45 percent of
children's meals exceed recommendations for saturated and trans fat, which
can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease,
and 86 percent of children's meals are high in sodium.
Arsenic
Causes Diabetes even at Low Levels
A new analysis of government data is the first to link low-level arsenic
exposure, possibly from drinking water, with Type 2 diabetes, researchers
say. The study's limitations make more research necessary. And public water
systems were on their way to meeting tougher U.S. arsenic standards as the
data were collected.
Fertility of American Woman
In the last 30 years, the number of women age 40 to 44 with no children has
doubled, from 10 percent to 20 percent. And those who are mothers have an
average of 1.9 children each, more than one child fewer than women of the
same age in 1976. The report, Fertility of American Women: 2006, is the first
from the Census Bureau to use data from an annual survey of 76 million women,
ages 15 to 50, allowing a state-by-state comparison of fertility patterns.
Unemployed women had about twice as many babies as working women, although
women in the labor force accounted for the majority, 57 percent, of recent
births. Only a quarter of all women who had a child over the past year were
living below the poverty level. Coupled with fertility data collected
biannually, the report also revealed longer term trends, including how second-generation
Hispanic women are having fewer babies than their foreign-born grandmothers
and first-generation American mothers.
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Recipes
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Vegetarian Lentil and Rice
Quiche
2 cups rice; 1 tsbp margarine; 1 egg, slightly beaten (or egg substitute);
1 cup grated Swiss cheese; 1/2 cup sliced onions; 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms;
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper; 1 cup cooked lentils; 2 tbsp chopped fresh
parsley; 2 eggs (egg substitute); 2 cups milk; 2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper.
Preparation:
In a medium sized bowl, combine cooked rice, melted margarine, and egg-substitute.
Pour into a buttered 9-inch pie plate, pressing against the sides and bottom
to form a crust. Sprinkle one-half of the grated cheese on the bottom of
the rice crust. Layer the vegetables and lentils on the cheese. Sprinkle
the rest of the cheese over the vegetables. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Combine egg-substitute, milk, salt and pepper in a small bowl and carefully
pour over the quiche filling. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes or
until a knife inserted two inches from the center returns clean. (Center
should be very moist and not quite set when quiche is done. It will set up
quickly). Let quiche stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Spinach With Spices and Yogurt
Variations of this dish are found from Turkey through the Middle East, and
no wonder -- a combination of subtle spices and cool yogurt make this a wonderful
way to eat spinach.
Ingredients: 1 clove (1/8 teaspoon ground); 2 allspice berries (1/8 teaspoon
ground); 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds or cumin seeds; 1/8 teaspoon ground
cinnamon; 1 garlic clove, cut in half, green shoots removed (more to taste);
Salt to taste; 1 cup drained yogurt; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil;
1 tablespoon pine nuts; 1 12-ounce bag baby spinach, washed.
Directions: 1. Heat a small dry skillet over medium heat, and add the clove,
allspice berries, and coriander seeds or cumin seeds. Heat, shaking the pan,
until the spices begin to smell toasty, about three minutes. Transfer to
a bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes, then grind in a spice mill. Add
the cinnamon, and set aside. 2. In a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with
1/4 teaspoon salt to a paste, and stir into the yogurt. Set aside. 3. Place
the baby spinach in a bowl, and add just enough boiling water to cover. Let
sit for a couple of minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water, squeeze out
excess water, and chop coarsely. 4. Heat the olive oil over medium
heat in a wide, heavy skillet, and add the pine nuts. Stir until they begin
color (two to three minutes), then remove from the oil with a slotted spoon
and set aside. Add the spices to the oil. When they begin to sizzle, cook
for about 30 seconds and add the spinach, toasted pine nuts, and salt and
pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is heated through and
coated with the oil and spices, two to three minutes. Transfer to a serving
dish, and spoon the yogurt over the top.
This is very nice served with Arabic bread.
Variation: Omit the pine nuts, and instead sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
over the yogurt.
Yield: Serves three
Advance preparation: The spinach can be wilted up to three days ahead and
kept in the refrigerator.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/health/nutrition/29recipehealth.html?_r=1&ref=health&oref=slogin
Vegetarian Recipes
http://www.vegcooking.com/?c=vcgavrg08&gclid=CMXf48yTt5UCFQMLswodu2M_RA
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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.
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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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