|
|
|
Issue 115
|
5109 Kali Era, Sarvajit
Year,
Ashada/Shravana
month
2065
Vikramarka Era, Sarvajit
Year, Ashada/Shravana
month
1929
Salivahana
Era, Sarvajit
Year, Ashada/Shravana
month
2007 AD, July
|
Contents
|
Home
Management
AJIN
TSJ
MS
Vegetarian Links
Disclaimer
Soliciataion
Contact
VPC
More Links
Vedah
|
Diet and Exercise
The Company You Keep!
An old saying says, 'you are what you eat" and another says, "I can tell
who you are by the company you keep" or "You are the company you keep." Ancient
wisdom and most religions tell us "gluttony is a sin." The world's most ancient
texts, Vedas, forbid it. Ayurveda treats food with respect. Bible forbids
it - Proverbs 23:19-21 says "Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine
heart in the way. 20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness
shall clothe a man with rags." Proverbs 28:7 declares, "He who keeps the
law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father."
Proverbs 23:2 proclaims, "put a knife to your throat if you are given to
gluttony." We also know about peer pressure and social acceptability.
If you didn't know or don't believe in religion or ancient wisdom, scientists
are here to reinvent it for you. Now there is a startling revelation
by scientists after an elaborate research.
If your friends and family get fat, chances are you will too, researchers
report in a startling new study that suggests obesity is "socially contagious"
and can spread easily from person to person. The large, federally funded
study found that to be true even if your loved ones lived far away. Social
ties seemed to play a surprisingly strong role, even more than genes are
known to do. The study found a person's chances of becoming obese went up
57 percent if a friend did, 40 percent if a sibling did and 37 percent if
a spouse did. In the closest friendships, the risk almost tripled.
Researchers think it's more than just people with similar eating and exercise
habits hanging out together. Instead, it may be that having relatives and
friends who become obese changes one's idea of what is an acceptable weight.
Report was published in New England Journal of Medicine and funded by the
National Institute on Aging. By the way, that doesn't mean that you sever
friendships and relations, the scientists warn.
Pumping
Iron
Pumping a little iron can help elderly nursing home residents and heart failure
patients gain strength for everyday life, the American Heart Association
says, expanding on earlier advice. It was noted that elderly people and women
who suffer from coronary heart disease (a narrowing of the small blood vessels
to the heart), or are frail could benefit from workouts including resistance
training because they build muscle strength. Resistance weight training includes
using one's body for weight resistance by doing things like abdominal crunches
to using resistance-cord exercises, dumbbells, wrist weights or weight machines.
The statement recommends that those who do resistance training start out
slow, setting the resistance or weight load at a moderate level to achieve
the prescribed repetition range without straining. Elderly people should
start with a low level of resistance. As progress is made, they should first
increase the number of repetitions before adding weight or resistance.
Dieting During Sickness
Dieting when sick and taking medication is ancient technique to help body
recover. More than 5000-years old ancient medicine, Ayurveda, prescribes
certain foods and proscribes certain foods depending upon sickness and medication
taken by the patient. Now the Western medicne has recognized the effect
of diet on medication. Combining medicines with the right food could
improve the effectiveness of drugs and reduce the costs of treating patients,
Western experts say. The comments come after research showed taking a breast
cancer drug with fatty food, rather than on an empty stomach, boosted absorption
of the drug.
Benefits of Turmeric
Powder
Researchers isolated bisdemethoxycurcumin, the active ingredient of curcuminoids
– a natural substance found in turmeric root – that may help boost the immune
system in clearing amyloid beta, a peptide that forms the plaques found in
Alzheimer’s disease. Using blood samples from Alzheimer’s disease patients,
researchers found that bisdemethoxycurcumin boosted immune cells called macrophages
to clear amyloid beta. In addition, researchers identified the immune genes
associated with this activity. Turmeric powder is an important ingredient
in powder called curry powder used in Indian dishes, especially curry (cooked
vegetables or meat).
Coffee
Three cups of coffee a day could slow the loss of mental function in men,
says a European study. The results appear in line with a growing body of
evidence linking coffee consumption to improved cognitive function, and follow
a recent report from Austria that “showed” how caffeine boosts brain function
through its effects on distinct areas of the brain.
Miscellaneous
Western
Cattle Ranches Contribute to Global Warming
Experts claim cows are responsible for about 3% of Britain's greenhouse
gases. Experts consider cows the biggest single source of methane - a gas
23 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to global warming.
The average dairy cow is capable of producing up to 500 liters of the gas
every day, mostly through belching. Cattle and sheep were responsible for
about 30% of methane emissions in the UK. In Wales, they produced nearly
double that - which amounts to 5% of Wales's greenhouse gases. In north America,
they reckon the livestock production would be responsible for up to 20 per
cent of the methane gas in those countries
However, the humble cow pat could become the latest weapon in the fight
against global warming. An agricultural college is using methane from
the muck produced by its dairy herd to power its working farm. The
dairy cows at Walford and North Shropshire College are housed for eight months
a year and their dung is collected and pumped into a digester. There it is
converted into methane and used to power a generator. This produces enough
energy to run the farm.
Diet
Soda is as Bad as Regular Soda
People who drank one or more diet sodas each day developed the same risks
for heart disease as those who downed sugary regular soda, a large but inconclusive
study found. The results surprised the researchers who expected to see a difference
between regular and diet soda drinkers. They suggest that people who
indulge in sodas probably have less healthy diets overall. The research comes
from a massive, multi-generational heart study following residents of Framingham,
Mass., a town about 25 miles west of Boston. The new study of 9,000 observations
of middle-aged men and women was published online in the journal Circulation.
Circumcision
for Promiscuous Men
A U.S. health experts urged governments worldwide to endorse circumcision
to slow the spread of HIV, because promiscuous men without the procedure have
a greater risk of contracting the virus from infected female partners.
Experts at an AIDS conference in Sydney also warned that HIV infection rates
were rising among men who have sex with men in developing countries. In Kenya,
around 40 percent of men who have sex with men are estimated to be HIV positive,
compared to a 6 percent rate in the country's overall population. According
to the World Health Organization, male circumcision reduces the risk of transmission
through prostitutes by around 60 percent for those men who do not use condoms
and are promiscuous. However, many health officials were still unclear about
the benefits of circumcision.
Leaves that Heal
The leaves of Aspilia africana, a plant used in African traditional medicine,
can stop bleeding, block infection and speed wound healing, a new study from
Nigeria confirms. The leaves and flowers of A. Africana, a bristle-covered
herb known as the "hemorrhage plant," have been used to stanch bleeding, remove
foreign bodies from the eyes, treat scorpion stings, and for several other
purposes across the African continent, note Dr. Charles O. Okoli and colleagues
at the University of Nigeria. Dr. Okoli is currently located in Sydney, Australia
at the University of New South Wales.
|
Recipes
Strawberry
Sorbet
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch, 2 cups water, 2 cups pureed
strawberries.
PREPARATION:Dissolve the sugar and cornstarch in the water in a large saucepan
over low heat, then boil until thick, like syrup, about ten minutes. Remove
from the heat and cool. When the sugar syrup is completely cooled,
add the pureed fruit and mix well. Place in a plastic contained and freeze,
uncovered, until it is solid. Cut the sorbet into chunks, then process in
a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Put the sorbet back
into the freezer and allow to freeze for another 4 hours.
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/desertrecipes/r/strawberrysorb.htm?nl=1
Creamy
Vegan Ambrosia (Fruit Salad)
INGREDIENTS: 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple, 1 cup sliced fresh apples, 1
cup orange slices, 1 cup strawberries, sliced, 1 cup grapes, 1/2 cup shredded
coconut, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 3 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp orange
juice, 1/2 cup soft (silken) tofu, pureed, 2 tsp grated orange rind, 1 tsp
poppy seeds (optional).
PREPARATION: In a large bowl, toss the fruit and coconut until well blended.
Refrigerate. Combine the cornstarch with the lemon juice in a medium saucepan
and stir until well blended. Place the saucepan over medium heat and add
the sugar and orange juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture
thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the stove and allow
to cool thoroughly. Fold the pureed tofu, orange rind and poppy seeds into
the juice mixture and chill for at least one hour. Immediately before
serving, pour the dressing over the fruit and serve.
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/soupssalads/r/ambrosia.htm?nl=1
Mango 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?nl=1
Vegetarian Avocado
and Chili Soup Recipe
INGREDIENTS: 2 ripe avocados, 3 cups soy milk, 1 4 ounce can of green chilies,
1/2 onion, chopped, dash salt and pepper, to taste, 2 tbsp lime juice, 2
tbsp dry sherry, 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
PREPARATION:
In a food processor or blender, process together all ingredients except cilantro
until smooth. Stir in the cilantro and serve chilled.
Chew On This: http://goveg.com/feat/chewonthis/
|
|
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
|
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.
|
|
|
|