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Issue 113
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5109 Kali Era, Sarvajit
Year,
Vaisakha/Jyesta
month
2065
Vikramarka Era, Sarvajit
Year,
Vaisakha/Jyesta
month
1929
Salivahana
Era, Sarvajit
Year, Vaisakha/Jyesta
month
2007 AD, May
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Contents
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Diet and Exercise
Human Ancestors were Vegetarians
New evidence suggests that human ancestors were vegetarians, instead of
omnivores like modern humans. The discovery helps to solve a paradox surrounding
the diets of Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus, which lived
in southern Africa around 2.5 million and 1.5 million years ago, respectively.
When the chemical signatures of their teeth were recently analyzed, the
results suggested that these hominins ate grassy plants. This study certainly
adds to the body of evidence that the diet of early hominins included bulbs,
corms and possibly tubers. Hominins had teeth like ours, which were designed
to eat something hard, like small seeds, but not tough grasses or raw meat.
Life Expectancy
According to WHO, females in Japan, who traditionally lead the world tables,
have a life expectancy of 86 years, the same as last year's statistics.
Men of San Marino, a tiny republic surrounded by Italy, who tied with Japanese
men last year at 79, added a year to get ahead. Men in the United States
have a 75-year life expectancy; U.S. women could reach 80. WHO said the life
expectancy figures were based on 2005, the latest year available.
War torn places like Afghanistan, Iraq and Sierra Leone are worst for life
expectancy. Afghanistan is the toughest place for babies, with an infant
mortality rate of 165 in 1,000 live births, compared with the two babies
who die per 1,000 born in Singapore or Iceland. But Sierra Leone is worse
than Afghanistan for mothers' survival, with a maternal mortality rate of
200 per 1,000 live births. Ireland did best at four deaths, followed by Spain,
Italy, Finland, Canada and Austria at five deaths.
Diet is often given as a major factor in life expectancy, but the report
did not give specific reasons for each country's showing. However, it noted
that many of the countries that fared badly spent much less money on health.
Of course, war is a major factor.
Multivitamins and Prostate
Cancer
Heavy multivitamin users were almost twice as likely to get fatal prostate
cancer as men who never took the pills, concludes a study in Journal of
the National Cancer Institute. Overall, the researchers found no link between
multivitamin use and early-stage prostate cancer. The researchers speculate
that perhaps high-dose vitamins had little effect until a tumor appeared,
and then could spur its growth.
Trans
Fat
Trans fat is made when hydrogen is added to liquid cooking oils to harden
them for baking or a longer shelf-life. The process turns them into "partially
hydrogenated oils", which may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke,
diabetes and other ailments. Restaurant-chain operator Applebee's International
Inc. said that it is no longer using trans fat frying oil at its more than
1,800 US restaurants. Many other restaurants, as well as coffee retailer
Starbucks Corp., are ridding themselves of trans fat oils. Yum Brands' chains
KFC and Taco Bell recently switched to a trans-fat free oil. Burger King
Corp. is testing cooking oils without trans fat, with plans to roll out a
new oil by late next year. McDonald's Corp. and Wendy's International Inc.
also have been testing and developing new trans fat-free oils. Some states
have considered limiting or banning outright the use of trans fats. New York
City and Philadelphia are requiring restaurants to stop using trans fat oils
by next year.
Food Guidelines
for Latinos
Obesity rates among Latinos in the U.S. doubled between 1991 and 2001,
from 11.6 percent to 23.7 percent. About 23 percent of Hispanic men are
obese, while 27.5 percent of women are obese -- higher rates than those
of non-Hispanics. Latinos are also two times more likely to have diabetes,
and to suffer from diabetes-related illness such as kidney and eye disease.
The ailments, like poor eating habits, seem to increase with immigration,
studies have found.
A 16-page pamphlet, called "Camino Magico" or Magic Road, is the centerpiece
of a campaign launched recently by the Latino Nutrition Coalition, a Boston-based
nonprofit dedicated to improving Latino eating habits. The pamphlet
teaches shoppers to choose fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains
over processed or prepared foods. It also offers a shopping list and meal
ideas that incorporate healthier versions of traditional dishes, such as
a bean tortilla melt.
Vitamin D Dangers
Elderly men and women who consumed higher levels of calcium and vitamin
D are significantly more likely to have greater volumes of brain lesions,
regions of damage that can increase risk of cognitive impairment, dementia,
depression and stroke. In addition to its well-known function in bone health,
calcium is important to the functioning of nerve and muscle cells. But when
too much calcium is taken up into blood vessel walls, the calcium becomes
incorporated into bone-like deposits that can lead to loss of elasticity and
narrowing of the blood vessels. Vitamin D helps regulate calcium retention
and activity, which may further enhance this arterial calcification. If blood
vessels in the brain are affected, damage could lead to brain lesions.
Pistachios
A handful or two of pistachio nuts a day could keep heart disease at bay,
research suggests.
They appear to lower cholesterol and keep arteries healthy. Just three
ounces of pistachios a day is enough to significantly lower the risk of
heart disease. The nuts are thought to be rich in nutrients that reduce
hardening of the arteries, one of the main causes of heart attacks and strokes.
Pistachios are rich in an antioxidant called lutein, usually found in green
leafy vegetables and brightly colored fruit. Present at higher levels in
the pistachio than other nuts, lutein helps prevent cholesterol from clogging
up arteries. Experts say it is best to eat unsalted rather than salted pistachios,
as too much salt can raise blood pressure.
Skinny
People Maybe in Trouble Too
The internal fat surrounding vital organs like the heart, liver or pancreas
- invisible to the naked eye - could be as dangerous as the more obvious
external fat that bulges underneath the skin. According to the data, people
who maintain their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to
have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are otherwise slim. Without
a clear warning signal - like a rounder middle - doctors worry that thin
people may be lulled into falsely assuming that because they're not overweight,
they're healthy. Even people with normal Body Mass Index scores - a standard
obesity measure that divides your weight by the square of your height - can
have surprising levels of fat deposits inside.
"Thin outside, fat inside" (TOFI) is rarely uneventful. The thinner
the people are, the bigger the surprise. Experts have long known that skinny
and active are healthier than fat and active people, who in turn can be
healthier than their skinny and inactive counterparts, for example, despite
their ripples of fat, super-sized Sumo wrestlers probably have a better
metabolic profile than some of their slim, sedentary spectators! The good
news is that internal fat can be easily burned off through exercise or even
by improving your diet. Caloric restriction and physical exercise work wonders
on visceral fat. If you want to actually be healthy and thin, then
exercise has to be an important component of your lifestyle.
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Miscellaneous
Tooth Cavities in Children
The prevalence of tooth decay in young children's baby teeth is rising.
That's the findings of a U.S. government study that looked at dental health
surveys, including interviews and medical and dental examinations, for some
5,000 people. The study compared responses from surveys done between 1988
and 1994 with those done between 1999 and 2004. The researchers found that
the prevalence of cavities in baby teeth of children ages 2 to 5 increased
to from 24% in 1988 to 1994 to 28% during 1999 to 2004.
They say the increased sugar in our diets will lead to higher levels of
tooth decay and result in more people than ever before becoming diabetic.
Scientists have also said increased sugar levels are a major reason for soaring
obesity rates in the UK and US, particularly when it comes to sugar-thirsty
children. Foods with a traditionally healthy appeal have up to twice the amount
of sugar in them compared to 30 years ago. Breakfast cereals, wholemeal bread
and soups are chief among those foods which are significantly sweeter than
they were only three decades ago.
Smoking
At least 11 percent of American women smoke during pregnancy. The negative
effects of nicotine exposure to their fetuses and newborns are significant.
A 2004 report by the Surgeon General, for example, found that women who
smoked during pregnancy had children who were at a three times higher risk
for SIDS than were the offspring of non-smokers. Now, a new study using
laboratory rats, provides strong evidence that the effects of maternal smoking
during the prenatal period of life can lead to cardiac vascular dysfunction
beyond the formative years and into adulthood. The finding is part
of a new study entitled Effect of Prenatal Nicotine Exposure on Coronary
Flow in Adult Offspring: A Gender Dichotomy.
A news report indicates that every year 1 million Chinese die due to smoke
related diseases in China.
Skin Cancer
and Sun Exposure
Deaths from skin cancer and heatstroke could soar and Britain could be
blighted by malaria, salmonella and a host of other heat-loving diseases
as global warming takes its toll, officials have warned. Government experts
have warned that climate could have huge implications for health, with a
temperature rise of just 2C leading to skin cancer rates going up by more
than 20 per cent.
Gardasil
In an editorial published in New England Journal of Medicine, the UCSF
doctors suggest that there are still too many questions about both the efficacy
and the long-term safety of the vaccine, called Gardasil, to warrant making
it mandatory for all girls -- as has been suggested in several states, including
California. At this stage, vaccination can still be considered experimental.
The cervical cancer vaccine, manufactured by Merck & Co., was approved
by the Food and Drug Administration in June 2006 and became widely available
last fall. The vaccine is designed to prevent infection from the sexually
transmitted human papilloma virus that causes cervical cancer. The same
virus also increases the risk of developing other cancers, including throat
cancer, according to a study also released today in the New England Journal
of Medicine.
The vaccine, to be most effective, should be given to girls before they
have sex and may be exposed to the virus that causes cancer. Researchers are
hoping that the vaccine also may prove effective at preventing other cancers,
although there have yet to be any thorough studies addressing the possibility.
Cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer among women worldwide and
the third-most fatal, causing 290,000 deaths a year. The disease is
rare in the United States, where regular screening for adult women catches
most precancerous cases; about 3,700 American women die of cervical cancer
every year.
High Blood Pressure on the
Rise
Almost 1 billion people worldwide have high blood pressure, and over half
a billion more will harbor this silent killer by 2025. It's not just
a problem for the ever-fattening Western world. It has been spreading to
even to Africa and high blood pressure is becoming common. That translates
into millions of deaths from heart disease alone. Yet hypertension doesn't
command the attention of, say, bird flu, which so far has killed fewer than
200 people. And the dangers go well beyond the heart. High blood pressure
is a leading cause of strokes and kidney failure. It also plays a role in
blindness and even dementia. Patients seldom notice symptoms until
organs already have been damaged.
Normal blood pressure is measured at less than 120 over 80. Anyone can
get high blood pressure, a level of 140 over 90 or more. But being overweight
and inactive, and eating too much salt, all increase the risk. So does getting
older. The world's population is aging and fattening, fueling a continued
increase in blood pressure problems. Remarkably, the report cites worse
hypertension rates in much of Western Europe than in the U.S., despite cultural
similarities: 38 percent in England, Sweden and Italy; 45 percent in Spain;
55 percent in Germany.
But the biggest jump is expected in developing countries and nations rapidly
moving to more Western-style economies, the report warns. In parts of India,
studies suggest one in three urban adults has high blood pressure, while
it's still rare in rural areas with more traditional lifestyles. More than
a quarter of adults in China have hypertension. So do one in four in Ghana
and South Africa.
No Period Indefinitely Pill
The first birth-control pill meant to put a stop to women's monthly periods
indefinitely won federal approval. Called Lybrel, it's the first such pill
to receive Food and Drug Administration approval for continuous use. When
taken daily, the pill can halt women's menstrual periods indefinitely and
prevent pregnancies. The side effects of the pill are irregular and unscheduled
bleeding and spotting that can replace scheduled menstruation. Women who
use Lybrel would not have a scheduled menstrual period, but will most likely
have unplanned, breakthrough, unscheduled bleeding or spotting
Most of the roughly 12 million American women who take birth-control pills
do so to prevent pregnancy. Others rely on hormonal contraceptives to curb
acne or regulate their monthly periods. Some nontraditional pills such as
Yaz and Loestrin 24 shorten monthly periods to three days or less. Seasonique,
an updated version of Seasonale, reduces them to four times a year. With
Lybrel, in one test, 59 percent of the women who took Lybrel for a year had
no bleeding or spotting during the last month of the study. The injectable
hormonal contraceptive Depo-Provera also can eliminate monthly periods.
Plague Outbreak
in USA
In what could be the first plague outbreak in Denver since 1968, 15 dead
squirrels and one rabbit have tested positive for the disease in Denver
and two surrounding counties. Reports of dead squirrels continue to come
into a hotline set up by the Colorado Health Department. Thirteen
of the animals were found in central Denver's City Park area, health officials
said. Colorado is one of the few states in the U.S. that harbors the disease,
which wiped out an estimated 25 million people in Europe during the Middle
Ages. The plague bacteria is transmitted to people through flea bites
and direct contact with infected animals. An urban plague outbreak
among wildlife occurred in Denver in 1968, discovered after a 6-year-old
girl was found to have caught the plague from squirrels. Every year,
about 18 people in the United States die from the plague, according to the
federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Worldwide, about 1,000
to 2,000 fatal cases are recorded every year.
Dangers of
Diabetes Drug
Avandia is used to treat Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease,
which is linked to obesity and afflicts 18 million Americans and 200 million
people worldwide. This form of diabetes occurs when the body does not make
enough insulin or cannot effectively use what it manages to produce. Avandia
helps sensitize the body to insulin and was considered a breakthrough medication
for blood-sugar control. Avandia is linked to a greater risk of heart attack
and possibly death, says a new scientific analysis published online. Experts
said the overall risk was small and cautioned people not to stop taking
the drug on their own but to talk to their doctors.
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Recipes
Recipes
Vegan Pesto
INGREDIENTS: 1 1/2 cups fresh basil, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 cup pine nuts
(other nuts, such as almonds or walnuts may be substituted), 5 cloves garlic,
1/3 cup nutritional yeast, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
PREPARATION: Combine all ingredients in a food processor until nuts are
ground. Pesto should still have texture and not be completely smooth. Add
more salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! One variation is to add 1/2 cup rehydrated
sun-dried tomatoes. For a lower fat version replace half the oil with soymilk.
Travel Food Guide
With a little foresight and planning, staying vegetarian or even vegan
on long road trips is easier than you might think! These quick tips will
help you find plenty of vegetarian food, no matter where the road may lead
you. The key is to plan in advance, so you'll never be stranded with nothing
and nowhere to eat. Of course, if all else fails, you can still grab a veggie
meal from a fast food chain: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/diningouttravel/f/VegRoadFood.htm
America's
Best Vegetarian-Friendly Large Cities
#10 is Chicago,
Illinois
Sure, Chicago was built on the slaughter industry, but we try not to let
sordid pasts get in the way of bright futures. After all, the Windy City
has come a long way since Upton Sinclair's bloody butcherfest, The Jungle.
These days, Chi-town boasts more than 20 vegetarian restaurants, including
the famous "Meat-Free Since '83" Chicago Diner, perhaps the best homestyle-vegetarian
restaurant in North America. You'll have to go there more than once, because
there's no way you can miss the Bayou Tofish, BBQ Seitan Wings, or Lentil-Tempeh
Shepherd's Pie. Read more about the famous diner and Chef Jo Kaucher.
For vegetables gone ultra-gourmet, we hear that Charlie Trotter's $115-a-person
vegetarian menu is a tantalizing experience—if you can handle the price
tag. The Green Zebra was rated one of Chicago's best new restaurants and
called "the hottest reservation in town" by The New York Times. If you're
looking for something that's lighter on the pocketbook, Irazu's is the best
place for a $5 lunch Costa Rican-style—try the veggie burrito or vegetarian
plate, which changes daily, with a side of tostones. The thick, rich chocolate
soy milkshake at Earwax Café is delicious, as are the vegan sloppy
joes, Reubens, and cakes.
Soul Vegetarian East features super-savory choices, such as barbecued seitan,
veggie burgers, vegan gyros, and a fantastic macaroni and "cheese." Try
the breaded, fried seitan with corn and mashed potatoes and gravy. Karyn's
Raw offers an exotic array of upscale, uncooked dishes. Its sister restaurant,
Karyn's Cooked, offers jerk tofu, seitan steak, and the very popular "Slab
of Ribs," which is 100 percent pig-free but doesn't taste like it. Although
many mock meats are made with soy or wheat protein, Karyn's tasty "meatball"
sandwich is made using lentils, one of the healthiest foods around.
For the full scoop on vegetarian eating in Chicago, grab a copy of Veg
Out! Vegetarian Guide to Chicago. If you prefer to stick to the Internet,
visit http://www.VegGuide.org
or http://www.VegChicago.com.
Top Tip: It's worth taking a road trip to the Windy City just for the Chicago
Diner. And if you have some spare time, buy some extra Diner food and drive
it down to PETA's office in Virginia!
Here are the most popular veggie burger recipes on About.com! All of these
recipes for veggie burgers are vegetarian, and most are vegan: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/veggieburgerrecipes/tp/bestburgers.htm?nl=1
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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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